The Oakland County Drain Commissioner’s office took a major step forward in retaining its coveted ISO certification by passing its environmental management system audit with flying colors.
The drain office currently is registered to both the ISO 9000 and ISO 14000 standards. ISO is the International Organization of Standards and 9000 refers to quality control. The 14000 standard deals with environmental protection measures.
Although he said he was pleased with the audit results, Drain Commissioner John P. McCulloch said he wasn’t surprised. “We embrace continual improvement as a matter of course,” he said. “It’s part of our DNA. It’s an integral part of our culture. I had no doubt that we would pass.”
Auditors from the National Sanitation Foundation – International Strategic Registrations (NSF-ISR) conducted audits over a three-day period to verify the drain office’s commitment to quality and conformity with ISO standards.
“That means that the same standards can be applied to any organization, large or small, whatever its product,” McCulloch said. “Outside audits of our environmental and quality management systems are intended to provide objective evidence of the management system’s conformance to known standards.”
McCulloch, noting that he heads an organization where providing outstanding customer service is a top priority, said he and his staff use customer satisfaction as the key measure of success. “Our audit result simply confirms that,” he said.
Regular audits occur on an annual basis, with re-registration occurring every three years.
