sqas in 2022
Per 1st January 2022 the use of the new SQAS modules (Core/TS/TC/WH) 2022 versions became operational for all related assessments.
At various moments in 2022 the SQAS T&A Committee discussed and agreed to textual changes but also to some further expansion and clarification on the subject of OCS matters.
We recommend that ECTA members going for assessment (or reassessment) in 2023 check the questionnaires they may have downloaded earlier in 2022 to prepare for their assessments to see if there are any recent changes are applicable for them. The changes are visible in the Font Colors as indicated in the modules.
The objective of both Cefic and ECTA is to include in SQAS all management and operational requirements related to the OCS and related standards as well as national government regulations. As such SQAS should provide the same or even a higher level of evidence that SQAS assessed companies are in compliance with these requirements when all questions in the OCS related template have been audited and scored positively by the independent SQAS accredited assessors.
Analysis of the 302 assessment reports (TS) for the period January to September 2022 show that generally the scores were lower than for 2021 – a common picture for the year of introduction of new questionnaires. Two sections scored significantly lower:
- Section 8 on Behavior Based Safety (expected to be impacted by the various Covid-19 restrictions in 2021),
- Section 9 on Emission Calculations and Management (as more specifically addressed in the Emissions article in this newsletter)
We recommend all ECTA members to be aware of these matters while preparing for upcoming SQAS assessments to ensure that their companies’ management systems address all relevant customer requirements.