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Our newsletters provide guidance on ISO 9001,
AS9100, ISO 13485, ISO/TS 16949, TL 9000, ISO
14001,
ISO 27001, ISO 20000, and Six Sigma.
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EPA Rules on GHG
On January 1, 2010, the Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) will, for the first
time, require large emitters of heat-trapping
emissions to begin collecting greenhouse gas
(GHG) data under a new reporting system. This
new program will cover approximately 85
percent of the nation's GHG emissions and
apply to about 10,000 facilities.
The EPA expects the new reporting system to
provide a better understanding of where GHGs
are coming from, as well as, guide
development of the best possible policies and
programs to reduce emissions. The data will
also allow businesses to track their own
emissions, compare them to similar
facilities, and provide assistance in
identifying cost effective ways to reduce
emissions in the future. The EPA says this
comprehensive, nationwide emissions data will
help in the fight against climate change.
Greenhouse gases, like carbon dioxide, are
produced by burning fossil fuels and through
industrial and biological processes. The
gases covered by the proposed rule include
carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous
oxide (N2O), hydrofluorocarbons (HFC),
perfluorocarbons (PFC), sulfur hexafluoride
(SF6), and other fluorinated gases including
nitrogen trifluoride (NF3) and
hydrofluorinated ethers (HFE).
Fossil fuel and industrial GHG suppliers,
motor vehicle and engine manufacturers, and
facilities that emit 25,000 metric tons or
more of CO2 equivalent per year will be
required to report GHG emissions data to EPA
annually. This threshold is equivalent to
about the annual GHG emissions from 4,600
passenger vehicles.
The first annual reports for the largest
emitting facilities, covering calendar year
2010, will be submitted to the EPA in 2011.
Vehicle and engine manufacturers outside of
the light-duty sector will begin phasing in
GHG reporting with model year 2011. Some
source categories included in the proposed
rule are still under review.
For more information on the new reporting
system and reporting requirements, go to this EPA
web page.
Travel Safety
It often takes a tragedy to make companies
address the risks of business travel. An
article in the HR Daily Advisor states that
personal crimes, such as assaults and
robberies, are the most common types of
incidents encountered by business travelers.
Often, companies make hotel and travel
decisions based solely on price, rather than
evaluating factors such as the crime rate of
the neighborhood where the hotel is located,
basic security safeguards utilized at the
property, or transportation after dark.
Ironically, employers go to great lengths to
protect company-issued mobile devices and the
data stored in them, but according to the
article, they aren't proactive about ensuring
the safety of the employees who carry those
devices.
Prevention Tactics
When making travel plans, employers should
consider the location and assess the
potential risks to employees. Hotels that
offer safety features such as card key
systems and controlled access, meaning the
exterior doors are locked at a certain
time, are significantly safer for business
travelers.
When making travel arrangements, the HR Daily
Advisor suggests asking questions, such as:
What types of security measures are in
place?
Does the hotel use closed-circuit
television?
What types of problems has the hotel had
that might cause concern?
Does the hotel meet the security
recommendations of the American Hotel and
Lodging Association?
Are individual franchise locations
required to adhere to the corporate safety
standards?
The article advises employers to educate
business travelers about safety procedures
they can follow to increase their own safety.
Tips for travelers include:
Get directions in advance.
Do not leave valuables in plain sight in
your motor vehicle.
Park close to the front entrance. If this
is not possible, ask for an
escort.
Park under a lamp pole or lighting fixture.
Ask for a room close to the front desk.
Avoid late-night travel if you can.
Use the buddy system when possible.
Trust your instincts.
Travelers should be provided with an
emergency company phone number in case they
need some type of assistance, have to report
an incident, or become ill. This number could
be a hotline or an after-hours number for a
manager or personnel director.
Tips for Hotel Safety
In another HR Daily Advisor article, a
detective gave his recommendations for
selecting hotel rooms:
Avoid ground level rooms with windows or
sliding doors opening at ground level.
Choose a room facing an interior
courtyard rather than a parking area.
Choose a room on a lower floor since many
fire department vehicles can't reach rooms
above the sixth floor.
Consider a room near the elevator. It is
generally safer; however, it may be noisy.
In the Room:
Keep your key/card handy in case you have
to leave quickly in an emergency.
Lock the door and secure the bolt and
clasp or chain. If the chain is loose, twist
it before securing.
Check fire exits. You don't want to be
wondering about which way to go when you are
awakened in the middle of the night.
Get two business cards from the front
desk that show the hotel phone number and
address. Put one by the phone in the room and
put the other in your wallet so there will
never be a problem getting back to the hotel.
Guest Safety Tips
Finally, here are 10 basic tips from the
American Hotel and Lodging Association:
Don't answer the door in a hotel or motel
room without verifying who it is. If a person
claims to be an employee, call the front desk
and ask if someone from the hotel staff is
supposed to have access to your room and for
what purpose.
Keep your room key with you at all times
and don't needlessly display it in public.
Should you misplace it, notify the front desk
immediately.
Close the door securely whenever you are
in your room and use all of the locking
devices provided.
Check to see that any sliding glass doors
or windows and any connecting room doors are
locked.
Don't invite strangers to your room.
Do not draw attention to yourself by
displaying large amounts of cash or expensive
jewelry.
Place all valuables in the hotel or
motel's safe deposit box.
When returning to your hotel or motel late
in the evening, be aware of your
surroundings, stay in well-lighted areas, and
use the main entrance.
Take a few moments to locate the nearest
exit that may be used in the event of an
emergency.
If you see any suspicious activity,
notify the hotel operator or a staff member.
To sign up for the free HR Daily Advisor
newsletter, go to the BLR web
site.
U. S. Manufacturing
A recent AIAG e-News Brief included an
article by Thomas Duesterberg, President and
CEO of the Manufacturers Alliance. An edited
version appears below.
View on U. S. Manufacturing
In the worst economic climate since the
1930s, and at a time of intensified political
change, manufacturers are experiencing
difficulties in articulating a clear and
strong message about the health of their
sector and how policy change might affect it.
What follows are ten summary points intended
to convey an accurate picture regarding the
current state of U.S. manufacturing and some
of its key issues.
1. Despite perceptions that U.S.
manufacturing is disappearing, the quantity
of manufactured goods produced in the United
States has kept pace with overall economic
growth for the last 90 years.
Since 1947, value added in manufacturing has
grown sevenfold, the same as the gross
domestic product (GDP). While employment has
steadily declined in the sector, one in six
private sector jobs are still in, or directly
tied to, manufacturing.
2. When measured in value-added
production, manufacturing is about 12 percent
of GDP, down from about 27 percent in the
early 1950s.
This is due primarily to higher productivity
and lack of pricing power, and the sustained
growth of the services sector. Between 1987
and 2008, manufacturing productivity grew by
103 percent, about double the total for all
private business. Due largely to increased
international competition, prices of
manufactured goods rose only by about 2
percent per year since 1960, compared to 3.7
percent for the entire economy.
3. U.S. manufacturers do well in global
competition by keeping costs under control.
Due in large part to enhanced productivity,
unit labor costs in U.S. manufacturing have
declined by 40 percent relative to the
average of 14 principal industrial country
competitors since 1986.
4. U.S. manufacturing continues to be a
source of innovation.
It still accounts for 35 percent of value
added in world high-technology product
production and has a trade surplus in
revenues from royalties in manufacturing
processes. Just four manufacturing industries
account for 56 percent of all private sector
research and development: computers and
electronics, chemicals, aerospace, and
automotive.
5. Manufacturing accounts for more than
one-fifth of all energy use in the United
States.
Energy efficiency in manufacturing has
increased by 43 percent since 1987 alone,
much better than the 33 percent in other
sectors. The U.S. industrial sector has
reduced CO2 emissions by about 11 percent
since 2000 and is projected to reduce total
energy consumption by 12 percent by 2030.
6. Manufacturing production always
fluctuates more than the overall GDP.
The current recession in manufacturing is the
worst since the Great Depression. A decline
of nearly 12 percent is forecast for
manufacturing production in 2009, not nearly
as bad as the 20 percent annual declines in
the years 1930-1932, but significantly worse
than the projected 2.9 percent decline in
GDP.
7. The tax burden on U.S. manufacturers is
higher than for other major competitor
countries except Japan.
This is the same for both statutory and
effective rates and is due in part to the
capital intensive nature of manufacturing.
Reform proposals which eliminate important
preferences-such as the foreign exclusion or
last-in first-out accounting-hit
manufacturers harder than other sectors. The
plan to reduce corporate tax rates while
eliminating many preferences would cost
manufacturers $58 billion in increased taxes,
while all other major sectors would see
reduced taxes.
8. U.S. manufacturing provides premium
wages and benefits.
Current wages and benefits in manufacturing,
about $32 per hour, are 9 percent higher than
the economy-wide average. About
three-quarters of all manufacturing firms
(and 99 percent with 200 or more employees)
offer health-care benefits and pay about
four-fifths of total employee premiums.
9. U.S. manufacturing is much more engaged
in global trade than other sectors: 57
percent of all U.S. exports are manufactured
goods.
Despite a large trade deficit in goods,
mostly due to imports of oil and manufactured
products from Asia, the United States enjoys
a trade surplus with all countries with which
we have a free trade agreement, including the
NAFTA countries. In 2008, trade in capital
goods, a strength of U.S. manufacturers, was
roughly in balance while we had a $300
billion deficit in consumer goods. On the
negative side, U.S. exporters are losing
market share in Asia to China and the
European Union.
10. Most U.S. foreign direct investment
(FDI) is intended to gain access to large and
growing foreign markets.
More than 75 percent of U.S. FDI is in
high-wage countries, including Europe, Japan,
Australia, New Zealand, and Singapore.
Foreign affiliates of U.S. firms sell nearly
$4.7 trillion abroad, much more than the $3
trillion in sales by foreign affiliates in
the United States. U.S. firms earn more than
150 percent more in profits from their
foreign affiliates than do U.S. affiliates of
foreign firms.
A completely revised ISO 9004 standard has
been approved and is in the publication
stage. It will be available soon with the new
title, "Managing for the Sustained Success of
an Organization - A Quality Management
Approach".
ISO 9004:2009 provides guidance to
organizations to support the achievement of
sustained success through a quality
management approach. It is applicable to any
organization, regardless of size, type, and
activity, but it is not intended for
certification, regulatory, or contractual
use.
Do you recall the major revision of the ISO
9000 family of standards back in 2000? The
revised ISO 9001 and ISO 9004 standards were
referred to as the "consistent pair" because
they used the same clause structure. ISO 9004
was to be the guide to developing and
improving a quality management system, while
ISO 9001 remained the requirements standard
for assessments.
Organizations seeking certification based on
customer demand have typically implemented a
quality management system meeting the
requirements of ISO 9001, but have seldom
improved that system using the
recommendations in ISO 9004. They have their
certificate and don't go beyond the basics.
An alternate approach was for organizations
to develop their quality management system
using ISO 9004 to focus on meeting their
business needs, and then have it assessed
against ISO 9001. This management-led focus
was on the system, not the certificate.
Unfortunately, this path has seldom been
taken. As a result, it was felt that a
complete revision to ISO 9004 was in order.
New Structure
As indicated by its new title, ISO 9004 has a
different scope and a revised structure. No
longer will ISO 9004 be directly tied to ISO
9001. By removing the constraints imposed by
the ISO 9001 clause structure, and expanding
its scope, ISO 9004:2009 is expected to be an
improvement over its predecessor.
The new ISO 9004:2009 structure is shown
below:
Section 4 on managing for sustained
success addresses the operating
environment and interested parties.
Section 5 on strategy and policy covers mission, vision, values, strategy, and
policy. Its equivalent in ISO 9001 is
Management Responsibility, but this section
is wider in scope and more representative of
best practice.
Section 6 on resource management covers a wider scope than the related clause
in ISO 9001 and addresses additional
resources, including finance, knowledge,
information, technology, and natural
resources.
Section 7 on process management is
more generic than Product Realization in ISO
9001, and much wider in scope since it
applies to all the organization's processes,
including those that are outsourced.
Section 8 on monitoring, measurement,
analysis, and review covers similar
topics to clause 8 in ISO 9001, except that
improvement is addressed in a separate
section 9. Additional topics include
self-assessment, key performance indicators,
and benchmarking.
Section 9 on improvement, innovation, and
learning goes beyond the improvement
provisions of ISO 9001 and addresses
innovation and learning, two important
concepts for any organization aiming to
sustain success.
This article used information from an article
by David Hoyle in Issue
23 of the IRCA Inform.
Whittington & Associates provides training, consulting and auditing services for
management systems based on
ISO 9001, ISO/TS16949, ISO/TS 29001, TL 9000, AS9100, ASS9110, AS9120, ISO 13485,
ISO 27001, ISO 20000, and ISO 14001.
