Trade Measurement Licensee
Quality Management System Manual
Quality Management System Manual
of
<enter your company name
and business name (if applicable)>
Note-
This document is a template only, and should be adapted and formatted to suit the Servicing Licensee’s individual situation and licence class/es.
CONTENTS
1. Quality Management Policy 5
2. Responsibility and Authority 6
3. Management Representation 6
4. Resources 7
4.1 Reference Documents 7
4.2 Reference Standards 8
4.3 Forms 8
4.4 Computer Equipment 8
5. Document Control 9
6. Training and Personnel 10
7. Verification Work 11
8. Records 11
9. Review and Audit 12
9.1 Compliance Audits 12
9.2 NMI Assessment 12
9.3 In-Field Audits of Instruments 12
10. Corrective Action 13
Appendices
APPENDIX A 14
Organisational Chart for the Verification Activities of 14
Appendix B 16
Physical Standards 16
APPENDIX C 17
Audit Report – Quality Manual 17
APPENDIX D 19
Non - Conformance Report 19
Introduction
This Quality Management System has been established to fulfil the requirements of the National Trade Measurement Licensees Accreditation Scheme (TMLAS) and relates only to the verification work of <Enter your company name>.
<Enter your company name> operates a limited quality management system designed to satisfy the accreditation and licensing requirements of the Appointments & Licensing Scheme (ALS), National Measurement Institute (NMI), Department of Innovation, Industry, Science & Research for the issue of Servicing Licences.
<Enter your company name> is licensed to verify <enter class/es of instruments as listed on licence> in accordance with the requirements of the National Measurement Act 1960. The licence is under the name of <Enter your company name> and details are:
Licence Number <enter your licence number>
Location(s) of Operation <enter each location of operation>
This Quality Management System Manual is a controlled document under our Quality Management System.
The Quality Management System Manual includes:
· a statement of the organisation’s commitment to the Quality Management System;
· a description of the roles and responsibilities of the company’s verifier/s;
· an outline of the primary responsibilities of particular personnel for establishing and maintaining the Quality Management System;
· reference documents;
· provisions for maintaining training records;
· standards for equipment handling;
· provisions related to internal/external review and audit.
1. Quality Management Policy
Note
A “quality management policy” is a company’s statement of intent. The statement spells out a Servicing Licensee’s intention with regard to quality management and how it is applied in its business activities. Any reference to the types and classes of measuring instruments included in the scope of the quality management system must correspond to one or more of the classes of measuring instruments for which a Servicing Licence may be issued. The following statement is an example only.
Enter your company name > has experience and expertise in the <enter description of work as related to Trade Measurement functions eg manufacture, assembly, installation, repair, testing and adjusting of mechanical and electronic weighing equipment>.
It is our policy to provide goods and services in compliance with the National Measurement Act 1960. Our objective is to ensure that any verification work carried out by the Servicing Licensee or employees of the Servicing Licensee complies with the requirements of the National Measurement Institute. Every licensee and employee involved in verification work is expected to fully understand this policy, and demonstrate a continuing commitment to ensuring that the policy is implemented and maintained when undertaking all trade measurement activities for which we are accredited and licensed.
The Quality Management System described in this document is intended to cover only those activities of < enter your company name> related to the verification of measuring equipment used in trade. The company is currently accredited and licensed only in the area of <enter class/es and description of class/es of instruments>.
______Date: ____/_____/_____
Signed: <Company/Managing Director
2. Responsibility and Authority
Note -
This requirement can be satisfied by listing the persons involved in carrying out verifications, including their duties, responsibilities and relationship to others in the organisation. One convenient means of showing a organisation’s hierarchy, illustrating line of responsibility and authority, is by using an organisation chart, such as the example provided in Appendix A, together with a list of the persons involved in verification activities.
Personnel involved in carrying out verifications, their duties, responsibilities and relationships with others in the organisation are shown in Appendix A.
3. Management Representation
Note
Management representation is one of the most important elements of the Quality Management System. It provides endorsement in the form of a statement from the company’s management nominating a person to take primary responsibility for the quality management system and for compliance with the National Measurement Act 1960 on behalf of the company. The company’s management gives the nominated person full backing, responsibility and authority for implementing the quality policy.
I hereby endorse the appointment of enter name of person and position held as Management Representative of <enter your company name> for the purposes of the Quality Management System.
The Management Representative, is fully responsible for establishing, implementing and maintaining the Quality Management System of <enter your company name> in accordance with this Quality Management System Manual and in compliance with requirements of the National Measurement Act 1960 in order to ensure continued accreditation as a Servicing Licensee.
The Management Representative has the full support of <enter your company name> for any actions taken to ensure that <enter your company name>:
· maintains high standards of technical performance; and
· meets its regulatory obligations as stated in the National Measurement Act 1960.
______Date: ____/_____/_____
Signed: <Company/Managing Director
4. Resources
Note
The Quality Management System Manual should list the important physical resources required to carry out the verification function. The reference standards of measurement must be verified by a Verifying Authority under Regulation 13 of the National Measurement Regulations 1999, the verification must be current and the reference standard of measure must not be used outside of their verification dates.
The National Measurement Institute shall be informed of any changes to Regulation 13 Certificates of Verification within 14 days of the change occurring.
4.1 Reference Documents
The following is a list of core documents required for <enter name of company> to comply with the Quality Management System.
· National Measurement Act 1960
· National Trade Measurement Regulations 2009
· set of relevant certificate/s of approval and access to updated information on the National Measurement Institute website www.measurement.gov.au by <enter details of how access is gained, e.g. company’s computer system>
· Directives issued by the National Measurement Institute;
· Uniform Test Procedures: General Information National Measuring Institute V 0
· Uniform Test Procedures for the Verification, and
In-service Inspection of Non-automatic Weighing Instruments National Measuring Institute V 1
· Verifier’s Instruction Manual
· Quality Management System Manual
Appendix A lists the allocation of reference documents for each of the verifiers employed by the Servicing Licensee.
4.2 Reference Standards
The reference standards of measurement used to verify measuring instruments in use for trade shall be verified by a Verifying Authority under Regulation 13 of the National Measurement Regulations 1999, will be current and will not be used outside of their verification dates. Appendix B – Physical Standards contains details of current reference standards.
enter name of person and position held shall ensure the National Measurement Institute’s (NMI) Appointment and Licensing Section (ALS) is informed of any change to Regulation 13 Certificates of Verification within 14 days of the change occurring.
4.3 Forms
The following forms provided by the NMI are to be used by each verifier acting under a Servicing Licence.
· Notification of Instrument Verification or Non Verification Form <Forms 6, 6A or 7- enter which ever is applicable>
4.4 Computer Equipment
Access to a computer to obtain information relating to certificates of approval (National Measurement Institute website) is provided by <enter details of how access is gained e.g. company’s computer system>.
Data from the verification or non-verification forms must be entered onto the NMI’s online system within 14 days of the testing being performed. Alternatively, forms must be received by the NMI within 14 days.
5. Document Control
Note
The required reference documents may be controlled as printed copies or electronic documents. Select the method most suitable for your organisation and delete the other method from the draft.
Printed Copies:
Enter Management Representative’s name> is responsible for ensuring the reference documents listed in the resources section of this document are kept up to date. All documents will be marked AUTHORISED and signed by < enter Management Representative’s name> on the front cover.
All personnel shall be advised authorised copies shall not be photocopied, and documents not authorised are not to be used for verification activities.
All of our controlled documents are identified with the following information:
· Title;
· Date of issue;
· Authorisation signature;
· Page number and total number of pages;
· Authorisation of changes.
All revisions to the documents are identified by a revision number and are dated and authorised before issue. If notified of changes to any document, <Enter Management Representative’s name> shall ensure all authorised copies of the documents are updated, noting the change made. The change shall also be dated and signed by <Enter Management Representative’s name> who shall also advise all verification staff (where appropriate) of the change.
When the company keeps a copy of superseded documents <Enter Management Representative’s name> shall mark them prominently as being SUPERSEDED - DO NOT USE. All other copies are to be destroyed.
Electronic documents:
Enter Management Representative’s name> is responsible for ensuring the reference documents listed in the resources section of this document are kept up to date and controlled in a secure computer folder. <Enter Management Representative’s name> shall ensure only the current version of each reference document is available to verifiers.
Verifiers shall confirm the currency of any printed reference documents by referring to the computer folder before using them to conduct verification activities.
All of our controlled documents are identified with the following information:
· Title;
· Date of issue;
· Page number and total number of pages;
All revisions to the documents are identified by a revision number and are dated before releasing for use. <Enter Management Representative’s name> shall advise all verification staff of changes in reference documents.
When the company keeps superseded documents, <Enter Management Representative’s name> shall save the documents in a superseded documents folder.
6. Training and Personnel
Only verifiers who have be awarded a Statement of Attainment may carry out verifications of instruments on behalf of <enter your company name>. The Statement of Attainment is for the Skill Set involving the following units of competency:
• Trade Measurement Verification (Limited Weighing Instrument)
• Trade Measurement Verification (Complex Weighing Instrument)
• Use and maintain Reference Standards
Appendix A contains a list of the verifiers who have been awarded the required Statement of Attainment.
New employees will not be able to carry out verification work until they have been thoroughly trained by one of the company’s qualified verifiers, and their competence to carry out the tasks required in accordance with the necessary procedures has been verified through the issue of a Statement of Attainment.
<enter your company name> shall maintain records of verifier training and Statements of Attainment of the company’s verifiers.
In addition, details ie name, residential address and certifiers mark of the new certification personnel shall be advised to the NMI within fourteen days of commencement. Details of employees who cease to be employed to certify instruments or changes to certifier details shall also be advised to the NMI within fourteen days of the cessation. Electronic SL Form C – Verifier Registration and Deregistration Details Form is provided for this purpose.
7. Verification Work
All verification work will be performed in accordance with the Verifier’s Instruction Manual.
The Management Representative is responsible for ensuring that the Verifier’s Instruction Manual is kept up to date and is available to all verifiers.
8. Records
All records required to be held under National Measurement Act 1960:
· must be retained in a permanent, retrievable form for at least three years;
· must be legible and directly traceable to the items certified; and
· must be made available to the NMI.
Note
Reference should be made in the Quality Management System Manual in regard to the office procedures you intend to use for entering of Certificates of Verification or Notice of Non-Verification of a Measuring Instrument and test reports onto your computer and for forwarding the Certificates and test reports to the NMI and if necessary, to measuring instrument operators.
Reference should also be made to the procedures used for controlling the allocation of printed Certificates of Verification and test reports.
Test Report Forms are only required to be sent to the NMI for measuring instrument classes 6.4, 6.5, 6.6 and 6.9
Enter Representative’s name> is responsible for controlling the issuing of printed Certificates of Verification or Notice of Non-Verification of a Measuring Instrument and test reports to instrument verifiers. <Enter Representative’s name> shall enter details in the Form Control Register (Appendix A) of all forms issued to instrument verifiers.
If the verifier does not leave a printed copy of the Certificate of Verification at the time of verification Enter Representative’s name shall ensure the instrument operator receives a printed copy of the Certificate within 14 days of the verification being completed.
If a Notice of Non-Verification is completed the verifier must leave a written copy of the Notice with the instrument operator before leaving the site.
The original (for printed Certificates) or electronic data of the Certificate of Verification and Test Report Form (if applicable) or any Notice of Non-Verification must reach the NMI within 14 days of the verification or non-verification being conducted.