Chemical and plastics industry

Here everything comes down to the batch. In a chemical plant, ISO 9001 means a controlled formulation and batch record — which raw material, from which delivery, in what quantity — incoming material inspection and the ability to recall a product from the market if something goes wrong. For cosmetics this is not a recommendation but a market expectation: ISO 22716 is good manufacturing practice for cosmetics, with requirements for premises, equipment, staff, batch control and complaint handling. Anyone making packaging that comes into contact with food goes a step further — FSSC 22000 has a scope specifically for packaging manufacturing, and food producers require it from their suppliers.

The other part is what leaves the plant and what reaches the worker. ISO 14001 covers emissions, wastewater, hazardous waste and chemical storage; ISO 45001 chemical exposure, spills, explosive atmospheres and personal protective equipment. ISO 50001 pays off quickly because extruders, injection moulding machines and compressors are among the biggest electricity users in industry. And when an EU customer asks for carbon footprint data, ISO 14064 is there for the emissions calculation — along with safety data sheets and CLP classification, without which exports to the EU do not go through.