Reference
IMSinCONS
SummaryThe implementation of integrated management systems in construction, together with cost
and time controls, is recognised as an effective tool to optimise the resources to
implement and maintain environmental, quality and occupational safety and health
systems. The objective is to promote the improvement of the quality of the constructed
facility (a building, a bridge, a road), to reduce the environmental pollution and to reduce
the occupational accidents and professional diseases. Societal demands (environment),
client's demands (quality, including cost and time constraints) and workers’ demands
(occupational safety and health), as well as legislative requirements, are the primary
forces leading the industry to a better quality of life for all parties. To achieve this
objective on a construction project there is a need to act, beginning at the inception,
design and planning phase of the project through its execution and utilisation/exploitation
phases. Owners and company managers play a strong role in this objective. They should
define the policy for each project, considering and prioritising their concerns, not only on
cost and time as traditionally, but also taking into account the environmental, quality and
occupational safety and health issues. They should also give the authority and power to
those who are assigned by them (or acting on their behalf) the responsibility to implement
and maintain their policy, and allocate the human and material resources that are needed
to carry out the policy. The practical implementation of any policy is mainly a problem of
organisation and responsibility - the two "columns" of any management system. In this
paper, an approach to implementing an integrated management system in relevant
construction projects based on ISO 9001:2000 is presented and discussed taking into the
standards ISO 14001:1996 (environment) and ISO 10006:2003 (quality management in
projects), as well as the ILO/OSH 2001 guide for the implementation of safety and health
management systems.
