Lanes achieves ISO hat-trick with business audit success

Drainage and water utility specialist Lanes Group plc has retained its certification for international business standards related to quality, environmental control and health and safety.

The company has successfully completed a series of rigorous audits for ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and OHSAS 18001.

The ISO standards cover all services delivered by Lanes’ 24 depots. They also apply to Lanes Rail Division and rail services delivered by its sister company UKDN Waterflow (LG) Ltd and to utility operations for Scottish Water, Anglian Water, Severn Trent Water, Welsh Water, and Northumbrian Water.

Paul McParland, Lanes Group Health, Safety, Quality and Environment Manager (pictured above left), said: “Our success in retaining these ISO accreditations demonstrates that we take a comprehensive approach to setting and maintaining internationally-recognised business standards.

“ISO certification underpins the policies and procedures we use every day to deliver high quality, safe and sustainable services on behalf of thousands of customers and millions of people.

“It is a framework by which we measure our performance and challenge ourselves to continuously improve the way we do business, and ensures we are never complacent in the way we discharge our duties as a responsible employer and service provider.”

ISO 9001 is an international standard that demonstrates an organisation has a robust quality management system. ISO 14001 sets a global standard for environmental management systems.

Achieving OHSAS 18001 demonstrates an organisation has an effective health and safety management system for protecting employees, customers and the public.

During the certification surveillance process, independent ISO auditors carried out 10 days of audit at 10 out of 24 operational sites covered by the standards and reviewed business systems documentation.

Lanes could demonstrate it seeks to continuously improve the way it does business. Initiatives in the last two years have included introducing e-learning resources for depots, a new digital lone worker protection system, investment in the latest low-emission specialist vehicles, and use of vehicle tracking to promote safe driving.

The company’s utility division, which carries out wastewater network service maintenance for Thames Water, also holds ISO 9001 and ISO 14001. In 2018, it became one of the first organisations in the UK to achieve ISO 45001, the new international occupational health and safety standard.

In April 2019, Lanes qualified for a RoSPA President’s Medal after achieving the RoSPA Gold Award for occupational health and safety for the tenth consecutive year.

Paul McParland is pictured with the ISO certificates with Lanes Group Health and Safety Co-ordinator Jane Horan and Lanes Group Transport Manager Simon Nicholls.