Construction Industry: Sustainability and Management Systems

Construction Industry: Sustainability and Management Systems

WHAT POINTS SHOULD BE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT IN THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY?

According to the surveys conducted by INEGI regarding sustainability and management systems in the Mexican construction industry, different subsectors such as building, civil engineering and specialized works are determined.  It also takes into account federal entities with temporal coverage, geographic coverage, national coverage with sector cut-off, by federal entity with sector cut-off and thematic coverage.

The thematic coverage scheme deals with employed personnel, remunerations, company expenses, production value, company income, inventories, value of fixed assets.

All these points allow us to realize that the implementation of an integrated management system covers and acts for the benefit of organizations and employees.

The different points of the ISO 9001:2015, ISO 14001:2015 and ISO 45001:2018 standards give fulfillment to many aspects that organizations must take into account for sustainability and management systems in the Mexican construction industry.

Points such as understanding the organization, customer focus, actions to address risks and opportunities, change planning, operation, performance evaluation and improvement that are requirements of ISO 9001:2015 make it give a better approach to different organizations.

ISO standards are applicable for construction companies due to compliance, growth, development and standardization that allows them to deliver better products with compliance with high quality standards and places them in the possibility of having international presence.

ISO 14001:2015 in its different points talks about compliance with environmental aspects and how to manage their compliance such as 6.1.3 which talks about legal and other requirements, 8.1 operational planning and control, 8.2 emergency preparedness and response and 10.3 continuous improvement.

Occupational health and safety focuses on legal issues, planning, resources, competence, awareness, operational control, performance evaluation and improvement. All these points as requirements of ISO 45001:2018 allow us to give a better work environment to employees, which is reflected in better internal and external results.

WHAT ARE THE ENVIRONMENTAL ASPECTS TOUCHED BY THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY?

In terms of environmental aspects, the construction industry is related to various environmental issues and impacts, and to manage the various environmental issues that concern the construction industry it is advisable to have an environmental management system that in its various points support the compliance of the company with the ecosystem, the population, the environment and that seen point by point the impact on the soil either by excavations, modifications, hydraulic works, cleaning and hazardous solid waste and liquids.

We can also mention the impacts on the air due to noise, particles, gases and emissions, as well as the water issues that must be associated with excavations, elimination of vegetation, which generate alterations to the water tables and bodies of water that modify the watercourses and water quality. Regarding the flora, construction activities can damage it due to soil modifications.

All of the above points are relevant and are related to the issue of compliance with standards, requirements, laws and legal aspects that sometimes, due to lack of knowledge, are not fully complied with and generate conflict issues for organizations that can lead to penalties and disqualifications from operation.

construction industry

WHAT CHANGES SHOULD COMPANIES ANTICIPATE IN THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY?

Companies or organizations dedicated to construction must foresee changes and improvements in order to remain at the forefront of a changing market and be ad hoc of the growth that companies require for their permanence in the market and in the country’s economy.

The sustainability of companies in the construction sector is summarized as the common future that the United Nations defines it in a broader way, but it is “that which guarantees the needs of the present without compromising the possibilities of future generations to satisfy their own needs”.

We can say that a large part of the sustainability of the construction industry is due to the fact that the companies have a correct planning, respect for the surroundings, the environment, a good execution of the projects and an adequate management of the consequences, as well as the life, durability and maintenance of their products.

Globally, many initiatives have arisen based on climate change for the issue of environmental care, so today there is talk of energy constructions, green buildings, intelligent.

From all this we can underline that an integrated management system is a necessity, a strategy for growth and economic maintenance of organizations.

To learn more about this topic, please contact us. In QAlliance we will provide you with the information you need and help you to successfully achieve the certification of your organization.

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