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Checkbox 3D Quality Management System

Checkbox 3D Quality Management System

Organisations use quality management systems to ensure quality and consistency when fulfilling customer needs.

ISO 9001 sets out the criteria for a quality management system (QMS) to ensure the delivery of consistent, good quality products and services.

Checkbox 3D takes a systematic approach to the management of quality through the implementation of its QMS based on ISO 9001: 2015. Our Quality Management System aligns the operation of Checkbox 3D with our aim to give our clients consistent, good quality.

ISO is the International Organization for Standardization. It has representatives from national standards organisations from 163 member countries, promoting worldwide industrial and commercial standards.

ISO 9001 has a strong customer focus, ensures top management is committed to the system and continual improvement, and uses a risk based and process approach.

Quality policy

Checkbox 3D is committed to providing regulatory, technical and quality products and services that satisfy or exceed client needs.

Farmers should be concerned about the APVMA relocation to Armidale

The APVMA relocation to Armidale now seems inevitable. Up to 90% of the staff will not relocate and it won’t be as simple as replacing them with willing Armidale locals. Most jobs at the APVMA are highly specialised and a fully functioning team needs a good portion of old hands to pass on their wisdom. Unfortunately many of the experienced team members have already left and it is hard to see how any remaining could be convinced to stay.

What happens without the specialists?

Specialists have been leaving from all areas. A good example is the residues team. They are now down to four out of a team of eight. APVMA assessment of submissions is already running behind in many areas. It is now inevitable this will get worse. How can the APVMA attract new team members in this crazy time of turmoil?

New chemistry may bypass Australia

Difficulties with the Australian regulatory system have already left the biggest industry players questioning whether they should bother bringing their chemistry to Australia. As even greater delays are now unavoidable it will take even longer to recoup the costs of R&D. If this means the big companies no longer offer their new technology to Australia the farmer will suffer. Without new chemistry the options can be largely generic. This means greater chance of resistance. The opportunity to utilise newer, often softer chemistry is also disappointing for the environment.

Regulatory is a niche science

The APVMA can’t just pull scientists from other jobs. Regulatory science is specialised. It is not a discipline usually taught in the education system. Anyone in regulatory affairs tends to learn on the job over many years. Apart from residues, the APVMA needs a full complement of scientists who can work in chemistry, toxicology, work health and safety, environment and efficacy.

In a strange twist, the APVMA had been working with the University of New England in Armidale to develop a course to train regulatory scientists. Perhaps someone had had a premonition. However, unfortunately the horse has already bolted and it will take a long time to catch up.

Please talk to us at Checkbox 3D if you need a regulatory affairs consultant to manage your product registration.

Chemicals must be classified and labelled to GHS Criteria

Agricultural chemicals registered with the APVMA must be classified and labelled to GHS criteria. Product made from 1 January 2017 must have compliant labels and SDS.

GHS stands for Globally Harmonised System. It was developed by the United Nations to harmonise chemical classification and hazard communication internationally.

Who is responsible?

Manufacturers, importers and suppliers of workplace chemicals are responsible for ensuring products are correctly labelled and that the SDS is compliant.

–        The model work health and safety laws place a duty on manufacturers and importers of chemicals supplied to a workplace, to determine if the chemicals are hazardous and then to ensure labels and SDS are correct.

–        Suppliers must only supply compliant products

–        End users must only accept compliant product.

Although GHS becomes mandatory on 1 January 2017 under the model laws, Victoria, Western Australia and the ACT haven’t yet mandated use of the GHS. As products are usually distributed across the country it would be wise for all products to be compliant with GHS.

GHS doesn’t replace the Australian Dangerous Good (ADG) Code. You must continue to comply with the ADG code for transport by road and rail. For use in the workplace dangerous goods must also meet the GHS requirements.

The APVMA doesn’t check GHS labelling.

Just like DG labelling, the APVMA doesn’t register GHS labelling. This means they won’t check whether you have got it right. Another problem is that there is some flexibility in the Code of Practice for Labelling of workplace hazardous chemicals.

If you are unsure of your responsibilities and whether your labels and SDS comply with the GHS, please talk to us at Checkbox 3D.