By Uwin Lugoda
[caption id="attachment_85143" align="alignleft" width="262"]
SLSI Director General/CEO Dr. Siddhika Senaratne[/caption]
The new economic environment brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic has called for businesses to be more responsible when it comes to their workforces and products. This is especially true for those in exports, as they directly reflect on the quality of the products produced in the country.
This same responsibility has fallen on Sri Lankan exporters, as the need to comply with the health and safety standards has drastically increased in the last few months.
While many companies comply with these new safety standards, there is little assurance for their employees and customers that the proper standards are maintained. However, the Sri Lanka Standards Institute (SLSI) launched a new Covid-centric certification to do just that.
The “Covid Controlled Environment Compliance Certificate” was introduced on 20 May, during a webinar themed: “Let the world know that your enterprise follows stipulated occupational and customer safety measures to overcome Covid-19”. The webinar was conducted by the National Chamber of Exporters of Sri Lanka (NCE) in partnership with Rotary International.
The certificate is set to bring benefits for Sri Lankan enterprises, especially exporters, as the certification is related to complying with occupational and customer safety regulations in business operations.
[caption id="attachment_85145" align="alignright" width="250"]
Former Exports Development Board (EDB) Chairman and Rotary member Dr. Rohantha Athukorala[/caption]
According to former Exports Development Board (EDB) Chairman and Rotary member Dr. Rohantha Athukorala, the idea to use certification to showcase a company's compliance with the Government's safety guidelines during this period to its customers and employees was born amidst Rotary International’s “Stop the Spread” campaign, which began on 3 April.
Upon a recommendation from Rotary International Chairman, Dr. Athukorala stated that he discussed the idea with SLSI Director General/CEO Dr. Siddhika Senaratne, who managed to put together the certification within just three weeks.
Dr. Senaratne explained that such a certificate would have usually taken the agency around two months to complete, due to the protocols involved in calling a meeting of experts before doing so. However, due to the current environment, she stated that she managed to get the approval of these experts via email, which fast-tracked the process.
She stated that this certification makes sure that safety protocols are followed properly throughout a company, by helping them document their daily routines, so that nothing is overlooked.
[caption id="attachment_85142" align="alignleft" width="211"]
NCE President Ramya Weerakoon[/caption]
"From the CEO to the bottom-most employee, this certification gets them all involved because they all have responsibilities. What we do is ensure that there is sustainability in a company and that everyone adheres to it," Dr. Senaratne noted.
According to her, the certification also helps companies showcase the effort they put in to maintain these safety standards to the outside world. She explained that certificates given by a third party agency also look good to foreign buyers who might want to ensure a company's employees are abiding by the safety and hygiene standards required of them.
"Dr. Senaratne is trying to achieve a controlled environment. The SLSI has made this certification to make sure the Government’s safety guidelines are adhered throughout the workflow,” said Dr. Athukorala.
In order to apply for the certification, companies have to collect the application forms from the SLSI, fill them in, and receive the list of standards expected of them, after which, companies are given time to make the necessary changes before an audit is done by the SLSI. If there are any non-conformities, the company is given time to correct them before a second audit is done. However, if there are no non-conformities the companies are given the certificate then and there.
Dr. Senaratne stated that the auditing will be done by a pool of around over 100 expert auditors and a pool of extra auditors from outside the agency, including retired SLSI auditors and auditors from other agencies.
Due to the uncertain environment created by Covid-19, Dr. Senaratne stated that the validity of the certification will last for one year only, not three years, and there will be surveillance visits every six months, instead of once a year.
She stated that since most export companies have the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) system already in place, which already requires documentation of the protocols, it makes it very easy for those companies to get this certification.
"Export companies do not have to do much, because they already have the ISO 9000 and 22000 certifications, so they will have an easier time with this certification. However, for companies who do not have these standards, there will be a lot of documentation to be done," she noted.
[caption id="attachment_85144" align="alignright" width="300"]
NCE Secretary General/CEO Shiham Marikar[/caption]
Dr. Senaratne stated that this would also attract foreign buyers, as some of them may want to deal with exporters who have this kind of certification.
However, speaking from an exporter's point of view, NCE President Ramya Weerakoon stated that all exporters have to obtain different types of certifications depending on the type of products they export. Therefore, this certificate will be beneficial to the exporters for their production process, rather than for their buyers’ requirement because it is not a requirement at the moment.
Despite this, NCE Secretary General/CEO Shiham Marikar stated that since its announcement, a quick survey among their members showed that there was a lot of interest in such a certification.
"Most of these export companies already have protocols in place and they follow the guidelines set forth by the Ministry of Health and the World Health Organisation (WHO). All we are doing is giving them third-party assurance in order to make their employees and customers more confident,” said Dr. Senaratne.
SLSI Director General/CEO Dr. Siddhika Senaratne[/caption]
The new economic environment brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic has called for businesses to be more responsible when it comes to their workforces and products. This is especially true for those in exports, as they directly reflect on the quality of the products produced in the country.
This same responsibility has fallen on Sri Lankan exporters, as the need to comply with the health and safety standards has drastically increased in the last few months.
While many companies comply with these new safety standards, there is little assurance for their employees and customers that the proper standards are maintained. However, the Sri Lanka Standards Institute (SLSI) launched a new Covid-centric certification to do just that.
The “Covid Controlled Environment Compliance Certificate” was introduced on 20 May, during a webinar themed: “Let the world know that your enterprise follows stipulated occupational and customer safety measures to overcome Covid-19”. The webinar was conducted by the National Chamber of Exporters of Sri Lanka (NCE) in partnership with Rotary International.
The certificate is set to bring benefits for Sri Lankan enterprises, especially exporters, as the certification is related to complying with occupational and customer safety regulations in business operations.
[caption id="attachment_85145" align="alignright" width="250"] Former Exports Development Board (EDB) Chairman and Rotary member Dr. Rohantha Athukorala[/caption]
According to former Exports Development Board (EDB) Chairman and Rotary member Dr. Rohantha Athukorala, the idea to use certification to showcase a company's compliance with the Government's safety guidelines during this period to its customers and employees was born amidst Rotary International’s “Stop the Spread” campaign, which began on 3 April.
Upon a recommendation from Rotary International Chairman, Dr. Athukorala stated that he discussed the idea with SLSI Director General/CEO Dr. Siddhika Senaratne, who managed to put together the certification within just three weeks.
Dr. Senaratne explained that such a certificate would have usually taken the agency around two months to complete, due to the protocols involved in calling a meeting of experts before doing so. However, due to the current environment, she stated that she managed to get the approval of these experts via email, which fast-tracked the process.
She stated that this certification makes sure that safety protocols are followed properly throughout a company, by helping them document their daily routines, so that nothing is overlooked.
[caption id="attachment_85142" align="alignleft" width="211"] NCE President Ramya Weerakoon[/caption]
"From the CEO to the bottom-most employee, this certification gets them all involved because they all have responsibilities. What we do is ensure that there is sustainability in a company and that everyone adheres to it," Dr. Senaratne noted.
According to her, the certification also helps companies showcase the effort they put in to maintain these safety standards to the outside world. She explained that certificates given by a third party agency also look good to foreign buyers who might want to ensure a company's employees are abiding by the safety and hygiene standards required of them.
"Dr. Senaratne is trying to achieve a controlled environment. The SLSI has made this certification to make sure the Government’s safety guidelines are adhered throughout the workflow,” said Dr. Athukorala.
In order to apply for the certification, companies have to collect the application forms from the SLSI, fill them in, and receive the list of standards expected of them, after which, companies are given time to make the necessary changes before an audit is done by the SLSI. If there are any non-conformities, the company is given time to correct them before a second audit is done. However, if there are no non-conformities the companies are given the certificate then and there.
Dr. Senaratne stated that the auditing will be done by a pool of around over 100 expert auditors and a pool of extra auditors from outside the agency, including retired SLSI auditors and auditors from other agencies.
Due to the uncertain environment created by Covid-19, Dr. Senaratne stated that the validity of the certification will last for one year only, not three years, and there will be surveillance visits every six months, instead of once a year.
She stated that since most export companies have the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) system already in place, which already requires documentation of the protocols, it makes it very easy for those companies to get this certification.
"Export companies do not have to do much, because they already have the ISO 9000 and 22000 certifications, so they will have an easier time with this certification. However, for companies who do not have these standards, there will be a lot of documentation to be done," she noted.
[caption id="attachment_85144" align="alignright" width="300"] NCE Secretary General/CEO Shiham Marikar[/caption]
Dr. Senaratne stated that this would also attract foreign buyers, as some of them may want to deal with exporters who have this kind of certification.
However, speaking from an exporter's point of view, NCE President Ramya Weerakoon stated that all exporters have to obtain different types of certifications depending on the type of products they export. Therefore, this certificate will be beneficial to the exporters for their production process, rather than for their buyers’ requirement because it is not a requirement at the moment.
Despite this, NCE Secretary General/CEO Shiham Marikar stated that since its announcement, a quick survey among their members showed that there was a lot of interest in such a certification.
"Most of these export companies already have protocols in place and they follow the guidelines set forth by the Ministry of Health and the World Health Organisation (WHO). All we are doing is giving them third-party assurance in order to make their employees and customers more confident,” said Dr. Senaratne.