Based on materials from the official web-site of MMC Norilsk Nickel.

The international holding company, BVQI, carried out the first compliance audit of MMC Norilsk Nickel’s Integrated System of Quality Control and Environmental Management between 27 – 29 June.

In December 2005 the system was certificated for its compliance with the international standards ISO 9001:2000 and ISO 14001:2004 in the areas of Production Management and Projects, Sales and Delivery of Products (nickel, copper, cobalt, precious metals, sulphur, selenium and tellurium), and was awarded accreditation in Great Britain and the Netherlands. The carrying out of regular compliance audits is a generally accepted method of confirming the reliability and effectiveness of management systems, as well as being a means of ensuring their continued development and improvement.

Among the areas examined during this first compliance audit were the Directorate of Production of Mining and Smelting Complex, the System of Material and Technical Support, as well as Technical Management and the Environment.

The audit report included recommendations regarding the refinement of the company’s Integrated System as well as pointing out the strengths of the system. In particular, these included the competence and high degree of professionalism of management, the improvements made in production management and material and technical support, the Integrated System’s high level of implementation of ICT and provision of documentation, the systematic work on reducing levels of emission of atmospheric pollutants, and the in-depth and all-encompassing analysis of the Integrated System by the top management.

The representative of senior management with regard to the implementation of international standards, The Deputy General Director of MMC Norilsk Nickel, Jokves Rozenberg, makes the point that “in May, the company’s management, on the basis of its analysis of how the Integrated System was functioning, decided that it was essential to develop it still further. In the short term, our aim is to integrate the System with the quality control system that is currently in place at our Polar Division. We also plan to put in place a system of environmental management in Norilsk, as well as improving our level of certification.