Management System Certification Research Articles

Voluntary behaviour, knowledge sharing and quality management system implementation in pharmaceutical industry: a preliminary study

The implementation of quality management system requires voluntary motivation from each organisation's member to achieve organisational perfection. In practice, quality management system implementations are often based on customer demands as a business to business requirement. Certified companies are often no better than firms that do not yet have quality management system certifications. This study aims to develop and to confirm a model of effective quality management system implementation by using internal motive factors, such as voluntary behaviour, prosocial behaviour, perceived employability, and trust. By conducting a survey to a leading Indonesian pharmaceutical firm as a preliminary study, 49 responds revealed that perceived employability and trust had significant effect to form voluntary behaviour amongst employees. Voluntary behaviour has shown the ability to foster effective quality management system implementation, and the effect could be more promising through the existence of knowledge sharing practice.

Economic attributes of quality and competitiveness on the market of road freight transport services

Motivation: The basic quality attributes of transport services are safety and timely deliveries and are determined by the clients. Many studies on quality on the transportation markets concern the user perception or certified management systems. Improving service quality is related to organizational changes, involvement of human and capital resources. At the same time, it does not necessarily mean implementing ISO standards. Moreover, an analysis of the literature revealed an informational niche as regards the factors affecting the quality of services from the service providers’ perspective. Aim: The purpose of this article is to identify factors affecting the quality of services. The reference point of that analysis is the market supply and economic activities taken to improve service quality. In addition, an attempt was made to determine the relationship between quality and competitiveness. The analysis includes endogenous (actions taken by carriers and need of investing) and exogenous (regarding transport and economic policy) factors. Taking into consideration the economic aspect of improving service quality and carrier’s perspective the article aims at enrichment the information niche. Results: The results proved that the most important factors in creating quality of road freight services include, among others, educated staff, technical condition of vehicles and ensuring the safety of transportation processes. Unfair competition processes were identified as the factor with the strongest impact on competitiveness of road carriers. In addition, it was pointed about that there is strong and positive correlation between service quality and competitiveness.

Ballast water management system certification testing requirements for protists are a poor fit for the Great Lakes

Challenge condition requirements for testing of ballast water management systems (BWMS) are a poor fit with regard to protection of the Laurentian Great Lakes from aquatic invasive species, particularly with respect to protists. Though protists are abundant in the Great Lakes, required densities of cells (1000 cells/mL) meeting the 10–50 µm (“protist”) regulatory size class of the ballast water discharge standard (BWDS) are rarely achievable under ambient conditions. This deficiency drives certification testing to aquatic systems dissimilar to the Great Lakes or necessitates manipulation of intake water during testing. This requirement is unnecessary because: (1) protist cells both within and smaller than the regulatory size class are largely equivalent in their challenge to BWMS performance and their threat to ecosystems; and (2) lower densities of cells in challenge water can meet regulatory requirements; i.e. at least 100 live cells/mL in untreated discharge (control) water are required for test validity. We describe how current requirements for high densities of protists within the regulatory size class as a challenge condition in certification testing unnecessarily undermine vetting of BWMS performance and operation. We posit a range of alternatives and identify approaches to modifying challenge requirements to alleviate problems while protecting test rigor and relevancy to the BWDS. Without a change to these requirements there will be no certification testing in freshwater resources like the Great Lakes without substantial intake stream manipulation during testing, and therefore, little way to confirm whether a BWMS will perform in the Great Lakes and other freshwater systems.

The Determinants of Management Systems Implementation – Study Results

In the recent years the slowdown in the field of management system certification has been observed. There is a need to try and identify the causes of this phenomenon and the use of exploratory factor analysis may prove a very useful tool. The aim of the article is to identify the factors determining the decision to implement management system(s) in accordance with the requirements of the ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and OHSAS/PN-N 18001 standards, related barriers and the effects of the system(s) implementation. Based on the survey carried out on 36 companies with the use of CAWI technique a construct with distinguished scales for the reasons, barriers and benefits of implemented management systems was developed. The selected groups of factors allow to identify the problems more precisely. For example, 3 latent variables determined for the barriers highlighted the problems of implementing the systems connected with the documentation development, the attitudes of management and employees and system documentation implementation or combining it with the one currently existing in the organization. The presented study is an introduction to further extended research.

Global governance in new public environmental management: An international and intertemporal comparison of voluntary standards' impacts

AbstractThe aim of this paper is to analyse the indirect effects of environmental management system implementation and certification. Specifically, the paper comprehensively assesses the effects of International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) 14001 and European Union Eco‐Management and Auditing Scheme (EMAS) certification as well as experience with implementing environmental management systems on (a) organisational activities outside the scope of environmental management systems, (b) pollution prevention, and (c) product stewardship. This is done by applying multivariate regression analysis to a large multicountry and multiperiod dataset. The analysis finds heterogeneous effects that are limited specifically as concerns pollution prevention and product stewardship and cannot establish clear links to national business systems. Given this and the differences between environmental management system standards, implications for global governance in the context of new public environmental management and the role of national governments in implementing sustainability, even beyond environmental protection, are discussed. Ultimately, the paper evidences on potential limitations of the major international environmental management system standards ISO 14001 and EMAS in supporting the diffusion of advanced practices such as pollution prevention and product stewardship that are necessary for sustainable development. In doing so, it highlights that government‐led public environmental management remains crucial for organising governance, especially in the context of voluntary standards that are applied internationally.

New Changes in Quality Management System Requirements and Suggestions for Organizational Implementation of New Standards

Requirements for Quality Management System (QMS) is not only a quality management standard that must be implemented by equipment contractors, but also an important basis for establishing quality management system and carrying out quality management system certification for organizations undertaking argumentation, development, production, testing, maintenance and service tasks of military equipment and ancillary products. For organizations, the key is to use standards to establish a quality management system that conforms to their own reality, to understand standards and to “localize” the requirements of standards. Through the interpretation of the new contents and changes in the 2017 edition of Quality Management System Requirements, this paper puts forward specific suggestions for the organization and implementation of the new standards, with a view to providing a reference for equipment contractors.

The Reporting of SDGs by Quality, Environmental, and Occupational Health and Safety-Certified Organizations

Organizations can play a significant role in the advancement of Sustainable Development, and companies with Quality, Environmental, and Occupational Health and Safety (QEOHS)-certified management systems address the three Sustainability Dimensions (economic, environmental, and social). This research aims to map the present level of engagement of those companies in contributing and reporting to the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) of the United Nations (UN) 2030 Agenda. By publicly disclosing their sustainability reports on their institutional websites, they can, therefore, support this agenda implementation. The content of the company reports that were available by 31 December 2017 in the institutional websites, from a total of 235 Portuguese organizations with QEOHS-certified management systems was analyzed. The results show a moderate reporting of SDGs by those companies, with the top five being SDG 12—Responsible consumption and production (23.8%); SDG 13—Climate action (22.1%); SDG 09—Industry, innovation, and infrastructure (21.3%); SDG 08—Decent work and economic growth (20.0%); and SDG 17—Partnerships for the goals (19.6%). The results of the statistical tests indicate that the communication of SDGs is more prominent in organizations (QEOHS) with the following characteristics: have a high business volume, are members of the United Nations Global Compact Network Portugal, and disclose their sustainability reports on their website. This study can be useful for both managers and decision makers who aim to support organizations in contributing to the Sustainable Development Goals and achieving a better and sustainable future for all.

DETERMINATION OF AUDIT TIME OF QUALITY MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS

It’s given an approach for determination and calculation by Certification Bodies the audit time of quality management systems for all types of audits (initial management systems certification audits: stage 1 plus stage 2, surveillance audits, re-certification audits) on consideration of size, structure, types of activities, processes, products, services and complexity of quality management systems of client organizations. The methodology for determining audit time of quality management system takes into consideration the type of audit to be conducted and any type of locations of a client organization (e.g. permanent site or temporary site, that both may be physical or virtual site), remote auditing activities (off-site activities) and whether an organization operated a management system over multiple sites, various working shifts or outsourced part of its functions or processes for externally provision (outsourcing). This methodology also is considered by taking into account factors for it’s adjustments that need to be considered to increase or decrease audit time. An algorithm of calculation of labour-intensiveness of activities for quality management system evaluating has been developed. It’s considered an application of the algorithm on the example of an imaginary organization. The adoption of the methodology for determining audit time of quality management system for all types of audits will be useful for application to different interested parties, such as certification bodies or theirs clients or others. Keywords: audit, audit day, audit time of quality management system, certification audit, duration of quality management system audit, effective number of personnel, multi-site management system, permanent site, risk, quality management system, recertification audit, risk category, surveillance audit, temporary site, virtual site.

An empirical study on green environmental system certification affects financing cost of high energy consumption enterprises-taking metallurgical enterprises as an example

Abstract A vast body of literature shows that environmental management system certification, especially ISO 14001 certification, has the potential to relieve environmental stress and reduce ecological impact. However, opinions vary on the financial effects of ISO 14001. This study aims to increase the understanding of the financial effects of environmental management system certification on firms’ performance. We posit that Chinese listed firms in the metallurgical industry with ISO 14001 certification have lower debt financing costs. Using a difference-in-difference approach and propensity score matching, we find evidence to support our hypothesis. In addition, we find that ISO 14001 has different debt financing impacts on firms with different corporate ownership and financing constraints. This study provides one of the first perspectives in the literature of the link between ISO 14001 certification and debt financing, and its results have practical significance, as they encourage high energy-consumption enterprises to gain ISO 14001 certification.

A Research on the Effectiveness of Aerospace Quality Management System (Aqms) in the Aerospace Organisations in Bangalore

Aerospace Organisations in the field of Aviation, Space & Defence businesses are required to mandatorily obtain Aerospace Standard AS certification in order to enter the arena. Among the aerospace standards AS 9100 D can be taken for any generic A,S&D organization while AS9110C is applicable for MRO Organisations and AS 9120B is applicable for organisations in the area of supply and distribution of aerospace items and components. The certification is awarded after a very thorough audit by International Aerospace Quality Group(IAQG) certified Aerospace auditing companies, called Certifying Bodies(CB) and the certification process is quite expensive. This paper is critically analyzing whether the AS certified companies in Bangalore have obtained perceivable results in their operation after adoption of the stringent and expensive Aerospace Quality Management System(AQMS) certification conforming to the Aerospace Standard AS 9100 D and whether the adopted procedures have incorporated QMS principles in their planned activities which can generate perceivable improvements in the organizational environment.

Do the ISO 14001 Environmental Management Systems Influence Eco-innovation Performance? Evidences from the EU Context.

Eco-innovation has become a clear target of EU policy strategies. Consequently, detecting drivers of eco-innovation has become crucial to design effective eco-innovation policies. The paper focuses on the adoption of ISO 14001 standard, with the aim to investigate to what extent the ISO certification of Environmental Management Systems influences eco-innovation performance. A correlation analysis between data from European Eco-Innovation Scoreboard interactive tool (ECO-IS) reveals that, at EU country level, there is no a significant correlation between the number of ISO 14001 certified organizations and the level of some selected Eco-Innovation performance indicators. Both the number of companies that have developed innovations with environmental benefits and the number of patents in environmentally-related technologies are not significantly related to the number of companies with ISO 14001 certification. Similar results were obtained by considering only Eco-Innovation leaders, that is EU countries with above-average Eco-Innovation Index values. These empirical evidences arise some questions and policy suggestions that will be discussed.Keywords: Eco-innovation drivers; Environmental Management Systems; ISO 14001 certification; Eco-Innovation Scoreboard; Eco-Innovation Index.

Can voluntary environmental regulation promote corporate technological innovation?

AbstractThe impact of environmental regulation on technological innovation has been widely discussed in the academic circle. Based on the panel data of 403 Chinese manufacturing firms from 2010 to 2015, this paper explored the role of voluntary environmental regulation in technological innovation. The results showed the following: First, both voluntary environmental information disclosure and environmental management system certification had a positive effect on corporate innovation investment. Second, compared with the impact of environmental information disclosure, the impact of environmental management system certification on corporate innovation investment was more significant. Third, there was a significant positive interaction between environmental information disclosure and environmental management system certification. Finally, the effect of voluntary environmental regulation on corporate technological innovation in heavily polluting industries was stronger than that in lightly polluting industries.

The impact of firm size, firm age and environmental management certification on the relationship between green supply chain practices and corporate performance

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore if control variables have any impact on corporate performance when implementing green supply chain management practices. The research in particular examines the impact of firm size, firm age and possession of environmental management system (EMS) certification as control variables on different dimensions of the corporate performance.Design/methodology/approachThe research design consists of a comprehensive literature review, followed by an empirical questionnaire based survey with responses of 117 participant organizations proceeded by a comprehensive statistical analysis to validate the developed theoretical framework and contribute to both practical and methodological approach. This study investigates the impact of each of these three control variables on four dimensions of corporate performance using multiple regression analysis.FindingsThe research found that there is positive relationship between firm size and environmental performance, economic performance and social performance but not with operational performance. The study also found that a certified EMS within UAE firms is having a positive impact on all four performance dimensions while firm age does not have any relationship with any of the four performance outcomes.Research limitations/implicationsThe research provides guidance for supply chain managers in the UAE and other similar emerging market in order to better understand the relationship between control variables, impact and performance, on corporate outcome. The paper also describes relevant strategies that should be taken into consideration by these managers in order to build their sustainable supply chain. The research contributes to social dimensions of supply chain sustainability on how resilient green strategies are important for supply chain stakeholders during uncertain conditions so that it can respond to uncertain changes in order to contribute to corporate social responsibility. Some of the limitations of this research include the geographic coverage of the study region and other methodological limitation.Originality/valueThis research is the first of its kind in the UAE region to assess the link between firm control variables and its impact on green supply chain management practices; which are less studied in the green supply chain literature. While there might be few other studies that addressed and uncovered the relationship between implementing green supply chain management practices and corporate performance, however, no study has attempted to find out if firm size, firm age and possession of EMS would have any impact on the green supply chain practices and corporate performance relationship. The research was conducted in an emerging economy to understand the relationship better. A series of recommendations are also provided for firms interested in improving their environmental performance while implementing green supply chain practices.

ISO 9001 Standard Management System Certification – Data Analysis for Sectors by Country

Abstract The purpose of the paper is to analyse and demonstrate the trends in the scope of data concerning the number of ISO 9001 certificates incorporated in companies around the world with consideration of market division into 39 sectors. The study utilised the desk research method for analysing the available sources of data for the studied problem, especially covering their compilation, mutual verification, processing and reasoning. Then, multi-dimensional comparative analyses were conducted for the obtained results within a time framework of 1998-2017. As result of the conducted analyses, leading sectors in particular countries in terms of the number of incorporated ISO 9001 series standards were established. This enabled identifying the tendencies and determining the further directions of change. The paper is original in that it is based on analysing data within an industry framework in the period of nine years, identifying existing trends and establishing specific cases (countries and industries) for which the ISO 9001 standards are common and for which they are a niche.

Is the economic dimension inducing the other sustainability dimensions, or is it the reverse? Perceptions from the Portuguese metal industry

ABSTRACTIn organizational sustainability, the economic dimension is recognized as having a very important role. However, the discussion regarding whether it is exclusively the economic dimension that has the power to induce the other sustainability dimensions is far from agreement. The purpose of the present paper is to analyze the perceptions regarding the existence of mutual influences between the economic dimension of sustainability and the other sustainability dimensions – environmental, social and cultural – in a relevant Portuguese economic sector: the metal industry. The analysis and statistical tests performed with the 211 collected answers led to the conclusion that the influence exerted by the economic dimension on the other sustainability dimensions is perceived as dominant, both in present and future perspectives. The results also show the perception that the economic dimension is equally influenced by the environmental and social dimensions, and in a less extent, by the cultural dimension, and that all these mutual influences are perceived to increase in the future. The existence of organizational management systems has a positive effect on the perceptions regarding the existence of mutual influences between sustainability dimensions, but only for those companies with more than one certified management system. These results confirm that organizational management systems are connected to higher degrees of awareness regarding sustainability issues. Given that the great majority of the sampled industries are SMEs, the results obtained in this research demonstrate that the existence of mutual influences between sustainability dimensions is recognized even in small-sized industries.

CERTIFICATION OF QUALITY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM OF LLC «CENTER OF PHARMACEUTICAL ANALYTICS» ACCORDING TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF ISO 9001:2015 (GOST R ISO 9001-2015) (REVIEW)

Introduction. In 2018 «Center of Pharmaceutical Analytics» LLC successfully passed the certification of quality management system for compliance with the requirements of ISO 9001: 2015 and GOST R ISO 9001-2015 «Quality Management System. Requirements». Text. Certification was conducted by the Certification Association «Russian Register» – a Russian company, which is an accredited body for certification of management systems of organizations. This article describes the program of certification audit of the «Russian Register», which includes: certification, consisting of two stages, inspection checks during the first and second year and re-certification audit during the third year before the expiration of the certificate. The structure of works on confirmation of the certificate of conformity of «Russian Register» includes field audits designed to assess the degree of compliance of the organization with the established requirements of the standard for compliance with which certification was carried out [1]. The objectives of the certification audit were: verification of compliance of the management system with the requirements of ISO 9001: 2015 (GOST R ISO 9001-2015), verification of established processes and documentation of the management system of the organization; assessment of the ability of the management system to ensure compliance with applicable legislative, regulatory and contractual requirements; assessment of the effectiveness of the management system to ensure that the goals can be achieved; identification of areas for possible improvement of the management system. The audit was conducted over two days on processes and units related to the activities of the organization. The audit confirmed the scope of certification in respect of: research work, bioanalytical studies, pharmacokinetic studies, STCR (comparative text of dissolution kinetics). The scope of the audit included verification of adequacy, compliance of activities and elements of the management system, including: production, management and support processes; policies; goals; organizational structure of management; documentation of management system, analysis of measures taken by the organization to eliminate the problem areas identified at the 1st stage of certification [2]. Conclusion. In September 2018, the analytical center was issued certificates of compliance with the requirements of GOST R ISO 9001:2015 in the certification Association «Russian Register» with the accreditation of the Federal service for accreditation of the Russian Federation (Rosaccreditation); international standard ISO 9001: 2015 in the Certification system of the Russian Register, a member of the international forum on accreditation IAF; certificate of conformity.

ISO 9001:2015 adoption: A multi-country empirical research

Purpose: This paper aims at identifying obstacles, benefits, leading practices and lessons learned in the transition/certification of the revised standard for quality management systems ISO 9001:2015 for organizations in various sector, countries and spanning a range of sizes.Design/methodology/approach: Based on literature review and inputs from experts in management systems certification, a quantitative survey was launched in Portugal, Romania, Switzerland, and Turkey in April 2018, addressed at quality and organizational managers and CEOs from ISO 9001:2015-certified organizations by certification bodies partners of the leading International Quality Network (IQNet). The answers were collected anonymously through an automated online database, until the end of April 2018. The overall response rate was 3.1%, encompassing 222 organizations already certified according to ISO 9001:2015.Findings: The surveyed organizations reported significant benefits from ISO 9001:2015 implementation. Only 3.9% of the respondents considered the 3-year transition period (from September 15, 2015, to September 15, 2018) as too short. The respondents’ organizations attended ISO 9001:2015 training and seminars, and collected information from websites, newsletters, books and interpretation guides and directly from certification bodies. Some (29.8%) relied on their own internal resources for the transition processes, while external consultants supported 22.7%. The respondents considered the adoption of risk-based thinking the major difficulty to be overcome, but simultaneously as the major benefit to be realized. The alignment with other management systems, the increased top management commitment, the identification of risks and opportunities and the knowledge management were also reported as significant benefits.The initial timing when organizations started working on the transition process and the activities carried out seem to differ between countries, while the adjustments performed to the existing management systems seem to differ by sector and size of the organization. The benefits attained by the organizations vary according to the perception regarding the information resources made available and organizations should be aware of the advantages of early planning. The organizations that rated the benefits of ISO 9001:2015 adoption higher considered the information resources as adequate and started working with ISO 9001:2015 at an earlier stage, while those that rated the benefits lower stated that the information resources were made available too late. The organizations that successfully managed the ISO 9001:2015 transition/certification process were the ones that attended ISO 9001:2015 training courses and seminars and got useful information from their certification body.This research highlights the relevance of the geographical context, of the organization size and the sector for successful adoption of ISO 9001:2015. The identification and promotion of resources that led to the highest benefits are worth pursuing. The replication of this study can add a time perspective and the assessment if these perceptions are expected to materialize into tangible results such as cost benefits and higher customer satisfaction.Research limitations/implications: Due to the novelty of ISO 9001:2015, these results should be subjected to additional validation and longitudinal analyses. Although measures have been taken to minimize possible bias errors from both non-respondents’, and respondents’ subjectivity, these limitations of the survey methodology should be acknowledged.Practical implications: The findings of this research provide standardization and certification bodies and quality management systems practitioners with leading practices in the implementation of ISO 9001:2015 and guidance for an efficient and effective transition/adoption.Originality/value: This investigation contributes to the ISO 9001:2015 body of knowledge by mapping the transition/certification processes with a multi-country perspective. The results empirically validate the potential value of transitioning or adopting ISO 9001:2015 and give insights on the implementation methodologies, leading practices to follow, difficulties to overcome and benefits to realize, to maximize the success of ISO 9001:2015 adoption.

LOGICAL-STRUCTURAL ANALYSIS OF THE PROBLEMS IN THE FORMATION OF THE QUALITY MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS OF ENTERPRISES OF ENGINEERING SERVICES

The article emphasizes that in the conditions of modern market relations, integration of Ukraine into the European and world space for domestic enterprises, in particular the sphere of engineering services, an effective means of achieving the key business goals and high economic indicators of activity is the formation and certification of quality management systems in the context requirements of the international standard ISO 9001: 2015. It is emphasized that the implementation of international standards in enterprises stimulates their competitiveness and development of innovative potential. It is proved that making a decision on the formation of a quality management system by senior management should be a strategically important area of ​​activity of the enterprise, based on the use of effective methods, measures, methodology, quality management tools. The essence of logical-structural analysis, analytical phase and planning phase and their stages are revealed. A practical toolkit for the application of logical and structural analysis in the formation of quality management systems of enterprises in the engineering sector is developed, in particular: the context of the company (internal and external factors influencing the activity) with the use of SWOT analysis is determined; stakeholder analysis; a tree of related problems of the engineering enterprise and a tree of goals were built; algorithm for determining assumptions and risk factors has been formed. Recommendations are given on the development of a logical and structural matrix, a timetable for action, provision of resources and control over the implementation of the action plan. It is substantiated that the application of logical and structural analysis in the formation of quality management systems will allow engineering enterprises to investigate cause and effect relationships in a timely manner, reduce risks, increase resource efficiency, achieve established goals and improve the performance of companies in general. Keywords: logic-structural analysis, quality management systems, ISO 9001: 2015 standard, enterprise context, SWOT-analysis, stakeholder analysis, problem tree, purpose tree, logic-structural matrix.

OPPORTUNITIES FOR QUALITY ASSURANCE IN TOURISM BUSINESS

In order to achieve long-term national priorities - competitiveness and sustainable growth, tourism businesses need to realize the economic relevance of quality management. The study of this problem and its application in tourism practice is particularly relevant given current state and industry initiatives, regulatory and voluntary quality assurance tools. As the quality of the tourist product is a collection of many elements, including the development of modern and developed infrastructure at local and state level; professional training of staff employed in the sector; ensuring security of residence; ensuring a clean environment; the provision of safe services, etc., the main objective of the present study is to research and elucidation the possibilities for quality assurance in Bulgarian tourism enterprises. To achieve this, it is necessary to carry out a theoretical analysis and practical study of the tools used to ensure the quality of the tourist business. As a result of the research, the main normative and voluntary instruments for quality assurance and control in the tourist business are examined, the attitude of the tourism business and the consumers towards the voluntary certification of Quality Management Systems and offered effective measures proposed to promote the initiative of the Bulgarian business to quality assurance of the services offered.

SEGURANÇA E SAÚDE DO TRABALHO EM FUMICULTORES COM CERTIFICAÇÃO DO SISTEMA DE GESTÃO INTEGRADO

O Brasil é o segundo maior produtor de tabaco do mundo e o maior exportador do produto. No campo, há predomínio de produtores de agricultura familiar que produzem a matéria-prima, vendendo-a exclusivamente para a agroindústria do tabaco, sob Sistema de Integração de Produção. Nesse sistema, todos os trabalhadores envolvidos nos diferentes processos produtivos, inclusive fornecedores e subcontratados, devem seguir normas entre as quais as de Segurança e Saúde Ocupacional. O presente estudo objetivou verificar se a indústria fumageira com certificação do Sistema de Gestão Integrado está repassando as questões de Segurança e Saúde do Trabalho aos seus fornecedores de matéria-prima. O estudo foi conduzido em um município do Núcleo Regional de União da Vitória, PR. Para a coleta de dados foram realizadas entrevistas em 11 propriedades agrícolas, que comportam diretamente 29 trabalhadores rurais envolvidos na fumicultura. A metodologia utilizada foi de estudo de caso múltiplo, por meio de observação direta e entrevistas. As atividades realizadas nas propriedades pelos fumicultores na época de colheita e secagem do fumo caracterizaram-se pela carga horária média de trabalho de 11 horas. Observou-se falta de treinamento efetivo do modo de usar o Equipamento de Proteção Individual (EPI) e de procedimentos de sua manutenção. Os sintomas relacionados à Doença da Folha Verde do Tabaco (DFVT) ou intoxicações com agroquímicos informados pelos trabalhadores foram semelhantes nas diferentes propriedades. Os resultados obtidos demonstram a ausência de diferenciação no tema segurança e saúde do trabalho entre as indústrias com ou sem certificação do Sistema de Gestão Integrado na Região.