is the online magazine of BSI Group, highlighting the vital role that standards play in today's business environment by helping organizations improve quality, save money, reduce risk and be more sustainable. Features include interviews with leading business figures, as well as news on the latest developments in management systems, standards, testing, healthcare and certification.
Built environment
23 Jul 2007
Topics: Environment, ISO 14001, Japan
Designing a building to have minimal environmental impact is a laudable goal, but Keymed Ltd, a manufacturer of specialist medical and industrial equipment, has exceeded expectation with a new facility.
Keymed Ltd is wholly owned by Olympus Corporation in Japan and adheres to the same strict environmental philosophy promoted by company president Tsuyoshi Kikukawa, who has set very challenging targets for the organization as a whole to reduce its environmental impacts.
As part of this process, Keymed was certified to ISO 14001 Environmental Management Systems by BSI and this became the thread that brought together a positive approach to environmental responsibility throughout the company. When the new facility was to be built, the company decided to review all potential environmental impacts and, as a result, the design of the new building goes above and beyond all expectation.
The design ensures greater energy efficiency through building design, structure and systems, with a focus on "renewables". Water conservation is achieved using rain-water recovery and by minimizing wastage. Staff facilities encourage alternative transport, while waste management and recycling have been integrated within the facility.
As a consequence, the award-winning new building features an exceptional range of environmentally-friendly materials and technologies, including: high levels of insulation for better heat retention; high-efficiency lighting with occupancy sensors; rainwater harvesting for grey water applications, as well as solar panels for water heating; geothermal heating; active shading to limit cooling requirements as well as variable-speed, high-efficiency heating/cooling circulation pumps; and a computerized building management system.
Although Keymed and the Olympus Corporation have only just taken possession of the new building, the 3,400m2 facility was designed for long-term flexibility. They expect a significant reduction in resource requirements over traditional buildings and, therefore, significant benefits in terms of CO2 reduction and water demands, with consequent significant reductions in running costs.
In addition, it is hoped that it will influence suppliers to improve their environmental performance.
Business Standards © 2010. Editorial produced by Caspian Publishing in association with The British Standards Institution. Editorial opinions expressed on are not necessarily those of BSI Group or Caspian Publishing. Neither Caspian Publishing nor BSI Group accept responsibility for advertising or editorial content, nor for that appearing on linked third-party websites. Reproduction in whole or in part is forbidden without written permission from BSI Group or Caspian Publishing.
How do you put a price on a brand? An international standard in the making will provide a consistent, reliable approach to brand valuation.
Rising waters: revising PAS 1188
For those living in areas that are prone to flooding, having the right protection resources available is essential. While images of emergency sandbags holding back rivers of water may fill the media, there is a much wider range of products available for flood protection.
A little bit extra for Kitemark® bodyshops and garages
It's all well and good for an automotive bodyshop to earn the Thatcham BSI Kitemark® for Vehicle Body Repair, but it won't have as much impact if potential clients don't know about it. As a consequence, BSI decided to offer an Extras marketing toolkit to bodyshops and garages that have earned the Kitemark.
Until now, there has been no strict guidance in the UK relating to how audiovisual (AV) installations are carried out. This includes everything from computers and projectors to interactive whiteboards, plasma screens and loud speakers. For AV installation companies, processes can vary significantly.
Gerda, a leading developer and manufacturer of products for the security industry, has become the first company to be awarded the Kitemark for thief-resistant lock assemblies, in line with BS 10621:2007 Thief resistant dual-mode lock assembly.
Question: This year marks the 25th anniversary of data protection regulation in the UK. Does the fact that such legislation exists mean that standards do not have a big role to play in the data protection puzzle?
First of all, the fact that there is legislation in place does not mean standards do not have a role to play. Quite the contrary: in many cases, standards offer a framework for businesses to better prepare and comply with legislation.
Have a standards-related question for BSI or a comment on the website? We'll find the right person to answer.
