BUSINESS STANDARDS
is the quarterly magazine of BSI Group, highlighting the vital role that standards play in today's business environment. Regular features include interviews with leading business figures, as well as news on the latest developments in management systems and standards.
Blowing the whistle
25 Jul 2008
Topics: Whistleblowing, PAS 1998
BSI British Standards and the independent authority Public Concern at Work have launched PAS 1998:2008, new guidance for organizations on whistleblowing arrangements. The launch marked the tenth anniversary of the Public Interest Disclosure Act (2 July 2008), itself recognized as an international benchmark on the subject. Whistleblowing is now seen as an essential element of risk management across private and public sectors, and can be used as a key tool in tackling fraud and crime. However, a recent Grant Thornton International Business Report suggests that only 40 per cent of UK businesses provide a comfortable environment for staff wishing to report misconduct. PAS 1998:2008 seeks to change this as it guides organizations on how to run, promote and review effective whistleblowing arrangements.
"Ten years ago, the UK passed the most far-reaching whistleblowing legislation in the world to protect employees who blow the whistle on organizations doing wrong," says Guy Dehn, director of Public Concern at Work. "PAS 1998:2008 is equally important as it sets out how organizations can get this right in the first place."
PAS 1998:2008 was developed by a Steering Group which included the Audit Commission, the Institute of Directors and Trades Union Congress. The CBI, Information Commissioner and the National Consumer Council were among experts bodies on the review panel.
PAS 1998:2008 can be downloaded free of charge from www.bsigroup.com/july08whistleblowing or
Business Standards © 2007. 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.
Business continuity comes to ICT
When BSI published PAS 77IT Service continuity management. Code of practice in 2006, it sparked such interest that it set the stage for a new British Standard. The result is BS 25777 Code of practice for information and communications technology continuity, which has been published as a draft for public comment and is targeted for publication before the end of the year.
Following extensive trials, BSI Management Systems is now offering an end-to-end Global Second Party Compliance service - called ComplytoSupply™ - to help large multinationals manage risk across multiple sites and global supply chains. These organizations may not know details about their suppliers' ethical status or management systems, especially those based in developing countries with minimal standardization. Under such circumstances, a certification-based approach to compliance is not always on the cards.
It's a familiar scenario in the news: a piece of evidence is introduced to prosecute a defendant in a courtroom and if any doubt is introduced about the integrity of that evidence, the strength of that evidence can be limited if not eliminated, potentially harming a legal case.
Are you "Fit to supply" 2012 Olympic Games?
Business Link, the support and networking agency funded primarily by the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR), is working with BSI to help companies in their goal to win contracts for the 2012 Olympic Games.
A new edition of ISO 9001, the quality management system standard, is being introduced in Autumn 2008. This will be the fourth edition of the standard, first published in 1987.
Question: What impact do you think BCM could have on business insurance in the future?
It is essential that any business suffering a disaster is able to continue as near normal trading in the shortest possible time period to survive. To achieve this, an organization should implement a comprehensive well-tested business continuity plan (BCP) as a first step. Insurance should be viewed as an extension to the BCP process, not an alternative.
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