Unit 3 Quality: Models, Standards and Laws

Aims:

• To enhance students’ awareness of the terminology of quality
• To enable students to appreciate the need for standardisation
• To enable students to apply quality management methods to all activities in the business or organisation
• To introduce students to the legal issues related to quality.

Learning Outcomes:
On successful completion of this qualification students will be able to:

• Explain the role of standardising organisations and regulatory bodies
• Understand the purpose of quality management systems and models
• Explain the importance of inspection, audit and assessment to given standards
• Understand the purpose and benefits of consumer protection and product liability.

Indicative Content:

1. Standardising organisations and regulatory bodies
    1.1 Company, national and international standards
    1.2 Natural, prototype and subjective standards
    1.3 Product service standards:
         1.3.1 Kitemark
         1.3.2 Investors in People
         1.3.3 Charter Mark
         1.3.4 CE marking
    1.4 Regulatory and certification bodies
2. Quality management systems/models
    2.1 ISO 9000:2000 series
    2.2 The EFQM Excellence Model
3. Inspection, audit and assessment
    3.1 Inspection
    3.2 Internal and external audit (ISO 19011)
    3.3 Self-assessment
4. Law
    4.1 Consumer Protection Act 1987
    4.2 General Product Regulations 1994
    4.3 Sale of Goods Act 1979 (as amended by the Sale and Supply of Goods Act 1994)
    4.4 EC Directives

Assessment Requirements:
The assessment for this unit will be an examination held usually twice a year January and June.

Awarding Criteria:
The minimum pass mark is 40%.
Marks will be accredited fail, pass, merit or distinction.