News article

•   12/07/2020
•   Business Assurance
•   Created by Mag. Julia Guthan

Pandemics and their effects cannot be prevented by certification. However, the management system certification for the hygiene sector developed by TÜV AUSTRIA, which has been developed especially for this purpose, is gaining great international acceptance.

This TÜV AUSTRIA Hygiene Management Standard offers especially industries with numerous customer contacts - such as the reopened trade in Austria - the possibility to have specially developed hygiene concepts for preventing the spread of viral diseases checked by an independent authority. The certification documents that comprehensive hygiene standards are implemented, continuously evaluated and, if necessary, improved.

Hygiene management: International market acceptance
Not only in Austria, but in all of Central and Southern Europe, shopping centers, supermarket chains, restaurants and tourist businesses have already been successfully certified according to the TÜV AUSTRIA Hygiene Management Standard. "Especially in times of crisis, companies need security and rely on confidence-building measures. This is reflected in the high demand for these certification standards throughout the European market," explains Ioannis Kallias, Managing Director of TÜV AUSTRIA Hellas and Head of the Business Assurance business unit, who together with his team has already certified numerous luxury hotel and retail chains in Greece.

Safely through the crisis together
The most recent example of international market acceptance is the comprehensive certification of all 15 Austrian shopping locations, the company headquarters in Salzburg as well as locations in Italy, Croatia and Slovenia of the shopping center operator SES Spar European Shopping Center, the market leader in Austria and Slovenia. The TÜV AUSTRIA certification standard confirms a safe and clean center operation and supports retailers in minimizing the effects of the current pandemic in the long term.

"We are very pleased that our high hygiene measures, which have been further intensified since the pandemic, have been certified by Austria's leading testing and inspection company TÜV AUSTRIA. From the beginning of the pandemic, our goal has been to offer our visitors the best possible protection during their stay in our shopping malls. We have also found that our customers and employees have consistently adhered to the mask, distance and disinfection rules. In addition to the fact that we have implemented the necessary measures very quickly and consistently, this is a very important factor," says Marcus Wild, CEO of SES Spar European Shopping Centers, about the recent national and international audits.

Certification and monitoring
The TÜV AUSTRIA Hygiene Management Standard is based on the same structure as established management systems, such as ISO 9001 (quality management). The starting point is a risk-based approach that leads to the development of an action plan and also takes into account aspects of business continuity management. The hygiene management system allows a single structure including monitoring, but also an integrated application with already existing systems. Unannounced monitoring after initial certification is also an important incentive for companies to continuously improve and consciously apply hygiene management.

"The TÜV AUSTRIA certificate confirms companies' social awareness, sensitivity and business ethics, as well as the continuous development of the measures they have taken", says Anita Reitmaier, who is responsible for the TÜV AUSTRIA Hygiene Management Standard, describing the further benefits of the new TÜV AUSTRIA Hygiene Management Standard, which can be requested at www.tuvaustria.com/cert.

Strengthened competition with TÜV AUSTRIA solutions
Since the beginning of the COVID-19 crisis, TÜV AUSTRIA has been supporting companies with adapted testing, inspection, training and certification services. In doing so, the new framework conditions - keyword home office - are taken into account, remote audits and inspections are used and all educational programs were converted to a hybrid mode (presence and online in parallel). In cooperation with TÜV AUSTRIA, further training courses, such as the "Certified Pandemic Representative" and tailor-made solutions in the area of property security and hygiene, supplement the scope of action of Austria's economy in times of a pandemic - from rebooting to ongoing operations.

Further information:

Anita Reitmaier, M.A.
TÜV AUSTRIA Sales Management Systems
TÜV AUSTRIA-Platz 1, 2345 Brunn am Gebirge
Phone: +43 5 0454-6244
E-Mail: anita.reitmaier(at)tuvaustria.com
www.tuvaustria.com/cert