TÜV AUSTRIA Hygiene Management Standard

Health, Safety & Business Continuity are the most important buzzwords at the outbreak of a virus pandemic that affects individual companies and the global economy as a whole. A certification developed by TÜV AUSTRIA hygiene and management system experts provides the highest possible level of safety for companies, employees and customers. It also creates clear competitive advantages.

In preparation for pandemics, companies are encouraged to introduce appropriate hygiene concepts, regularly adapt and continuously evaluate them within the framework of their own hygiene management system. A certification gives you the opportunity to communicate your efforts to prevent or spread viral diseases to the outside world and to have your hygiene concept, which is tailored to the organisation, reviewed by an independent authority.

The TÜV AUSTRIA hygiene management standard forms the basis for certification. A corresponding hygiene management system documents that comprehensive hygiene and safety standards are permanently implemented in the company's own working environment and are continuously evaluated and adjusted in accordance with legal requirements. A hygiene management system that is visible to the outside world also increases the confidence of employees, suppliers, customers, consumers, clients and guests in companies, organisations and the public sector.

The hygiene management system can be set up, operated and monitored individually, but can also be used as an integrated management system together with existing management systems (due to its high level structure).

The comprehensive observance of hygiene and safety standards is currently gaining additional importance due to the Covid19 virus pandemic.

• TÜV AUSTRIA is your competent companion in all aspects of a safe health environment for your stakeholders (employees, customers, suppliers, etc.). Benefit from the expertise of our hygiene specialists and experienced auditors.
• A TÜV AUSTRIA hygiene management certification documents social responsibility, social awareness, sensitivity as well as business ethics through preventive measures and goals to reduce transmission with viral diseases, such as currently the corona virus in your own environment.
• Show in a public-effective way that you care about the health of your environment and that a suitable mechanism has been implemented to guarantee the highest possible protection.
• Regular surveillance audits help, among other things, to continuously tighten up the measures taken and to adapt them to current legal requirements.
• TÜV AUSTRIA certificates are recognized worldwide and often bring decisive competitive advantages. A certification according to the TÜV AUSTRIA hygiene management standard provides official proof of your services and the company itself, and therefore the trust demanded by the market.

The target group for the TÜV AUSTRIA hygiene management standard are:

• Tourist accommodation (hotels, guesthouses, hostels and other accommodation facilities)
• Restaurants & Bars
• Event locations / seminar providers
• Wellness and sports facilities
• Supply chains / Commercial stores (e.g. supermarkets, shopping centres)
• Transport companies
• Educational centres & (higher) schools
• Public service

The main focus of the TÜV AUSTRIA hygiene management standard is on risk analysis and the resulting measures within the framework of the action plan, its regular evaluation and adaptation or the implementation of improvement potential.

We already take your individual needs and the urgency of the certification into account during its planning. We will determine the exact effort as well as the duration and costs together with you before the certification process. This is why every certification process begins with a briefing.

1. Briefing
We will explain the procedure to obtain your certificate in a non-binding and free meeting. Amongst those items that will be clarified in this meeting are:

• Basis requirements for your certification
• Goals and benefits of the certification
• Comparison of the business data and definition of the scope of the certification
• Discussion of your specific needs and wishes
• Determination of the next steps that are needed for the certification

You will then receive an individual offer that is tailored to your organization on the basis of this briefing.

2. Commissioning
If our offer meets with your approval, the certification body is commissioned. Once you have received confirmation of your order, the certification process begins with a joint agreement of the timetable with the responsible auditor(s).

3. Pre-audit (optional)
A pre-audit can be carried out on request. However, this is not an essential requirement for certification. Either specific areas and/or processes or the overall situation in your organization will be audited on the basis of a jointly defined framework. Any weak spots in the documentation and implementation of the system will be identified here. A pre-audit can provide you with a status report regarding the basic suitability for certification, a detailed expertise on individual processes or the conformity with individual requirements of the respective standard on request. The audit method hereby corresponds to that of the certification audit.

4. Certification audit
During the certification audit, the efficacy of the management system in place in your company will be verified. Random checks will hereby be made with respect to all of the requirements in departments and organizational units as well as along the process chain.

This audit is based on:

• The audit plan
• The respective certification standard and/or individual standard requirements specified therein
• Organization-specific documents
• General and industry-specific principles (laws, additional, industry-specific, necessary standards,..)

Following an analysis and assessment of the results, you will be informed of the outcome of the audit and any deficiencies or deviations during the final review. Corrective measures will be specified in the event of deficiencies. Subsequently, a root cause analysis and any specific documented measure will once again be verified by the audit team.

5. TÜV AUSTRIA certificate

The actual certification will be issued by the certification body of TÜV AUSTRIA following a successful audit and reporting on the basis of the audit report. Provided the following certification requirements have been satisfied, there is no reason why the certificate should not be issued promptly:

• Documentation and implementation of the management system
• Certification agreement (confirmation of the certification offer, the certification regulations and the T&Cs )
• Positive outcome of the audit and thus a corresponding recommendation by your audit team to the certification body

The certificate is valid from the date of release of the certification body after positive assessment.

6. Follow-up assessment
This has to be carried out before the certificate becomes invalid. In a follow-up assessment all of the requirements are checked at random, the same as for a certification audit. The effort involved for this repeat certification audit is less than that for an initial certification.

Following a positive decision on the certification, a new certificate will be issued.

TÜV AUSTRIA certificate
Certificates are valid from the date of release of the certification body after positive assessment until the specified period of time. Your certificate may be used by you for advertising purposes in accordance with the certification regulations.