Health & Safety | Social value

Why ISO Standards Matter in Facilities Management

OCS Team

OCS Team

21 Nov, 2025

Why ISO Standards Matter in Facilities Management

Structure keeps facilities running – from manufacturing plants and hospitals to airports and universities. Behind every clean surface, working system, and safe workspace sits a framework that defines how things get done.

At OCS New Zealand, that framework is built on internationally recognised ISO standards. These systems guide how our colleagues plan, deliver, and review their work, providing the structure needed for safe, consistent, and reliable service – wherever we operate.

Building consistency and confidence

Facilities management brings together many disciplines – cleaning, maintenance, hygiene, waste management, and more. ISO frameworks unite them under a single approach, setting expectations that keep work traceable, auditable, and repeatable.

Whether our colleagues are maintaining sterile areas in a hospital site or managing hygiene compliance in a food production environment, ISO systems ensure the same outcome: reliability you can measure.

“ISO isn’t just about paperwork – it’s about giving our people the confidence and structure to do their work safely and consistently,” says Christine Johnson, ANZ QHSE Lead, OCS Australia & New Zealand. “When everyone knows what ‘good’ looks like, customers can trust that we’ll deliver it every time.”

Our certifications and what they mean

Our Aotearoa New Zealand operations are certified to four key ISO standards that underpin quality, safety, sustainability, and data protection:

  • ISO 9001:2015 – Quality Management

Provides a structured approach to planning, delivering and reviewing work, ensuring processes are consistent, traceable, and continually improved across all services and sites.

  • ISO 14001:2015 – Environmental Management

Supports responsible resource use and aligns with industry environmental expectations by providing a structured approach to managing waste, energy and materials. It helps ensure site activities are planned and reviewed to reduce environmental impact and support customers’ sustainability goals.

  • ISO 45001:2018 – Occupational Health & Safety

Supports safe systems of work and aligns with the requirements of Aotearoa New Zealand’s Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 and its associated regulations. It provides a structured approach to identifying risks, protecting people at work, and ensuring responsibilities are met across all sites.

  • ISO 27001 – Information Security Management Systems

Provides a structured framework for protecting customer and operational data, using controlled access, secure procedures and regular audits to support safe and compliant information management.

Together, these certifications demonstrate a disciplined, transparent approach that meets both global and Aotearoa New Zealand’s regulatory expectations.

Continuous improvement as everyday practice

Certification is only the beginning. Regular internal and external audits, corrective-action reviews, and customer feedback keep our systems evolving.

This ongoing improvement builds resilience – ensuring our operations remain compliant, our colleagues stay informed, and our customers benefit from steady, reliable service.

“ISO gives us a framework for accountability,” adds Christine. “It allows our teams and our customers to see progress – not just promises – through real data and consistent delivery.”

Looking ahead

As technology and sustainability continue to reshape the facilities management sector, robust frameworks like ISO remain essential. They ensure safety, quality, and environmental responsibility are not just goals but everyday practice.

For OCS New Zealand, ISO certification is more than a requirement – it’s part of who we are. It reflects our mission to make people and places the best they can be, and our TRUE Values of Trust, Respect, Unity, and Empowerment in action.

Because when standards are clear, people thrive, and workplaces run better.

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