SGS

From CopperWiki

[edit] What is SGS?

SGS is one of the leading company’s in the field of testing, certification, verification and inspection. Originally founded in 1878 in France as a grain shipment inspection house, today SGS operates a global network and services a variety of industries. Its main areas of operation are:

Testing: SGS operates laboratories around the world to test products for quality and performance against standards of health, safety and regulations.

Certification: SGS certifies that products, services and systems meet standard requirements. These standards could governmental, standardisation bodies, or even standards set up by the individual manufacturers.

Verification: SGS verifies that services comply with local regulations as well as global standards. SGS facilities can cover all aspects of business from raw material to end consumption.

Inspection: Through worldwide laboratories, SGS inspects the quality, weight and quantity of traded goods.

Though SGS provides innumerable services, some of their main business lines are in the fields of:

Agriculture
In the field of agriculture, SGS notably provides pest control services both in terms of curing pest problems and setting up prevention plans to deal with pests in a safe and responsible way. They also offer services for non toxic pest control as well as bio risk assessment to comply with local and international regulations.

SGS provides laboratory services for the alternative fuels industry. Manufacturers are increasingly turning to bio fuels for their environmental benefits and SGS labs play a role in making sure that these bio fuels meet specifications.

Automotive industry
Within the automotive industry, SGS undertakes public vehicle inspections and testing for entire regions or countries. It works in conjunction with policy makers and regulators to manage public vehicles and has undertaken projects for taxis in London, Buenos Aires and Ireland. Also, with the increasing trend of leasing in the automotive industry, SGS undertakes and independent inspection of leased vehicles at the time of lease termination.

Consumer Testing
SGS undertakes product testing in conjunction with manufacturers to make sure the production process from design to the end of life cycle meets standards which are set up for each product and market. For a complete list of the consumer testing services that SGS undertakes, visit www.sgs.com

Environmental solutions
SGS consults with companies to develop sustainable solutions through environmental impact assessments and audits, training and quality control. SGS was retained by the Water Corporation of Western Australia for analysis of water quality as well as problem solving. Another key area of operation for SGS is the field of asbestos compliance. SGS works with companies to make sure they comply with asbestos legislations, conducting site audits and regular assessments. Asbestos is a known carcinogen and companies are increasingly conscious of personnel exposure and site contamination due to asbestos. SGS also addresses the larger issue of indoor work environmental conditions. This includes issues related to heating, ventilation and air conditioning, indoor pollutants, hygiene and risks associated with hazardous substances.

Industrial solutions
SGS provides technical solutions for industries related to power, plants and refineries, liquefied natural gas, transportation and logistics, constructions and heavy manufacturing. For their industries SGS undertakes testing, supply chain management, statutory and voluntary inspections, import certifications, training and staffing. SGS has also created PRIMA or Plant Risk Integrity Management. This approach allows operating plants to function more effectively through cost reductions, maintenance and safety. Another area of growing awareness is the field of storage. SGS monitors and audits storage tanks so as to avoid leaks that could be potentially dangerous for the environment.

Life Science Services
Life Science Services are those that involve clinical trial for drugs, bioanalytical laboratory services, regulatory affairs services, microbiology and toxicology etc dealing mostly with pharmaceutical, medical and cosmetics companies worldwide. Biopharmaceuticals is an important field, in which SGS provides quality control, from batch release testing, bulk product analysis, testing of raw materials to standard microbiological testing.

Minerals
SGS labs are also involved in the fields of geochemistry for the detection and analysis of minerals. The services also include on site and consultancy services for the metallurgical sector as well as the oil, gas and chemical industries. For a complete list of services please visit www.sgs.com

SGS is the leading standard and certification body for certifications that include ISO 9001, ISO 14001 among others.

[edit] References

For further information please visit http://www.sgs.com/