Industries · Manufacturing & Engineering
ISO certification for manufacturing & engineering
ISO 9001, 14001, 45001 and 50001 certification for UK manufacturers, fabricators and engineering firms supplying demanding customer supply chains.
- ISO 9001 quality
- ISO 14001 environmental
- ISO 45001 occupational health and safety
- ISO 50001 energy
Overview
Certification for factories, fabricators and engineers
Manufacturers and engineering firms often meet ISO certification as a condition of supplying larger customers. Original equipment manufacturers, distributors and public bodies regularly ask suppliers for ISO 9001, and increasingly for ISO 14001 and ISO 45001, as evidence that products are made consistently and that environmental and safety risks are controlled. Certification can also reduce the number of separate customer audits a supplier has to host each year.
A management system helps bring together process control, inspection, supplier management, calibration, maintenance and corrective action in a coherent way. For organisations with significant energy use, ISO 50001 provides a structured approach to energy performance, and certification covering all energy use can be one route to meeting obligations under the Energy Savings Opportunity Scheme. ISO 14001 and ISO 45001 complement these by addressing environmental aspects and workplace hazards.
Some sectors use their own schemes built on ISO 9001, such as IATF 16949 for automotive and AS9100 for aerospace. Hexa Certifications does not certify to those sector schemes. We certify to the ISO management system standards listed on this site, which many engineering and manufacturing businesses hold in their own right or alongside other approvals. If a customer specifies a sector scheme, it is worth confirming this before choosing a route.
Recommended
- ISO 9001
- ISO 14001
- ISO 45001
Sector challenges
Where certification makes the difference
The pressures organisations in manufacturing & engineering face most often, and how a certified management system helps answer them.
Customer and supply chain requirements
Larger customers frequently require ISO 9001 from suppliers and may audit them directly, so independent certification helps demonstrate consistent control.
Process and product control
Controlling inspection, traceability, calibration and nonconforming product is central to manufacturing quality and to the requirements of ISO 9001.
Workplace safety
Machinery, manual handling, hazardous substances and workplace transport create significant risks, which ISO 45001 helps manage through hazard identification and worker participation.
Energy and environmental impact
Energy costs, emissions, waste and discharges are under scrutiny from customers and regulators, making ISO 14001 and ISO 50001 relevant to many sites.
Multi-shift and multi-site operations
Systems must work across shifts and locations, and audits need to sample activities when they are actually taking place.
Recommended standards
Standards most requested in manufacturing & engineering
Choose a standard to see what it covers. Several can be combined into one integrated audit.
Quality
ISO 9001:2026Quality Management
ISO 9001:2026 sets out the requirements for a quality management system. Published in September 2026, it replaces ISO 9001:2015 and keeps the same core approach. It asks an organisation to understand its context and interested parties, plan its processes around risks and opportunities, and show that it consistently provides products and services that meet customer and applicable statutory and regulatory requirements. It is the most widely used management system standard and applies to organisations of any size or sector, from sole manufacturers to national service providers.
- Meet tender and supplier requirements
- Consistent processes
- Fewer errors and complaints
- Risk-based planning
Environment & Energy
ISO 14001:2026Environmental Management
ISO 14001:2026, published in April 2026 to replace the 2015 edition, specifies the requirements for an environmental management system. It helps an organisation identify the environmental aspects of its activities, products and services, understand its compliance obligations, and manage significant impacts through planning, operational control and evaluation. The standard takes a life cycle perspective, so organisations consider stages they can control or influence, such as purchasing, transport, use and end-of-life treatment, as well as their own sites.
- Supply chain and tender credibility
- Structured legal compliance
- Control of significant impacts
- Resource and waste efficiency
Health & Safety
ISO 45001:2018Occupational Health and Safety Management
ISO 45001:2018 sets out requirements for an occupational health and safety management system. Its aim is to prevent work-related injury and ill health and to provide safe and healthy workplaces. The standard places strong emphasis on leadership, the consultation and participation of workers, hazard identification and the hierarchy of controls. It replaced OHSAS 18001 and follows the Harmonized Structure, so it integrates readily with ISO 9001 and ISO 14001.
- Prequalification and tenders
- Worker involvement
- Systematic hazard control
- Clear legal oversight
Environment & Energy
ISO 50001:2018Energy Management
ISO 50001:2018 specifies requirements for an energy management system (EnMS). It requires an organisation to understand how it uses and consumes energy, identify significant energy uses, set an energy baseline and energy performance indicators, and plan actions to improve energy performance. Unlike some other management system standards, ISO 50001 requires an organisation to demonstrate continual improvement in energy performance itself, not only in the management system.
- ESOS compliance route
- Measured energy performance
- Focus on significant uses
- Cost control
How it works
Your route to certification
- 1
Application and quotation
You tell us your scope, sites, headcount and standards. We calculate audit duration using the accreditation rules and send a fixed quotation for the full three-year cycle.
- 2
Stage 1 audit
Your auditor reviews your documented information, scope, legal and regulatory awareness, internal audit and management review, and confirms you are ready for Stage 2.
- 3
Stage 2 audit
An on-site evaluation of how your management system works in practice. The auditor interviews people, observes activities and samples records against every requirement.
- 4
Certification decision
Any nonconformities are closed with evidence. A qualified reviewer who did not take part in the audit makes the certification decision and your certificate is issued.
- 5
Surveillance and recertification
Surveillance audits take place at least once a year to confirm continued conformity. A recertification audit before the third anniversary renews your certificate.
Certificate verification
Check a Hexa certificate
Need to know whether a supplier's certificate is current? Customers, buyers and other interested parties can ask us to confirm the details held in our records.
We confirm the organisation name, certificate number, ISO standard, certified scope, status, and issue and expiry dates.
FAQs
Manufacturing & Engineering: certification questions
Which standards are most relevant to manufacturers?
ISO 9001 is the most widely requested standard in manufacturing supply chains. ISO 14001 and ISO 45001 are frequently added to address environmental and safety risks, and ISO 50001 suits sites with significant energy use. Many manufacturers combine these in an integrated system audited together.
Do you certify to IATF 16949 or AS9100?
No. IATF 16949 for automotive and AS9100 for aerospace are sector schemes with their own rules and approved certification bodies. Hexa Certifications certifies to ISO 9001 and the other ISO management system standards listed on this site. If a customer specifically requires a sector scheme, you will need a body approved for that scheme.
Does ISO certification cover UKCA or CE marking?
No. ISO management system certification is different from product conformity assessment. UKCA and CE marking rules for regulated products are set by product legislation and may involve a UK Approved Body or a notified body. A management system certificate can support good control, but it does not certify that a product complies with product regulations.
Can ISO 50001 help with ESOS?
Under the Energy Savings Opportunity Scheme, large undertakings in the UK must assess their energy use. Holding ISO 50001 certification that covers all of the organisation's energy use is one of the recognised routes to compliance. Organisations should check the current ESOS guidance from the Environment Agency for the exact conditions that apply.
Will auditors need to see production running?
Yes. Auditors need to observe the processes within scope, so audits should be arranged when production is operating normally. Where you run several shifts, the audit plan may include time on more than one shift. Please tell us about shutdowns or seasonal patterns when we schedule the audit.
How is outsourced processing treated?
Where you outsource processes such as heat treatment, coating or machining, ISO 9001 requires you to control them appropriately. Auditors will look at how you select, monitor and review those suppliers and how you verify what they deliver. The outsourced processes remain your responsibility within the certified scope.
Can we exclude design from our ISO 9001 scope?
If you do not design products and only manufacture to customer specifications, the design and development requirements of ISO 9001 may not be applicable. You must justify any requirement determined as not applicable, and this must not affect your ability to provide conforming products. Auditors will review the justification.
Can we certify one site and not others?
Yes, the scope can be limited to particular sites, provided the boundaries are clear and the certificate does not mislead customers about what is covered. Many organisations start with one site and extend the scope later. Multi-site sampling may apply where several sites operate under one system.
Other industries we audit
All industries
Start your certification
Get a fixed, three-year certification quote
Tell us about your organisation and the standards you need. We will confirm audit days, scope and dates in writing, with no obligation.
