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PLANT AUDIT SCHEMEAudit of Concrete Plant ProductionThe Plant Audit Scheme operates to audit NZRMCA member’s ready mixed concrete plants as defined in New Zealand Standard 3104:2003 - Concrete Production. The NZRMCA Plant Audit Scheme is of great convenience to the specifiers and purchasers of concrete. It provides an independent and rigorous audit of the quality systems in place at a ready mixed concrete plant. Without the scheme, purchasers and specifiers would be faced with a costly and time consuming audit of concrete quality for each construction project. The Scheme is certified to ISO 9001 and undergoes external validation audit by BVQI (Bureau Veritas Quality International) on an annual basis. The Scheme operates independently from the management of the NZRMCA both in respect membership of the Plant Audit Committee and finance matters. Ready mixed concrete plants using the scheme are charged separate fees from any NZRMCA subscriptions. The Plant Audit Committee comprises five or more Professional Engineers and Registered Engineering Associates with long experience in the concrete production industry. The Committee which has 2 externally appointed members denoted by * is as follows: The present members of the committee are:
The establishment and monitoring of the production of a Ready Mixed plant are requirements for the supply of structural concrete for compliance with NZS 3190 and NZS 3104 and hence the NZ Building Code. New Zealand Standard 3104:2003 - Concrete Production - is the standard used by the Plant Audit Committee of the NZRMCA to audit and continue auditing of a Ready Mixed plant. Compliance with NZS 3104 also requires compliance with a number of other Standards, such as NZS 3112. The requirements for the calibration of laboratory equipment are also audited by the Committee. Plants report quality performance data to the Committee annually and are subject to a detailed annual review of data together with an on-site audit every second year. Site audits may also be carried out without warning at any time. Among performance criteria audited are:
In addition
to the above, the frequency of testing within each quarter year, must
be submitted to the Plant Audit Committee. Failure to maintain
testing requirements can result in the withdrawal of an Audit Certificate.
Performance standards of all plants in the scheme are under regular review. Certificates of Audit are issued for a period not exceeding 12 months. The current status of plants is updated on this Web site. Where plants fail to meet the criteria, their Audit Certificate is removed and noted on the plant list. It is necessary for such plants to resubmit to an initial reassessment with at least 30 results indicating compliance with the Standard NZS 3104. When using concrete from unaudited plants, the purchaser is responsible for the implementation of the audit process required by NZS 3104 to ensure compliance with NZ Building Code Members of the Association are free to elect to use another authority to classify their plants, and award an Audit Certificate. Other such authorities work outside the jurisdiction and ISO Certification of the NZRMCA Plant Audit Scheme.
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