IRCA launches two new certification Programmes: Information Security (ISMS) - BS 7799 and Food Safety ISO 15161

IRCA has extended its range of certification Programmes to include schemes specific to the food and IT industries. IRCA Director, Simon Feary comments, “in order to have confidence in any management system you need to know that it is properly designed and implemented effectively and that it continues to meet the changing legal and customer requirements. That means you need confidence in your auditors and your audit process. These two new certification Programmes represent our contribution to two very significant and exciting developments in the systematic management of food and information risks.”

The ISMS program has been developed in response to the growing demand from businesses and industry globally for a systematic approach to the identification and management of risk, associated with keeping information secure. The program uses the newly revised BS 7799 part 2 as the reference standard. It features a new ISMS auditor certification scheme with four grades: principal ISMS auditor, lead ISMS auditor, ISMS auditor and provisional ISMS auditor. Two new ISMS auditor training courses are also included to encompass a five day auditor/lead auditor course, designed for IS professionals who intend to audit against BS 7799 and a three day conversion course designed for management systems auditors wishing to extend their scope of audit competence to include ISMS.

The food industry now favours an approach where the emphasis is on the systematic identification and control of food safety hazards associated with the products and processes involved in food production. IRCA has developed an FSMS program in response to this move, incorporating ISO 15161 as the reference standard. The scheme features a safety auditor certification scheme with three grades: lead FSMS auditor, FSMS auditor and provisional FSMS auditor. Two food safety auditor training courses are also on offer: a 5 day auditor/lead auditor course, designed for food safety professionals who intend to audit using ISO 15161 and a 3 day conversion course designed for management systems auditors wishing to extend their scope of audit competence to include food safety management systems.

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