Quality compliance for caravan and trailer manufacturers is set to become stricter from the 1st of July 2022, with new requirements coming into action.
Caravan and trailer manufacturers across Australia have just a few more months to get their systems up to speed and register for the new RVSA before the Road Vehicle Standard Act 2018 officially replaces the Motor Vehicle Standards Act 1989.
The requirements are a clear step-up from those we once knew. Wendy Maclean; Project Manager at Australian Off Road, referred to the new Australian regulations as the “toughest in the world”.
The Caravan Industry Association of Australia is encouraging impacted importers and manufacturers to get across these changes ahead of time, so any necessary changes can be made before the cut-off date.
Come July 2022 those that aren’t approved manufacturers will not be allowed to continue operating. Manufacturers who leave approval to the last minute also risk experiencing delays and reductions in stock.
The new quality requirements
When you apply for vehicle type, low ATM trailer and component approvals, to satisfy the new criteria you must have one of the following:
- Full control over all stages of the design, componentry and manufacturing process for your specific vehicle, or
- Access to any important information relating to design, componentry and manufacture of the vehicle. More specifically, any changes that may effect a given road vehicles compliance.
To meet the requirements, supporting documentation must be supplied.
For a registered automotive workshop (RAW) approval, manufacturers also need to show they have a quality management system that underpins their operations. This is necessary for any business that indicates they have “full control” as well.
If you have “full control” supporting documentation can be organised during the ISO 9001 certification process. Manufacturers and importers that aren’t certified must instead support their claim of having “full control” by providing:
- Documentation that covers all operating practices and processes, which is used to form a full QMS. This is used to demonstrate they have full control over the design, componentry and manufacture, or
- A summarised version of the QMS. Though fully documented measures and operating instructions must still be completed internally, as they may be requested during the assessment process.
The role of ISO 9001 compliance
As the universal standard for quality management ISO 9001 is used by millions of businesses around the world.
With compliance comes the assurance that a business has lean systems in place for effectively achieving consistent quality outcomes.
When the new requirements for caravan and trailer manufacturers come into play, their certification with ISO 9001 will become more important than ever before. For some approvals under the new legislation, applicants need to show they have an appropriate quality management system in place – such as by gaining ISO 9001 compliance.
While an ISO 9001 certificate isn’t mandatory under the RVS legislation, through certification your quality management system can be suitably documented. This is so long as the certificate is current and covers areas like road vehicle design and manufacture.
To find out more about the new RVS legislation visit the Australian Government’s quality management system requirements page.
Speak with our ISO 9001 consultants
While doing it yourself in-house will usually take at least six to twelve months until completion, a consultant can help you speed up the process and get certified two to three times faster. They can also help you seamlessly integrate ISO 9001 with existing management systems for a smooth transition.
If you’re ready to start getting prepared for the July 2022, get in touch with our ISO 9001 consultants.