ISO 9001 | Quality
The international standard ISO 9001 sets out the requirements for quality management systems applicable to all organizations, regardless of their field of activity or size. Organizations must demonstrate their ability to continually provide products and services that are consistent with their customers’ requirements and that comply with the applicable laws and regulations. Certified organizations must also strive for increased customer satisfaction through the efficient application and continuous improvement of the quality system.
Aluminerie Alouette received its initial ISO 9001 certification in 1996. Since its adherence to the second edition, ISO 9001:1994, the company has maintained its ISO 9001 certification throughout subsequent editions (2000, 2008 and 2015) and, in 2017, successfully completed the transition to the most recent edition, ISO 9001:2015.
Analytical Laboratory Accreditation Program
The Analytical Laboratory Accreditation Program (PALA) is based on international standard ISO/IEC 17025 for the competence to carry out laboratory activities and international standard ISO/IEC 17011 for management. Established under the Loi sur la qualité de l’environnement du Québec, PALA is administered by the Centre d'expertise en analyse environnementale du Québec (CEAEQ), which accredits private, municipal, and institutional laboratories in Quebec. Reporting to the Ministry responsible of environnement, this government organization has ISO/IEC 17025 certification for analytical laboratories and ISO/IEC 17043 certification for proficiency testing, both issued by the Standards Council of Canada (SCC).
Since its initial certification in 1996, Alouette has maintained a large number of analytical parameters in three categories: air chemistry, water chemistry, and sludge, waste, and soil chemistry.
ISO 14001 | Environment
The international standard ISO 14001 sets out the requirements for environmental management systems that organizations can use to improve their environmental performance and manage their environmental responsibilities in a spirit of sustainable development. Intended for organizations of all types and sizes, this standard targets the environmental aspects of their operations, products, and services. It is therefore up to organizations to identify and manage these aspects and drive them in the direction of life cycle optimization, in accordance with the applicable environmental legal and regulatory requirements.
Alouette received its initial certification in 2004 on the cusp of its Phase 2 launch. In 2017, the company transitioned to the third and most recent edition, ISO 14001:2015, and has maintained it ever since.
ISO 45001 | Occupational Health and Safety
The international standard ISO 45001:2018 sets out the requirements for occupational health and safety (OHS) management systems, allowing organizations to provide workplaces that are healthy and safe through the prevention of workplace diseases and injuries, proactive improvement of their OHS performance, and compliance with legal and regulatory requirements. The standard applies to organizations of every size and status wishing to eliminate danger, minimize risks, take advantage of opportunities, and address OHS nonconformities related to their operations.
In 2004, along with its certification for standard ISO 14001, Alouette received its initial British standard OHSAS 18001 certification for occupational health and safety management. Following a transition to the 2007 edition, the company harnessed its resources for a major transition to international standard ISO45001:2018. It has been accredited for the first edition of this ISO standard since 2020.
CAN/BNQ 9700-800 | Health and Wellness in the Workplace
The Canadian standard CAN/BNQ 9700-800, better known as Healthy Entreprise, aims to encourage organizations, regardless of their size and field of activity, to create and maintain workplaces that contribute to the health and wellness of their employees. Employees’ physical and psychological health needs and concerns revolve around a plan of action involving four areas of activity that are recognized as having a positive impact on overall health: work-life balance, management practices, work environment, and lifestyle habits.
After five years of initiatives by the health and wellness committee, Alouette reached the Elite level in 2014 when it received its initial provincial BNQ 9700-800 certification, which sets out the requirements for promotion, prevention, and organizational practices that contribute to workplace health. Certified at the highest level of the original 2008 edition, the company completed the transition to the 2020 edition in 2022 by maintaining the Elite level, the second of this three-level national standard recognized by the Standards Council of Canada.
ASI - Performance
ASI - Chain of custody
A non-profit, multi-stakeholder organization, Aluminium Stewardship Initiative (ASI) manages an independent certification program for the aluminium value chain. The ASI certification program aims to provide assurance of compliance with its standards’ requirements. The performance standard defines environmental, social, and governance principles and criteria for the responsible production, procurement, and management of aluminium. Complementary to the performance standard, the chain of custody standard defines the requirements for managing a traceability chain for certified materials, namely the production and processing of the alumina that is at the very core of that value chain, in various downstream sectors.
An ASI member in the Production and Transformation class since 2019, Alouette received its initial performance standard certification in 2020, and its chain of custody standard certification in 2022.
Ici on recycle + | Residual materials management
The ICI on recycle + recognition program is designed to honour proactive organizations in Quebec that are committed to sound waste management.
Aluminerie Alouette obtained its first certificate in 2008 and has been steadily moving up the recognition ladder ever since. As part of its mission to promote reduction at source, reuse, recycling and recovery (3RV), RECYC-QUÉBEC now offers industries, businesses and institutions (ICI) a 4-level programme: implementation, performance, performance + and elite. Proud of its efforts as an environmentally responsible corporate citizen, in April 2020 Aluminerie Alouette became the first aluminium smelter in Quebec to obtain the highest level of certification under the new ICI on recycle + program.
