You: "How do you tell when the billet is ready for the rolling stage?

You are an auditor from a construction organisation who is conducting a second party audit to ISO 9001 at a steel rolling mill producing structural steelwork. When auditing the rolling process, you find that the operator who is unloading the furnace does not use the adjacent infrared pyrometer to measure the appropriate product temperature in readiness for the next production stage.

You: "How do you tell when the billet is ready for the rolling stage?"

Operator: "I’ve done this job for 20 years. I can tell by the bright red colour."

You: "What happens if the colour is wrong?"

Operator: "The billet goes back into the furnace."

You: "Is the pyrometer ever used?"

Operator: "Only in borderline cases."

You continue to interview the operator and find that around 25% of the billets are sent back to the furnace. This includes 80% of the borderline cases.

Select three options that would provide evidence of conformance with clause 9.1.1 of ISO 9001.
A . Periodic analysis of the results of temperature checks.
B . Certification of conformance to national standards from the manufacture of the pyrometer.
C . An increase in the use of the pyrometer by operators.
D . Maintenance plan for the furnace.
E . A procedure that provides instruction in taking billet temperature.
F . Planning for monitoring and measuring the billet temperature.
G . A quality objective to achieve lower recycle rates for billets.
H . Annual review records for furnace operators.

Answer: A,E,F

Explanation:

According to ISO 9001:2015, clause 9.1.1, the organization is required to determine what needs to be monitored and measured, the methods for monitoring, measurement, analysis and evaluation, as applicable, to ensure valid results, and when the monitoring and measuring shall be performed. The organization is also required to retain appropriate documented information as evidence of the results.

Therefore, in the scenario given, the organization should have planned for monitoring and measuring the billet temperature, as it is a critical factor for the quality of the product and the process. The organization should also have established a procedure that provides instruction in taking billet temperature, using the pyrometer or other suitable methods, to ensure consistency and accuracy. The organization should also have performed periodic analysis of the results of temperature checks, to identify trends, problems, and opportunities for improvement.

Hence, the options that would provide evidence of conformance with clause 9.1.1 of ISO 9001 are A, E, and F, as they are aligned with the requirements of the clause. The other options are either irrelevant or not directly related to clause 9.1.1, as they do not pertain to the monitoring and measurement of the billet temperature.

Reference:

ISO 9001:2015(en), Quality management systems ― Requirements, clause 9.1.1

ISO 19011:2018(en), Guidelines for auditing management systems, clause 6.4.4 and 6.7.2

ISO 9001 Lead Auditor Training Course | IRCA Certified | BSI, section “Learning objectives”

ISO 9001 Lead Auditor Course Material | 3FOLD Education Centre, module 5 and 6