Policy of our Integrated Management System
The TÜV AUSTRIA Group stands for trust, safety, quality and sustainability. As an independent and internationally recognised partner in the TIC sector (Testing, Inspection and Certification), we are committed to delivering reliable, value-adding services that contribute to a safer and more sustainable world.
Our activities are based on the fundamental principles of impartiality, independence and integrity. We ensure that all our services are performed objectively and without undue influence from internal or external interests. We actively identify, evaluate and manage potential conflicts of interest and strictly separate conformity assessment services from consulting activities. All employees are required to act with integrity and transparency at all times.
We operate a fully integrated management system that combines quality, environmental protection, occupational health and safety, information security, data protection and compliance into a single coherent framework. This system is aligned with internationally recognised standards, including ISO 9001, ISO 170xx, ISO 14001, ISO 45001 and ISO 27001, as well as applicable legal and regulatory requirements, including the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
Our top management assumes full responsibility for the effectiveness of the integrated management system and ensures that it is aligned with our strategic direction. Management promotes a culture of accountability, risk-based thinking, continuous improvement and ethical behaviour, and provides the necessary resources to achieve our objectives.
We are committed to meeting all applicable legal, regulatory and contractual requirements and to maintaining an effective compliance framework. We foster a speak-up culture and provide secure channels for reporting concerns, ensuring protection against retaliation.
We strive for excellence in all our services by ensuring competence, reliability and transparency, and by continuously improving our processes. Our goal is to always meet or exceed the expectations of our customers and stakeholders, while maintaining the highest standards required for accredited bodies.
The safety and health of our employees and stakeholders are of utmost importance. We provide safe and healthy working conditions, prevent work-related injuries and ill health, and systematically identify and mitigate risks. We actively involve employees in safety-related matters and promote a strong safety culture.
We recognise our responsibility to protect the environment and are committed to preventing pollution, reducing environmental impacts and using resources efficiently. We comply with all environmental obligations and continuously improve our environmental performance.
We treat information as a critical asset and ensure its confidentiality, integrity and availability. We protect personal data in accordance with GDPR and implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to maintain information security.
We promote open communication, transparency and participation, enabling early identification of risks and opportunities. We maintain effective emergency and crisis management processes and continuously improve our preparedness.
This policy provides the framework for setting measurable objectives and is regularly reviewed to ensure its ongoing suitability and effectiveness. It is communicated to all employees and made available to relevant stakeholders.
Through this integrated policy, we reinforce our commitment to excellence, responsibility and trust in everything we do.
Due to its size and organisation, the TÜV AUSTRIA Group is completely independent of suppliers, clients and association members, both in terms of technical decisions and financially.
The TÜV AUSTRIA Group, together with all its units, undertakes to comply with all national and international requirements (standards, laws and other regulations) governing the operation of testing, inspection, calibration, certification, verification and notified bodies.
The accredited testing, inspection, calibration, certification, verification and notified bodies of the TÜV AUSTRIA Group operate as independent “third parties” and fully meet all applicable national and international requirements for their respective activities, including operating as testing bodies, inspection bodies (Type A), calibration bodies, certification bodies, verification bodies and notified bodies.
As part of our commitment to the highest standards of integrity and ethical business conduct, the TÜV AUSTRIA Group is a member of the TIC Council. In this context, we adhere to the TIC Council Compliance Code, which establishes globally recognised industry standards for compliance, anti-corruption and responsible business conduct within the Testing, Inspection and Certification (TIC) sector.
To ensure the impartiality of third-party services, the TÜV AUSTRIA Group has clearly separated its accredited technical services (such as testing, monitoring, calibration, certification, verification and conformity assessments) from any consultancy services.
Furthermore, the accredited bodies do not engage in the development, manufacture, distribution, assembly, procurement, use or maintenance of items they assess, nor do they represent any parties involved in these activities.
The impartiality of every company in the field of testing, inspection, assessment, verification and certification is ensured by top management of the TÜV AUSTRIA Group through implemented, permanent and appropriate measures, including risk assessments, internal audits and regular analyses of potential conflicts of interest.
Acting with integrity is a fundamental expectation for all employees of the TÜV AUSTRIA Group. Impartiality is further supported by the complete professional independence of authorised signatories within accredited and notified areas.
All employees are obliged to disclose any situations that could give rise to conflicts of interest. Such cases are reported to the respective line manager, who, if necessary, determines appropriate actions in consultation with relevant functions (e.g. head of the conformity assessment body, compliance officer/coordinator), ensuring full compliance with all legal and regulatory requirements.
Due to the permanent employment status of our staff and remuneration aligned with industry standards, there is no dependency of testing, inspection, calibration, verification and certification personnel on the volume or outcome of work performed.
Services within the TÜV AUSTRIA Group are predominantly delivered by our own qualified personnel. Where the use of external personnel or subcontracting is required, equivalent standards of impartiality, independence and integrity are ensured through contractual arrangements and systematic monitoring.
Further details on our compliance framework and related commitments are publicly available, they could be found here.
Our mission is clear: all employees should return home healthy and safe after every working day.
Safety takes priority and is an integral part of every decision.
We comply with all legal and regulatory requirements and implement internal rules that go beyond statutory employee protection requirements.
We are convinced that occupational accidents and work-related illnesses are, in principle, preventable, following that by a Zero Accident target.
We design safe and employee-oriented workplaces and continuously optimize workflows based on insights and experience.
The protection of our stakeholders is of equal importance.
We strive for the highest quality in all our services and products. Through proven methods and standardized processes, we meet or exceed the requirements of our customers and other stakeholders. The continuous improvement of our management systems is an integral part of our corporate culture.
As TÜV AUSTRIA Group, the majority of our services are performed within the accredited domain. The fundamental standards for quality management in this area are defined by the ISO/IEC 17000 series, to which we are fully committed. Compliance with these standards is regularly verified by the respective national accreditation bodies. These evaluations are conducted in the form of audits, comparable to certification audits within the ISO framework, and result in formal accreditation certificates.
As accredited bodies, most of our entities do not maintain a certified quality management system according to ISO 9001. This is due to the strict prohibition under ISO/IEC 17021‑1 against certifying the quality management system of an accredited certification body. Nevertheless, our management systems fully comply with all applicable requirements and ensure the highest level of quality, competence and reliability.
We protect the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of information relating to customers, employees, and business partners.
We comply with all legal, statutory, regulatory, and contractual requirements relating to information security and data protection.
We implement appropriate and state‑of‑the‑art security measures, continuously raise employee awareness through targeted training, and regularly review the effectiveness of our controls through audits and management reviews.
The reliability and security of our IT infrastructure are ensured by our central IT organization, which provides standardized and secure IT services across the TÜV AUSTRIA Group. This central IT entity operates a certified management system in line with internationally recognized standards for information security and supports all group companies in maintaining a consistent and high level of protection.
Our locations and entities are integrated into this framework through a risk‑based approach and are included, where applicable, within a group-wide certification scheme. This ensures a harmonized, efficient and scalable implementation of information security and data protection requirements across the organization.
In our view, sustainable economic success can only be achieved if ecological, economic, and social objectives are pursued equally and in harmony with one another. We therefore clearly commit ourselves to the guiding principles of the TÜV Association and align our actions with internationally recognized standards. These include, in particular, the ILO Core Labour Standards, the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, the Ten Principles of the UN Global Compact (UNGC), and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). These principles provide the framework for us to act responsibly, promote fair working conditions, conserve resources, and make a long-term contribution to the well-being of society, the environment, and the economy.
While we do not operate a formally certified environmental or energy management system in accordance with ISO 14001 or ISO 50001 across all entities, we have implemented a comprehensive range of effective measures to continuously improve our environmental performance and energy efficiency. These include, in particular, the progressive transformation of our vehicle fleet towards electric mobility, the operation of dedicated e‑charging infrastructure, the sourcing of renewable electricity, and the installation of photovoltaic systems at our owned locations.
In addition, we implement a variety of further initiatives aimed at reducing our carbon footprint, improving our greenhouse gas balance, and increasing overall energy efficiency across our operations. Our participation in the United Nations Global Compact further underlines our commitment to responsible business practices and sustainability.
Transparency is a key element of our approach: detailed information on our activities, targets, and performance is regularly disclosed in our sustainability report, providing stakeholders with a comprehensive and transparent overview of our continuous progress.
TÜV AUSTRIA Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Report
- Group Integrated Management Systems (GIMS)
Responsible for the continuous improvement and harmonization of all management systems throughout the TÜV AUSTRIA Group
Contact: gims@tuv.at
Address: TÜV AUSTRIA-Platz 1, 2345 Brunn am Gebirge, Austria - Responsible contacts within the TÜV AUSTRIA Companies
Each company within the TÜV AUSTRIA Group has dedicated positions responsible for maintaining and continuously improving its management systems. In addition, they ensure compliance with applicable requirements as well as with the relevant national legal and regulatory frameworks.
If you have any questions regarding a specific company within the TÜV AUSTRIA Group or are looking for a contact person for IMS-related matters, please contact gims@tuv.at.
We will be happy to assist you and forward your inquiry to the appropriate contact person or department.
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