Standards Library
Explore our comprehensive catalogue of international standards, certifications, and management system solutions.
Showing 59 standards
Which ISO standard does my UK business need?
Most companies don't need every ISO standard — they need the one their customer, tender or regulator actually asked for. Use this plain-English guide to find yours.
By industry
- Construction & contractors — ISO 9001 (quality), ISO 14001 (environment) and ISO 45001 (health & safety). Required by CHAS, Constructionline and most PAS 91 tenders. Construction guide →
- Manufacturing — ISO 9001 is the baseline. Add ISO 14001 if customers ask about sustainability, ISO 45001 if you have a factory floor. Manufacturing guide →
- Energy & utilities — ISO 14001 and ISO 50001 (energy management). Add ISO 45001 for site safety. Energy guide →
- Food & beverage — ISO 22000 or FSSC 22000 for food safety. ISO 9001 for retailer audits. Food guide →
- Technology, software & IT services — ISO 27001 (information security) is almost always the one customers ask for. Technology guide →
- Logistics & transport — ISO 9001 plus ISO 14001 for fleet emissions, ISO 45001 for driver safety. Logistics guide →
- Medical devices — ISO 13485 (medical device QMS) and ISO 14971 (risk management). Medical device guide →
By what your customer asked for
- A tender or RFP asked for "ISO certification" — usually means ISO 9001. If it mentions environment or safety, also ISO 14001 and 45001.
- A customer sent a security questionnaire — they want ISO 27001. Often paired with SOC 2 for US customers.
- You're applying to CHAS, Constructionline or SSIP — ISO 9001, 14001 and 45001 as an Integrated Management System.
- A framework or supplier list requires it — almost always ISO 9001 as the minimum, sometimes the full IMS trio.
- An auditor or regulator flagged a gap — depends on the regulation. Energy = ISO 50001, data = ISO 27001, safety = ISO 45001.
- You want to sell into the EU or Middle East — ISO 9001 is the universal trust signal; add sector-specific standards as needed.
Most UK businesses only need 1–3 standards
The four standards that cover roughly 90% of UK requests are ISO 9001 (quality), ISO 14001 (environment), ISO 45001 (health & safety) and ISO 27001 (information security). If you're certifying multiple standards, an Integrated Management System (IMS) audit covers them in one combined visit — typically 25–35% cheaper than separate audits.