Chesterfield-based LMD Vacuum Excavation has achieved ISO9001 accreditation. It is possibly the first vacuum excavation company in the United Kingdom to achieve this honour.

First published in 1987, ISO 9001: 2015 is the international quality standard that demonstrates an organisation’s ability to consistently provide products and services that meet both customer and regulatory requirements.

Ian Buchanan leads the LMD Vacuum Excavation quality team and was responsible for the ISO 9001: 2015 submission to the audit team from QMS:

‘The ISO 9001 process has been really useful. We undertook a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) analysis which forced us to take a long and hard look at our existing processes to ensure they were fit for purpose.

The analysis identified several areas in which we could streamline processes to ensure efficiency and eliminate waste and unnecessary duplication. This included introducing new identifiers for each project to make ‘cradle to grave’ traceability much quicker and more effective.’

Mick Dysart is LMD Vacuum Excavation’s Managing Director:

‘Ever since I first set up LMD Vacuum Excavation, our focus has been on quality and customer service. The ISO 9001 accreditation and audit by QMS is basically recognition from an independent third party of that fact.

Ian deserves great credit for his patience, persistence and attention to detail during the ISO 9001 accreditation programme which coincided with a huge increase in activity levels across the business. Although Ian has previously dealt with our FORS, Constructionline, Achilles and SMAS accreditations and audits, it was his first experience of ISO 9001.’

Photo shows Mick Dysart (left) with Ian Buchanan (right) in front of an LMD Vacuum Excavator.