ISO 9001 · BSI certified
A quality system,
not a certificate.
Direct Signs is ISO 9001 certified by BSI. Every safety sign we manufacture is traceable, documented, and audit-ready for the most regulated UK supply chains.
Documented quality system
Every process from artwork approval to despatch is documented under our ISO 9001 quality management system. Audit-ready for tendered and regulated supply chains.
BS EN ISO 7010 traceability
Every safety sign manufactured carries traceability to BS EN ISO 7010 pictogram, colour reference, and substrate specification. Compliance documentation supplied on request for any order.
Inspection at every stage
Inspection at artwork, pre-print, post-print, and pre-despatch. Non-conforming product is segregated, recorded, and root-cause-analysed under our corrective action procedure.
98% on-time delivery
Measured monthly across all customer orders. Variance is recorded and addressed under our continual improvement programme — a core ISO 9001 requirement.
Continual improvement
Annual management review, monthly KPI tracking, customer feedback loops, and supplier performance review. ISO 9001 isn't a certificate on the wall — it's how we run the business.
External audit by BSI
Surveillance audited annually by BSI (the British Standards Institution), the most stringent and respected UK certification body. Re-certified every three years.
Why ISO 9001 matters for safety signage
Safety signage is not a decorative product. When a sign carries a BS EN ISO 7010 pictogram, an end-user — a worker, a contractor, a member of the public — relies on it to communicate accurate information. A wrong pictogram, a faded substrate, an off-spec colour, or an undocumented production batch can be the difference between an effective control and a failed one.
ISO 9001 ensures that every sign we ship carries:
- Verified specification — pictogram, colour, substrate, and dimensions checked against the customer\'s specification before production
- Documented production batch — every batch is recorded, traceable to operator, machine, ink lot, and substrate roll
- Pre-despatch inspection — every order is checked against specification before it leaves the building
- Defect recall capability — if a defect is identified post-despatch, we can recall every sign in the affected batch
Audit-ready documentation
For tendered, regulated, or audited supply chains, we provide on request:
- BS EN ISO 7010 compliance certificate for every order
- Production batch records showing traceability
- Material data sheets for substrates, inks, and adhesives
- UV / weathering specification with expected lifespan
- ISO 9001 certification copy and BSI audit summary
- Insurance and indemnity documentation
Documentation is provided as a single tender pack — typically within one working day of request.
Where ISO 9001 unlocks tenders
| Sector | Use case |
|---|---|
| Water and utilities | AMP cycle framework supplier qualification, asset signage refresh tenders, severn-trent / Thames / Yorkshire Water vendor onboarding. |
| NHS Trusts | NHS Supply Chain qualification, capital build signage packages, infection-control compliant signage with documented production traceability. |
| Construction Tier 1 | Pre-qualification questionnaires (PQQ) for construction Tier 1 contractors — Balfour Beatty, Costain, Skanska, Kier. ISO 9001 is typically a qualifying threshold. |
| Energy / DNOs | DNO supplier qualifications (UKPN, SSE, Western Power Distribution, SP Energy Networks). Substation gate signage, BESS, and HV / LV asset signs. |
| Local authority frameworks | YPO, ESPO, NEPO, and other public-sector framework supplier listings — all require ISO 9001 as a baseline. |
How we audit ourselves
BSI surveillance audits us annually. Internally we audit our quality system continuously:
- Monthly: KPI review (on-time delivery, defect rate, customer complaints, supplier non-conformance)
- Quarterly: internal audit covering one process area (artwork, print, despatch, customer feedback)
- Annually: management review with full quality system assessment and improvement objectives for the year ahead
- Continuously: corrective action procedure for any non-conformance — root cause, action, verification
Request our certification documents
If you\'re assessing Direct Signs for a tender, supplier panel, or pre-qualification, get in touch with the project name and we\'ll send the full documentation pack within one working day.
Tendering or qualifying suppliers?
ISO 9001, ISO 14001, full BS EN ISO 7010 compliance, and audit documentation supplied on request.