Environment — supplemental (IATF only)
Plain-language summary
Keep premises in order: clean, orderly and in good repair, consistent with product and process needs — institutionalised housekeeping, automotive style.
What the clause is really asking
IATF makes tidiness a requirement: premises maintained in a state of order, cleanliness and repair matching what the product and processes demand.
What auditors look for
Auditors simply look — swarf piles around precision machining, leaking oil near assembly, blocked walkways, decayed flooring in storage. They check whether a structured method (5S or similar) exists and lives.
Typical evidence
5S/housekeeping programme records and audits; cleaning schedules; repair work orders.
How to comply — recommendations
Run a real 5S programme with layered audits — supervisors weekly, managers monthly. Photograph standards ('what good looks like') at each area so the target is visible, not debatable.
Common nonconformities
Housekeeping only revived before audits; repair backlog ignored (broken windows, leaking roofs); no defined cleaning standards for product-critical areas.
Related clauses
Builds on ISO 9001 7.1.4
In the book
Chapter 7 — Support — People, Kit and the Truth About Documents treats this clause family in full: what it is really asking, what auditors look for, the evidence that satisfies, how to make it work on a real floor, and where companies stumble. This IATF requirement is covered in the Automotive Edition, in the same six blocks as the ISO clause around it.
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