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Re: signature on Quality Policy?
Noticed which part of the woods you hail from so you may well be aware of the following. The Standards Council of Canada (SCC) is a signatory to the APLAC/ILAC MRA. If you check their website, you will find interpretative notes which are to be used by their assessors. I have taken the liberty to cut and paste a few items from that document to show that there are different ways to approach the issue of signing the quality policy.
http://www.scc.ca/Asset/iu_files/criteria/1630_e.pdf
Management review: formal evaluation by top management of the status and adequacy of the management system in relation to the quality policy and objectives.
4.2.2
The Quality policy statement must be signed by top management, having the highest authority in the laboratory with the responsibility and authority for the budgeting of all necessary laboratory resources. If it cannot be signed (e.g. electronic systems) there must be a means of ensuring top management endorsement and control (document control) of the policy (password protection, directory rights, etc.). The management system objectives stated in the Policy must be measurable and must be reviewed during management review.
(Refer to the interpretative note Section 4.15.)
All requirements specified in 4.2.2 (a) to (e) must be documented
4.3.2.3
All documents in the management system (Quality Manual, policy, process, procedures, instructions and forms) must have a unique identification. It is not necessary for documents to be signed by the approvers to indicate that they are approved. Some electronic systems control the approval of documents without signatures. A laboratory could also have a paper based system without signatures; however, in this case, signatures should be a suggestion.
Notice that it says suggestion. Hope this helps.
I just checked and it does NOT state in clause 4.2.2 that the quality policy must be signed.
http://www.scc.ca/Asset/iu_files/criteria/1630_e.pdf
Management review: formal evaluation by top management of the status and adequacy of the management system in relation to the quality policy and objectives.
4.2.2
The Quality policy statement must be signed by top management, having the highest authority in the laboratory with the responsibility and authority for the budgeting of all necessary laboratory resources. If it cannot be signed (e.g. electronic systems) there must be a means of ensuring top management endorsement and control (document control) of the policy (password protection, directory rights, etc.). The management system objectives stated in the Policy must be measurable and must be reviewed during management review.
(Refer to the interpretative note Section 4.15.)
All requirements specified in 4.2.2 (a) to (e) must be documented
4.3.2.3
All documents in the management system (Quality Manual, policy, process, procedures, instructions and forms) must have a unique identification. It is not necessary for documents to be signed by the approvers to indicate that they are approved. Some electronic systems control the approval of documents without signatures. A laboratory could also have a paper based system without signatures; however, in this case, signatures should be a suggestion.
Notice that it says suggestion. Hope this helps.


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