Quality assurance and quality control are fundamental to the success of our operations. We produce, supply, and distribute only the highest grade of Portland cement (WCEM I 42.5R), and acknowledge our responsibility to deliver to our cherished customers and the general public quality cement by specifications and/or good engineering and safety practices. To achieve this, we take a proactive and balanced approach to developing and implementing quality assurance and quality control plans to manage our business activities in such a way as to ensure the delivery of cement to international and GSA specifications and quality. To this end, we are committed to
- Operating a quality assurance and quality control management system based on ISO 9000 series
- Developing a culture in which quality assurance and quality control management system objectives are shared with our customers, contractors, suppliers, distributors, and partners
- Raising quality awareness throughout the workforce and continually improving our quality assurance and quality control culture and performance
- Complying with all relevant standards and practices as well as working with our customers, distributors, the industry, and regulatory bodies to raise standards within the industry
- Ensuring the whole workforce is competent in the job they do.
IN SUPPORT OF THIS:
A member of the senior management team is responsible to monitor compliance on quality assurance quality control issues.
Each Business Unit will ensure that a quality assurance and quality control system is maintained and demonstrates effective arrangements for:
General management responsibility;
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- Develop and implement strategies to meet the company’s quality assurance and quality control policy, objectives, and any other quality assurance and quality control requirements that the company commits to.
- Deliver training to the workforce on quality assurance and quality control management.
- Encourage and empower individual employees to adopt responsible working practices.
- Give full consideration to QA/QC issues when taking business decisions.
- Provide support and resources to ensure our QA/QC performance meets the requirements.
- Monitoring and review.
- Communication.
- Reporting.
IN SUPPORT OF THIS:
The principles of this policy apply in all areas of the business.
REVIEW
The Board of DZATA CEMENT will monitor the effectiveness of this Policy and will review the Policy on a regular basis and annually as a minimum.
DZATA CEMENT uses the following standards and procedures in the quality control and testing of the finished products:
| STANDARD | DESCRIPTION |
|---|---|
| GS 1118 | Composition, specifications and conformity criteria for common cements |
| GS 803 | Calcined Clay Based |
| GS 964 | Specification for Calcined Clay Pozzolana |
| GS C 91/C 91M | Standard Specification for Masonry Cement |
| GS C 150/C 150M | Standard Specification for Portland Cement |
| GS C 595/C 595M | Standard Specification for Blended Hydraulic Cements |
| GS C 897 | Standard Specification for Aggregate for Job-Mixed Portland Cement-Based Plasters |
| GS C 926 | Standard Specification for Application of Portland Cement-Based Plaster |
| GS C 1157/C 1157M | Standard Performance Specification for Hydraulic Cement |
| TEST METHODS | |
| EN 195-1 | Methods of testing- determination of strength |
| EN 196-2 | Methods of testing cement- chemical analysis of cement |
| EN 196-3 | Methods of testing cement- determination of setting time & soundness |
| EN 196-5 | Methods of testing cement- pozzolanicity test for pozzolanic cement |
| EN 196-6 | Methods of testing cement- pozzolanicity test for pozzolanic cement |
| EN 196-7 | Methods of testing cement- methods of taking & preparing samples of cement |
| EN 196-8 | Methods of testing cement- heat of hydration- solution method |
| EN 196-9 | Methods of testing cement- heat of hydration – semi-adiabatic method |
| EN 197-2 | Cement- conformity evaluation |
| EN 451-1 | Method of testing fly ash- determination of free calcium oxide content |
| EN 933-9 | Tests for geometrical properties of aggregates- assessment of fines- methylene blue test |
| EN 13639 | Determination of total organic content carbon in limestone |
| ISO 9277 | Determination of the specific surface area of solids by gas adsorption BET method |
| OPERATING PROCEDURES | |
| DCL/ROT/OP/01 | Procedure for routine testing of Portland cement. |
| WORK INSTRUCTION | |
| DCL/SET/WI/01 | Work instruction for setting time test |
| DCL/SAM/WI/02 | Work instruction for sampling of cement in-process for testing |
| DCL/SAM/WI/03 | Work instruction for sampling of bagged cement for testing |
| DCL/SBW/WI/04 | Work instruction for sample bagged weighing |
| DCL/HDP/WI/05 | Work instruction for Handling & Dispatch of the final product |
| CHECKLIST | |
| DCL/IQA/CL/01 | Checklist for internal factory Quality Audit |
Quality Control Documentation
DCL keeps records of Portland cement manufactured in both hard/soft copies.
DCL Records are kept at four levels as follows:
| LEVEL – 1 | Inspection and testing of raw materials (Jumbo bags, bulk, clinker, limestone, gypsum, etc.) |
| LEVEL – 2 | In-process testing |
| LEVEL – 3 | Routine Testing |
| LEVEL – 4 | Final Inspection of finished product. |
Quality Control Testing Facility On-Site:
Routine Test
DZATA CEMENT conducts tests on batch to batch basis (Daily production). Records are kept for Continual quality monitoring of the product.
Factory Control Tests
Samples
Samples are taken according to a sampling procedure and a schedule that include all distribution points: bag, bulk including storage silos; taking into account the quantities distributed for the distribution of the samples.
The samples are taken at the frequency required by the brand or as specified in the applicable Ghana standards.
Samples are taken according to the EN-196-7 standard on one-off samples (truck samples will only be taken when necessary with precautions to avoid segregation).
The procedure specifies the identification of the samples and their shelf life.
Tests
The tests prescribed by the Brand are carried out in accordance with current standards by applying written operating procedures approved by the Laboratory Manager.
The physical and mechanical tests are carried out in the laboratory of Dzata Cement. A modus operandi describes how these tests are managed.
The results of the tests are recorded as soon as they are obtained.
Quality Audit Reporting Tests
Quality Director
Monthly quality audit reports are sent to the Quality Director in no more than 60 days after the end of the month concerned. The objective is to make sure the quality test derived from the audits conform to the form and levels agreed on by the Quality Director relative to submissions and agreement with the Ghana Standards Authority. Amendments are accordingly submitted from customers requesting them through relevant technical and commercial mediums.
Commercial Director
Internal Quality Audit reports are sent to the Commercial Director on a monthly basis to allow him to confirm if products are still within agreed quality standards and if not, immediate notice is sent to the Quality Director in accordance with quality standards. The results are sent to him monthly.
Inter-laboratory Comparison Tests
Samples are sent to external laboratories to have an independent test conducted to determine the deviations of the DZATA cement plant quality control tests. Samples are usually sent to two (2) laboratories for the inter-laboratory comparison exercise.
Contractual Test
Samples are sent to contracted external laboratories to have an independent test conducted to confirm or otherwise the agreed-on quality standards. The first option for the contractual test is the Ghana Standards Authority (GSA).
Final Quality Control Tests
These tests aim to verify the compliance of products with internal specifications within a very short response time. Tests are carried out at the request of the Quality control department on the finished products. The test reports are not considered as part of the routine quality control analysis of cement manufacturing.
