OHAS for Retailers and Buyers
In a world where consumers are demanding ever higher standards, transparency, traceability, and trust, working with OHAS Certified Suppliers can help you to cost effectively gain quality assurance in your horticulture supply chain.
What is the Ornamental Horticulture Assurance Scheme?
The Ornamental Horticulture Assurance Scheme (OHAS) is owned by the Horticultural Trades Association (HTA). It is an externally accredited quality assurance scheme made up of three Standards designed for growers and packers of ornamental horticultural products, and manufacturers of growing media.
The Scheme, which has been in existence for almost 30 years, raises industry standards and meets the needs of plant health initiatives by providing full traceability of living and cut plant material, and ensures best manufacturing practices during the creation of growing media.
It sets high standards of professionalism within the production process and promotes sustainable business practices and procedures to protect the environment. An annual, external audit assesses the level attained. As a result of regular updates to the Standards, the process of member business continuous improvement is also achieved.
Contracting with an OHAS certificated business means you have complete confidence in the products and services you are buying, saving you time and money in monitoring supplier performance.
Footnote - OHAS was formed in 1996, up until 2020 it was known as BOPP - British Ornamental Plant Producers.
When you buy from an OHAS certificated supplier you are assured of:
- Plants, flowers, and growing media which have been produced safely and legally
- Consistency of both quality and service
- Full traceability of all products and confidence that the plants supplied are healthy
- Quality management systems which ensure customer requirements are met
- Built-in continuous improvement processes which drive quality and customer satisfaction
- Suppliers who are actively reducing their impact on the environment
- Suppliers who have been audited annually by a third-party organisation which checks and monitors business practices
Quality assurance - specific not generic
OHAS is the only certified scheme in the UK solely relevant and dedicated to ornamental horticulture. Unlike other generic quality schemes, OHAS standards are specifically designed to meet the specialist needs of the industry. They are managed by a dedicated team which means the standards are designed for and react to specific technical and legislative requirements within the horticulture industry. In the last year, the OHAS Standards were strengthened in relation to plant health initiatives and biosecurity.
Clear Plant Health and Biosecurity Alignment
The ethos of plant health and biosecurity is core to the OHAS Standards, and the Grower Standards are significantly aligned to plant health initiatives.
OHAS is a complete, robust, business management QA type scheme incorporating a wide scope of best practice. It includes business management, health and safety, plant health, sustainability, the environment, staff management and welfare and much more.
Contact:
If you would like to know more, or see a full copy of the OHAS Standards, please contact us via the email address below.