SK Chemicals Pharma Business Acquires International Standard Certification for Business Continuity Management System

SK Chemicals has obtained international standard certification for its Business Continuity Management System (crisis management and response system).

On December 17, SK Chemicals announced that its Pharma business recently acquired ISO 22301 certification, the international standard for business continuity management systems, from Lloyd's Register Quality Assurance (LRQA), a global certification body.

At the ISO 22301 certification award ceremony held at the SK Chemicals Cheongju Plant, Ho-jin Lee, Plant Manager of SK Chemicals Cheongju Plant (right), and Ilhyung Lee, CEO of Lloyd's (left), are posing for a commemorative photo. SK Chemicals

ISO 22301 is an international standard established by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). It evaluates whether a company has a management system in place to maintain core business operations without interruption and restore normalcy as quickly as possible in the event of unexpected crises such as disasters, accidents, or supply disruptions.

While ISO 22301 certification is typically applied to manufacturing processes, SK Chemicals Pharma business has established a business continuity management system that covers not only the pharmaceutical production process at the Cheongju Plant but also headquarters operations. To achieve this, the company subdivided key work processes at both the headquarters and Cheongju Plant, identified potential risks, and refined its management system to enable swift response and recovery of work in emergency situations.

During the certification preparation process, the Cheongju Plant systematically reviewed and enhanced its crisis response and recovery systems through internal audits of the Business Continuity Management System (BCMS), simulation drills for emergency scenarios, training of internal auditors, and management reviews.

This certification is considered a proactive measure to meet the Business Continuity Plan (BCP) standards required in the global pharmaceutical supply chain, further strengthening SK Chemicals' risk management and supply stability response systems across its global operations.

Park Hyunsun, Head of SK Chemicals Pharma business, stated, "Global pharmaceutical companies place great importance not only on quality but also on the ability to maintain production and supply during crises when selecting business partners. Based on the ISO 22301 certification, we will continue to strengthen our competitiveness as a trusted partner in the global CMO and CDMO business."

Meanwhile, with the addition of ISO 22301, the Cheongju Plant now holds a total of three ISO international certifications, including ISO 14001 (Environmental Management System) and ISO 45001 (Occupational Health and Safety Management System).