SQAS-AFRICA
Raising Safety and Quality Standards
(Safety & Quality Assessment for Sustainability – AFRICA (SQAS-AFRICA) is a standardised evaluation system for logistics service providers. It assesses safety, health, environment, quality (SHEQ), security and corporate social responsibility (CSR) performance. Conducted by CAIA-certified independent auditors, it streamlines compliance and supports continuous improvement under Responsible Care®.
The evaluation systems assesses safety, health, environment, quality (SHEQ), security and corporate social responsibility (CSR) performance. Conducted by CAIA-certified independent auditors, it streamlines compliance and supports continuous improvement under Responsible Care®.
The system applies to four key categories in the chemicals value chain, namely:
- Transport services
- Tank cleaning
- Warehousing
- Spill response
- Audits are conducted by neutral, independent professionals.
- Confidentiality agreements ensure data protection.
- Auditor allocation considers geographic efficiency while maintaining fairness.
SQAS-AFRICA Evaluation
SQAS-AFRICA evaluates:
- Management systems (policies, procedures, etc.)
- Staff training, communication, instructions to the involved personnel (e.g., drivers).
- Verification of the implementation in practice (through a site inspection, interviews with operators/drivers, etc.).
Benefits of SQAS-AFRICA
Certification Procedure
1. CAIA MEMBERSHIP AND CERTIFICATION
LSPs can become CAIA members before applying for SQAS-AFRICA certification.
This option provides access to the full range of CAIA-member benefits, including:
Use of the CAIA, SQAS-AFRICA, and Responsible Care® logos (as per Logo Usage Guidelines).
Industry networking and best practice sharing.
Regulatory and compliance support.
2. SQAS-AFRICA USER GROUP MEMBERSHIP AND CERTIFICATION
LSPs who do not join CAIA will automatically become members of the SQAS-AFRICA User Group when they apply for certification.
This option comes with a separate annual User Group membership fee (paid in full for each membership year) but does not include access to additional benefits available to CAIA members.
User Group members:
Can only use the SQAS-AFRICA logo (and not CAIA or Responsible Care® logos).
Do not receive other CAIA-member privileges.
Must renew membership annually to maintain certification.
For both CAIA members and SQAS-AFRICA User Group members, failure to renew certification and/or annual membership will result in removal from the list of SQAS-AFRICA-compliant companies. Companies that lose their certification must wait two years before reapplying.
The CAIA membership year runs from 1 July – 30 June and requires an annual fee.
For more details, refer to the CAIA Audit Management.
Certification Procedure
