What is SASSMAQ and what are the advantages of the certification

In a complex and high-risk market such as chemical logistics, safety and reliability are non-negotiable elements. It is from this philosophy that SASSMAQ (System for the Assessment of Health, Safety, Environment and Quality) was created — a certification system that serves as the major benchmark of excellence in the sector.

Originally developed by the Brazilian Association of the Chemical Industry (ABIQUIM), the system provides a standardized framework to evaluate service providers. The certification process is voluntary, but it has become a major differentiator for accredited organizations in the market.

Companies that obtain the SAASSMAQ certificate demonstrate an unwavering commitment to operational integrity and risk management. This commitment is so valuable that many manufacturers of chemical products require certification from their logistics partners as a prerequisite to signing contracts.

Keep reading to learn everything about this powerful tool that helps your organization win the trust of potential partners and gain an advantage in such a competitive market. You will understand the requirements and get to know the implementation process, which is the first step for any logistics company seeking success in the chemical industry.

What are the requirements and pillars of SASSMAQ?

The SASSMAQ assessment begins with a comprehensive analysis of a company’s integrated management system. It should meticulously evaluate how the organization governs its critical processes in the areas of safety, environment, and quality.

Representatives of the company to be certified must respond to a detailed questionnaire that ranks requirements based on how critical they are. Auditors evaluate the evidence collected and the local operating conditions against predefined criteria, ensuring robust operational control.

The system’s pillars are designed to cover all risk aspects of chemical logistics. The main evaluation areas include:

• Risk management. Proactive identification and control of health, safety, and environmental risks associated with operations and chemicals.
• Operational and emergency procedures. Establishment of clear, documented routines for standard tasks, including effective responses to emergencies and incidents.
• Training and employee competence. Systematic programs ensure that all employees and subcontractors are properly trained and qualified for their specific roles, including emergency drills.
• Document and permit control. Rigorous management of permits, authorization,s and critical documents, ensuring they are up to date, validated, and easily accessible. This includes items such as environmental permits and safety reports.
• Incident analysis and corrective actions. A structured process for investigating incidents, accident,s and near misses. Its aim is to determine root causes and implement effective corrective and preventive plans.
• Performance indicators. Monitoring and analysis of key performance indicators (KPIs) to track safety performance, operational efficiency, and the effectiveness of the management system.

Finally, it is important to note that the scope of a SASSMAQ audit may vary from one organization to another. The assessment modules and their emphasis are adjusted according to each company’s specific activities, such as road transport, cleaning stations, or warehouses.

Read more: Five best practices in supplier management

What challenges do companies face when obtaining and maintaining SASSMAQ?

It is common for companies to face challenges with some of the fundamental aspects of managing a complex integrated system. This is a journey where there is a risk of encountering various operational inefficiencies.

One of the main bottlenecks is the lack of standardization and centralization in the control of documents and essential processes. This disorganization directly impacts the ability to demonstrate consistent compliance during an audit.

In addition, companies often have difficulties proving the effectiveness of their training and safety programs. It is common to face challenges when validating employee competence, usually caused by a lack of traceability of training records and certificates.

Other obstacles that hinder both obtaining and maintaining the certification include:

• Fragmented document control. Improper management of crucial documents such as licenses, permits, and procedures — stored in spreadsheets or cloud drives — leads to version conflicts and a high risk of using outdated information.
• Inefficient training management. Manual tracking of requirements, schedules, and training results leads toa lack of traceability and makes it difficult to demonstrate compliance during the audit.
• Manual collection of indicators. Collecting data for KPIs from different sources takes a long time and is error-prone, delaying the analysis needed for well-informed decision-making.
• Reactive risk management. The lack of dedicated tools for risk analysis and mitigation usually means these threats will only be identified after an incident occurs — contrary to the ideal of proactive risk management.
• Unstructured corrective actions. Delays in implementing preventive and corrective actions are common due to a lack of accountability and clear workflows. This allows the root causes of problems to persist.

Ultimately, dependency on manual and disconnected processes creates a serious administrative problem. This approach forces companies to allocate valuable resources to tedious bureaucratic tasks when they could be investing in strategic improvements in the area of safety.

What are the advantages of integrating SASSMAQ certification into a digital platform?

The transition from manual processes to an integrated digital platform will allow you to directly address challenges such as rework, traceability, and audit preparation. These are the main advantages of integrating SASSMAQ certification into a digital platform:

Reduction of errors and rework

A centralized platform allows you to automate key processes and ensures standardization of workflows, which minimizes human error. This digital foundation addresses common challenges faced by many organizations, bringing greater organization and easier access to your data.

Greater agility and standardization

Digital tools ensure that all actions, from document approval to incident reporting, follow repeatable processes across the organization. This creates an agile operational environment where best practices are embedded into daily activities.

Better traceability with a compliance history

With a digital platform, all training records, document versions, and corrective actions are automatically saved in a centralized and auditable system. This creates a complete, proven history of your compliance that is ready for immediate review.

Dashboards for data-driven decision making

Through digitization, your company consolidates dispersed data into intuitive visual dashboards that display key performance metrics in real time. Managers can make proactive decisions based on accurate and up-to-date information, without needing to rely on assumptions.

Easier preparation for audits and recertifications

When audit time comes, all necessary documentation and evidence can be compiled and accessed with the click of a button. This drastically reduces the time required to prepare for audits and also reduces the stress associated with the recertification process.

Greater trust from customers and partners

If you demonstrate to your customers and partners a sophisticated management system based on modern technologies, they will have immense confidence in your organization. In this way, you provide tangible proof of your commitment to safety, quality, and operational excellence in the chemical products industry.

How to have a structured approach to SASSMAQ management?

To obtain and maintain SASSMAQ certification, you need an organized and meticulous system. For many organizations, the true complexity lies in coordinating multiple variables without a unified structure.

An integrated platform such as SoftExpert EHSM can provide that structure, centralizing previously fragmented processes into a coherent system. This approach enables companies to adopt proactive management, directly addressing the main challenges highlighted by the SASSMAQ framework.

By leveraging specialized modules, software like this allows your teams to:

• Identify and evaluate systematically environmental, operational, and safety risks using structured matrices and visual heat maps.
• Optimize the entire audit lifecycle, from planning to follow-up, using digital checklists that ensure no requirement is overlooked.
• Manage incidents and near misses with guided workflows for root cause analysis and verification of corrective actions.
• Maintain strict control over training records, with automated tracking for mandatory sessions and competency certifications.
• Organize critical documents and permits with automated version control and renewal alerts, keeping compliance continuous.
• Automate the collection and calculation of key performance indicators (KPIs), offering a real-time view of your operational and safety performance.
• Track preventive and corrective actions throughout their lifecycle, ensuring that issues are resolved and improvements are sustained.

This integrated method allows SASSMAQ compliance to become a continuous process within your company. It provides the traceability and evidence that not only auditors demand, but that internal stakeholders seek to build a more resilient and reliable operation.

For organizations looking to improve their compliance strategy, the next logical step is to explore how an EHSM platform can be tailored to fit their particular logistics operations.

Conclusion

SASSMAQ certification establishes itself as an unavoidable strategic differentiator for logistics companies in the chemical segment. Its adoption goes beyond mere compliance, becoming a pillar for operational excellence and business sustainability.

Overcoming the challenges inherent in its implementation requires methodical and centralized information management. Digitizing processes emerges as a natural path to ensure the traceability and agility required.

Companies that master this management will build a reputation for reliability in the market. The credibility earned opens doors to new contracts and strengthens relationships with partners and clients.

Therefore, pursuing SASSMAQ certification should be viewed as a continuous investment in safety, quality, and performance. Staying competitive in this demanding sector means prioritizing robust management that integrates all pillars of the system.

FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions about SASSMAQ

Below you will find frequently asked questions about SASSMAQ: