GENERAL POLICY
Apex Fasteners recognizes that a system based on the elimination and prevention of nonconforming product is essential to its business. Quality breeches are investigated and corrective actions are taken according to the magnitude of the problem. Any implemented changes to documented procedures shall be recorded. Mistake proofing methods are used when appropriate to the problem solving process.

INITIATION OF CORRECTIVE & PREVENTIVE ACTION
Any employee or customer may request corrective and preventive action at any time. Department managers can authorize and request implementation for employee generated requests. Department or Quality Managers can authorize requests for implementation generated by customers.

CORRECTIVE ACTION
Corrective actions pertaining to both internal and external concerns shall include:
1. effective handling of customer complaints and reports of nonconforming product,
2. investigation of the root cause of the nonconformance,
3. determination of the corrective action necessary to control and eliminate the problem, and
4. verification of controls to ensure that corrective action was implemented and effective.

When Apex Fasteners discovers nonconforming product:
1. all related product shall be analyzed,
2. records of analyses shall be maintained and made available upon request and
3. the vendor shall be notified.

Upon customer request, corrective actions may be carried out by a third party or by other means.

PREVENTIVE ACTION
Information such as audit results, quality records, customer satisfaction surveys and customer complaints may be used to detect, analyze or eliminate potential root causes of nonconformance. Preventive action analysis should be discussed during management review meetings.

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