The Hemel Hempstead-based print company, whose site is just 400m from the oil refinery, suffered both internal and external damage following the explosion on 11 December last year.

Despite a clean-up operation still being underway, Colour Quest decided to proceed with the accreditation audit on 19 and 21 December.

"It was a nice coup for us to achieve ISO 14001 in such a short space of time and so soon after the refinery explosion," said managing director Tyrone Spence (pictured).

Sales director John Conway added that the company has decided to embark on attaining quality certification for its colour reproduction, a process that it is working with one of its print management clients to achieve, and which could take up to two and half years to complete.

Colour Quest embarked on the ISO 14001 process back in February last year.