Accreditation plays an important role in ISO Certification however it is not always easy to verify whether a certification body is accredited for the standard or scheme you are looking to certify to. This blog gives some tips to help you verify a certification body’s accreditation status.
Search Accreditation Body Websites
In the UK, the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) is the only one recognised by the UK government, however there are many other ISO Accreditation Bodies Around the World who are recognised by the IAF – International Accreditation Forum.
UKAS, like others, provides a search tool on their website allowing you to look up certification bodies accredited by them. This will tell you about the certification body including which standards and industries they are accredited for, within their accreditation schedule.
Understanding Accreditation Schedules
Each certification body has an accreditation schedule that outlines the specific standards or schemes they are accredited to certify against. This accreditation schedule also includes the industry codes and technical areas they are accredited for where relevant.
Industry codes apply to many management system standards including ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 45001 and cover many industry areas. However a significant exception is ISO 27001 where competence in IT and Information Security is the requirement rather than within specific industries.
If a standard or scheme isn’t included on a certification body’s accreditation schedule, that doesn’t necessarily mean they don’t offer certification in that area. They may be accredited under a different IAF Accreditation Body, or even offer it as an unaccredited certificate.
Be Aware of Other Accreditation Bodies
Certification bodies may be accredited by more than one body, especially if they operate globally. Therefore it’s important to research the full accreditation status of the certification body when choosing a provider.
The geographical location of the accreditation may also be important to you or your customers, depending where you operate.
Need Help? Our Certification Management Team can Assist!
Verifying accreditation statuses can be complex, especially when dealing with multiple standards, schemes or territories.
We can help you:
- Investigate the accreditations status of a certification body,
- Help you interpret accreditation schedules,
- Recommend the most suitable certification body for your needs,
- Help you validate an ISO Certificate provided by a supplier or third-party.
Contact us for support.
See also: How do I Spot a Fake ISO Certificate?