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For each certification audit and re-audit, the Lead Auditor shall submit report to Manager Operations/Certification Manager as part of the audit report the certification recommendation for recommendation or rejection for certification or recertification. The Lead Auditors recommendation shall be based upon the auditees Management System meeting the following criteria:
For a recommendation to certificate an operator with a newly introduced or re-audited management system (QMS, EMS, OH&S MS, FSMS) the following degree of development or maintenance must have been achieved;
i. The management system (QMS, EMS, OH&S MS, FSMS) has been operational for a minimum of three months;
ii. The internal audit system is fully operational and can be shown to be effective;
iii. One management review has been conducted.
i. Any non-conformities identified have been addressed and any major non conformities have been eliminated;
ii. The certification body has justified confidence that all provisions in the standard have been met, and in particular that provision for compliance with the organization's policy objectives and management System (QMS, EMS, OH&S MS, FSMS) requirements is effective.
iii. All staff has been made aware of the organization's policy objectives and management System (QMS, EMS, and OH&S MS, FSMS) requirements.
iv. All key staff (those involved in managing management System (QMS, EMS, OH&S MS) requirements) has undersigned a training needs analysis, and have received training accordingly.
Operation Manager/Certification Manager will forward the cases of certification to the Certification Decision Committee on Certification Decision Form with Doc #: RC-FR-6-1. All certification cases are reviewed as per Approved Certification Decision Committee Form with Doc #: RC-FR-6-5 by Certification Decision Committee and approved by CEO of RC. Committee reviews the certification case & reviews the lead auditors report and associated material along with the reasons for recommendation/rejection of a client and gives its recommendation on Form with Doc #: RC-FR-6-1.
The Certification Committee, which takes the decision on granting/withdrawing a certificate in RC, should incorporate a level of knowledge and experience in all areas, other than audit experience, which is equivalent to that of the lead auditor enabling a decision to be made based on the review of objective evidence in the audit file. The competence of review committee is maintained as per HR & Training.
The committee shall ensure that the audit reports are evaluated in detail as per respective management system and ISO 17021-1 requirements.
The role of the Certification Committee is;If RC is not able to verify the implementation of corrections and corrective actions of any major nonconformity within 6 months after the last day of stage 2, the RC shall conduct another stage 2 prior to recommending certification.
The first three-year certification cycle begins with the certification decision. Subsequent cycles begin with the recertification decision.
When recertification activities are successfully completed prior to the expiry date of the existing certification, the expiry date of the new certification can be based on the expiry date of the existing certification. The issue date on a new certificate shall be on or after the recertification decision.
Following expiration of certification, the RC can restore certification within 6 months provided that the outstanding recertification activities are completed, otherwise at least a stage 2 shall be conducted. The effective date on the certificate shall be on or after the recertification decision and the expiry date shall be based on prior certification cycle.
This assessment helps the organization discover areas of potential nonconformance and provides opportunity to correct them prior to formal certification audit.The on-site visit determines the organization’s compliance status, serves as a gap analysis for benchmarking and is extremely helpful in determining readiness for assessment.
Upon approval being granted by the committee, Operation Manager/Certification Manager verify the clients’ details including the audit scope of supply and prepare the Certificate of Approval which is checked by the CEO signs the certificate for authorization and Operation Manager/Certification Manager will update it on FM with Doc #: RC-FR-6-1.
Each Certificate carries a unique identification number as below. Details of each certificate used, cancelled or destroyed shall be recorded in a Certificate Register with Doc #: RC-FR-6-2.
Certificate Unique Identification number;
E.g., QMS-1116001, EMS-1116001 and OH&S MS-1116001
QMS, EMS, OH&S MS: Abbreviation of Quality, Environment, Health and Safety Management System 11: Month of the Year
16: Date of the Month
001: Incremental number as Per Certificate Register
Manager Certification updates the Client Data Base and then contact the client about any arrangements for the delivery of the certificate through any suitable means.
Manager Certification also sends a controlled copy of the Conditions for the use of Certification Mark with Doc #: RC-SOP-008 to the approved certified client.
A copy of the Certificate shall be retained on the Clients Data Base. An electronic image of the Certification Body mark/symbol is also forwarded to the client on issue of the certificate by manager certification.
RC suspends certification in following cases:
RC restore the suspended certification if the issue that has resulted in the suspension has been resolved. Failure to resolve the issues that have resulted in the suspension in a time established by RC shall result in withdrawal or reduction of the scope of certification.
RC shall reduce the scope of certification to exclude the parts not meeting the requirements, when the certified client has persistently or seriously failed to meet the certification requirements for those parts of the scope of certification. Any such reduction shall be in line with the requirements of the standard used for certification.
RC shall not issue any non-accredited certificates in the scopes for which they hold accreditation. Where accreditation only covers part of ASCB scope (i.e., Limited scope) then RC can issue non-accredited certificates for activities falling outside of the limitation non-accredited certificates can be issued for new scope areas where RC is working towards accreditation. However, once the accreditation is granted, RC is required to take appropriate action to transfer the previously issued non-accredited certificates to accredited ones within 30 days.
Certificates issued for non-accredited audits shall not carry the logo of accredited body. The client shall be told that it is a non-accredited audit.
When a client does not want to continue their certification with RC (due to client’s cancellation or transfer) the termination clause in the contract is followed. Where possible the reason for non-continuation is requested from the client. Cancellation letter and reason are updated in client data base.