What is Accreditation ?
Accreditation is the process of providing recognition to an organization for its competence in performing specific tasks. It involves the assessment of technical competence of organizations in providing conformity assessment service(s). Conformity assessment services include testing, certification (management systems/ product/ personnel) and inspection.
Accreditation also applies to calibration laboratories, proficiency testing and production of certified reference materials.
Why Accreditation Matters ?
Accreditation is a tool for providing for the acceptance and recognition of conformity assessment results. Accreditation is now increasingly accepted worldwide as the most transparent and non-discriminatory mechanism to assure competency of conformity assessment service providers both in the voluntary and regulatory areas.
- To industry and trade accreditation facilitates trade and eliminates the need for repetitive testing, certification and inspection.
- To regulators accreditation provides reliable and impartial basis for sound decision-making.
- To conformity assessment service providers [testing/calibration laboratories, certification bodies (management systems/product/personnel) and inspection bodies], accreditation is a means of demonstrating your competency to your clients. Accreditation is an effective marketing tool and a passport to submit tenders to contractors that require independent verified conformity assessment service providers.
- To users of accredited services and consumers at large, accreditation is your guarantee for reliable and comparable conformity assessment results. Accreditation increases reliability of products.
Who seeks Accreditation ?
Government bodies and regulators are constantly called upon to make decisions related to:
- Protecting the health and welfare of consumers and the public.
- Protecting the environment.
- Developing new regulations and requirements.
- Measuring compliance with regulatory and legal requirements.
- Allocating resources, both technical and financial.
In order to make informed decisions, government bodies and regulators must have confidence in the data generated by conformity assessment bodies [laboratories, certification bodies (management systems/product/personnel) and inspection bodies]. Using accredited conformity assessment bodies and calibration service providers can help to establish and assure this confidence.
Accreditation applies to conformity assessment service providers.
- Testing laboratories e.g. medical, chemical, microbiology, food and associated products, engineering, textiles etc.
- Certification bodies e.g. management systems (quality/environment/occupational health and safety/food management system etc.), product and personnel.
- Inspection bodies e.g. import/export, pressure equipment, etc.
- Proficiency Testing service providers.
- Reference Materials Producers.
Accreditation also applies to Calibration laboratories e.g. mass, volume, dimension, temperature, pressure, electrical, etc.
