ACCREDITATION
What is ACCREDITATION?
“Accreditation refers to third-party attestation related to a conformity assessment body conveying formal demonstration of its competence to carry out specific conformity assessment tasks”
Accreditation as defined in ISO/IEC 17011 Accreditation means the formal recognition of the technical and organizational competence of an authority to execute a specific service as described in the scope of accreditation. Competence is the key to transparency, confidence and comparability.
Accreditation is a confidence-building measure, which allows authorities, economy and society to judge, if testing, inspection or certification bodies (conformity assessment bodies) fulfil specific tasks with the demanded high reliability.
Accreditation by UEAC is in accordance to the international conformity assessment standards established by the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO).
Who can be Accrediated?
UEAC accreditation activities
UNITED EURO ACCREDITATION CENTRE (UEAC) provides accreditations to conformity assessment bodies (CAB). These bodies consist of laboratories, certification and inspection bodies, providers of proficiency tests and reference material producers.
A CAB may be accredited by UNITED EURO ACCREDITATION CENTRE if it meets the requirements of the corresponding international standards.
Laboratories | Testing and Calibration Laboratories ISO/IEC 17025 |
| Medical Laboratories ISO 15189 | |
| Inspection Bodies | ISO/IEC 17020 |
| Certification Bodies | for Person ISO/IEC 17024 |
| for Management Systems ISO/IEC 17021 | |
| for Products ISO/IEC 17065 (or EN 45011) | |
| Validation and Verification Bodies | ISO 14065 |
| Providers of Proficiency Tests | ISO/IEC 17043 |
| Producers of Reference Materials | ISO Guide 34 |
During the course of the preceding actions we would have expected to conduct several face to face meetings and visits to your operating premises.
- Issue of accreditation certificate if appropriate.
- You continue to assess and certificate but don’t need to send paperwork.
- We will monitor the level of your activity and conduct accreditation reviews to suit.
- You must inform us of all certification activity.
- Ongoing surveillance and accreditation including allocation of accreditation numbers
How to become Accredited?
UNITED EURO ACCREDITATION CENTRE (UEAC) accepts applications for accreditation from “Conformity Assessment Bodies (CABs) and Further Education & Training Institutions around the world.
The application process for the UNITED EURO ACCREDITATION CENTRE (UEAC) accreditation is as follows:
- Applicant to download Accreditation Scheme Manual and the Application Pack
- Applicant reads and understands UNITED EURO ACCREDITATION CENTRE (UEAC)’s Accreditation Scheme Manual especially the Requirements for Granting and Maintaining Accreditation and the current fee structure
- Applicant makes sure that they comply with the relevant requirements of ISO/ IEC 17021:2006 and other accreditation requirements such as “Responsible Education Provider”™ as specified by UNITED EURO ACCREDITATION CENTRE (UEAC) in their Accreditation Scheme Manual and that they have essential resources to undertake activities throughout the scope requested and will pay all fees to UNITED EURO ACCREDITATION CENTRE (UEAC), whether or not accreditation is granted.
- Applicant CAB completes and returns their application, including relevant documentation demanded within the application form, along with payment to Accreditation Commission For Conformity Assessment Bodies Private Limited
- Upon receipt of the Application Forms and Requisite Fees, UNITED EURO ACCREDITATION CENTRE (UEAC) reviews the application documents against the relevant accreditation criteria and provides a report to the applicant. The next stage of assessment will not progress until the documented systems meet necessities.
- Applicant CAB makes all necessary arrangements for conducting the office and witness assessment including access to all areas, records and personnel.
- UNITED EURO ACCREDITATION CENTRE (UEAC) selects an assessment team who undertake an on-site assessment at the applicant’s offices and other locations as appropriate. At the completion of the assessments the assessment team writes a report of their findings along with recommendations to the Accreditation Approval Committee (AAC).
- The AAC reviews the report and makes a decision regarding accreditation.
- If accreditation is approved a Certificate of Accreditation is allotted to the applicant on signing the Accreditation Agreement.
- If accreditation is not approved, the applicant is advised of the reasons for the decision. A further application may be considered at a later date.
- Once an applicant is accredited consistent visits are made to assess the Accredited Organization’s ongoing compliance with the accreditation criteria.
- A complete reassessment takes place each three years.
Benefits of Accreditation
Using UEAC accredited CABs offers multiple benefits for companies. Besides providing a marketing opportunity, it also boosts the company’s image – having been tried and certified by reliable CABs, the company’s products and services are endorsed with the highest assurance. This, in turn, instils confidence in the company’s customers and stakeholders alike.
UEAC’s extensive network of CABs across the world provide international recognition, so companies can also avoid costly retesting, re-inspection or recertification for overseas market access.
Apply for Accreditation
UEAC accreditation schemes are open to any entity, whether public or private, profit or non-profit, irrespective of its size or whether it performs activities other than those that are the object of accreditation.
The organization applying for accreditation should:
- Be a legally identifiable body, with legal status.
- Have experience in carrying out the activities for which accreditation is requested.
- Be familiar and comply with the accreditation criteria applicable.
Assessment of technical competence is carried out by means of the study of documents describing how the body performs the activities (management system, methods and working procedures, staff competence, etc.) and on-site assessment of how the body works. The results of the assessment are included in a report which is forwarded to the applicant, who must then respond by taking the remedial action seen fit.
With the assessment report and the applicant’s response, UEAC takes a decision. If favorable, the accreditation certificate is issued.
UEAC regularly verifies if accredited bodies continue to comply to requirements with regular assessments. If it is observed at any time that the body does not fulfil an accreditation obligation, UEAC may suspend or withdraw the accreditation temporarily until compliance with the accreditation requirement is demonstrated once more.
Find out more about the accreditation process.
- Step one: Apply for accreditation
- Step two: Assessment.
- Step three: Accreditation decision
Step one: Apply for accreditation
To apply for accreditation, you should fill out the appropriate form and send it to UEAC, supplying all the documentation specified. This documentation will help us to get to know the features of your organization and the way in which the activities for which accreditation are applied for are carried out and to prepare the assessment properly. You should also attach the receipt for payment of the Application Fee in accordance with current rates.
Scope of accreditation
The scope of accreditation is a basic part of the application for accreditation as it will form the Technical Annex that accompanies the “Accreditation Certificate”. The applicant for accreditation establishes the scope for which they wish to be accredited in accordance with their needs and aims.
The application for a specific scope is a declaration on the part of the body of its technical competence for all the activities included in it, and the UEAC assessment, therefore, sets out to determine whether the body is capable of showing its competence in the whole of the scope declared.
Instructions are provided on every application form for ascertaining under which terms the scope should be defined.
Application acceptance and review
After receiving the application for accreditation, UEAC reviews the documentation supplied in order to check that the activity is suitable for accreditation and informs the applicant of the officer responsible for coordinating the accreditation process.
The officer responsible checks that the scope of the activities to be accredited is clearly defined and confirms that all the information needed for preparing and carrying out the assessment properly has been provided. If the documentation is incomplete or unsuitable, the applicant will be asked to rectify this.
If everything is correct and before starting the assessment, UEAC sends the applicant a cost estimate the process for acceptance.
Step two: Assessment
Designation of the audit team
From amongst its assessors and qualified experts UEAC designates an audit team to carry out the assessment process which will have a lead assessor, with ultimate responsibility for the audit, and as many technical experts as may be needed depending on the activities for which the body requests accreditation.
UEAC informs the applicant of the names of audit team members and, where appropriate, of the organization to which they belong. If the body considers that there are reasons that could compromise their impartiality, it may turn them down in writing, explaining the grounds.
Documentation study
Prior to the on-site audit, a study is made of the technical documents supplied by the body. The report with the result of the study is forwarded to the body so that it may adopt the measures it considers fit for resolving, where appropriate, the problems detected.
Auditing and accompanying visits
When the documentation study is considered satisfactory, the lead assessor gets in touch with the body to set the date of the audit and forward an Audit Schedule.
During the audit the management system of the body, its operation, the undertaking of the activities and the accreditation requirements are assessed.
In order to verify the correct application and interpretation of the working procedures and the technical competence of personnel, activities representative of the scope of accreditation are selected in order to witness the performance of technical personnel.
- Testing laboratories are asked to carry out a representative sample of the tests that are the object of accreditation.
- Calibration laboratories are asked to calibrate a “transfer standard”, previously calibrated by an accredited laboratory, which is supplied by the audit team.
- At inspection, certifying and assessment bodies, accompanying visits are made whereby technical experts witness the performance of the assessors / inspectors.
At the end of the audit the audit team will provide the representatives of the body with a summary of the results of the investigation and the deviations detected in respect of the accreditation criteria.
Audit team report
When the audit has been carried out, the body is given a written report prepared by the audit team with the results of the assessment carried out.
Applicant’s response
The body should examine the causes of deviations detected, review the impact that they may have on related activities and forward UEAC a schedule of remedial action, providing evidence that they have received the proper treatment to resolve them.
The body may make allegations against those points in the report with which it is not in agreement, putting forward all the evidence that it may consider necessary.
Step three: Accreditation decision
Accreditation decisions are taken by an independent technical body called the Accreditation Commission.
To confer accreditation, the Accreditation Commission has to be duly convinced that the accreditation requirements are met and that the deviations detected, where applicable, have been suitably rectified. For this purpose it examines the information generated during the assessment process and, on the basis of this, adopts one of these decisions:
- Confer accreditation.
- Determine the extraordinary assessment activities that may be necessary to ensure that deviations detected are rectified.
If not in agreement with the decision, the body may address the Standing Committee, with whatever claims it deems fit.
Accreditation Certificate
The Accreditation Certificates specifically states:
- Name of the body and number of the accreditation granted.
- Scope of the accreditation, by reference to a document referred to as the Technical Annex to the Certificate.
- Date of entry into force of the accreditation.
Maintenance of accreditation
Accreditation is not the result of a one-off process. UEAC assesses accredited bodies on a regular basis, checking that they maintain their technical competence by means of follow-up visits and re-assessment audits. The frequency of visits is determined in accordance with previous results.
Follow-ups
The first follow-up visit is carried out within a period of not more than 12 months from awarding of the accreditation and subsequent follow-up is made not later than 12 months from the last visit; the body being notified in advance of the date.
Re-assessment
After a maximum of 3 years from the initial accreditation date, the body’s competence is re-assessed by carrying out an audit equivalent to the initial one.
Extension of the scope of accreditation
Accredited bodies may extend the scope of their accreditation. For this purpose they should make formal application for extension, using the application forms.
To evaluate this extension, the above assessment process is performed, though simplified as required in accordance with the volume and nature of this extension. The costs of the assessment process may be reduced if the extension coincides with a follow-up visit.
Accredited Bodies
CAB NAME | ACCREDITATION STANDARD | SCHEME | LOCATION |
NERO GLOBAL | ISO 17020:2012 | CE Marking, RoHS, Electronic & Electrical Testing. | ROTTERDAM, NETHERLANDS |
BUOYANT CERT UK LIMITED | ISO 17021-1 / -2 / -3, ISO 22003, | Management System Certification, Product Certification, Inspection, Training, Testing, CE Marking, RoHS, Electronic & Electrical Testing | MANCHESTER, UK |
COST OF ACCREDITATION
The fee structure is based on the following criteria:
- Application Fees
- Program Fees
- Assessment Fees
- Certification Fees
- Mode of payment
Application Fees:
This is the Initial Amount which has be remitted by the applicant Organization to proceed with desired accreditation program. This shall be paid in Advance.
Program Fees:
Program fee is the Amount paid for the desired Accreditation, and does not include Assessment, Travel , Lodging & Boarding and Translation fees etc .
Assessment Fees:
Amount Paid for the involvement of auditor and Technical expert or other required Resources.
Certification Fees:
This amount is paid per Certificate issued by the organizations.
For Detailed info:
Write to info@ueac.nl
Mode of Payment:
- Payments may be made via bank Transfer (Cheque and DD can be accepted)
- Non-NL based Organizations are made by Bank Transfer.