| 1 | Objective |
| 1.1 | The purpose of this document is to supply details of the requirements, obligations and duties of an accredited certification body in order to maintain its accreditation. |
| 2 | Definitions |
| None. |
| 3 | Certification Body Accreditation |
| 3.1 | Condensed List of General Requirements |
| NOTE: This condensed list of requirement and obligations for accredited bodies should not be interpreted as a replacement for the requirements as given in the relevant ANAB documents such as Agreement, ISO/IEC 17011 and ISO/IEC 17065. It is intended as a summary of the main requirements. |
| 3.1.1 | An accredited certification body shall: |
| 3.1.1.1 | When requested, make a copy of the Quality Manual and the main procedures available to ANAB and any other associated or relevant documentation. |
| 3.1.1.2 | Grant ANAB access to all areas of the premises for the witnessing of all activities associated with the scope of the accreditation. ANAB may also wish to witness other activities not directly associated with the accreditation but having bearing on it. |
| 3.1.1.3 | Permit scrutiny by ANAB of all records of internal audits and management review. |
| 3.1.1.4 | Permit scrutiny by ANAB of all certificates issued by the certification body. |
| 3.1.1.5 | Assist ANAB in the investigation and resolution of any official complaints as regressed by ANAB. |
| 4 | Duties of Accredited Organization |
| 4.1 | An ANAB accredited body shall ensure that it: |
| a) | complies with all conditions of this document and all other relevant ANAB documents; |
| b) | attest that it is accredited only in respect to the services for which it has been granted accreditation; |
| c) | pays such fees applicable to the accreditation as determined by ANAB; |
| d) | does not use accreditation in such a manner as to bring ANAB or its accreditation process into disrepute and does not make any statement relevant to its accreditation which ANAB may reasonably consider to be misleading or unauthorized; |
| e) | upon suspension or termination of its accreditation, discontinues use of all material which contains any reference to its accreditation and return any certificates of recognition to ANAB; |
| f) | shall not use the accreditation to imply product approval by ANAB; |
| g) | promptly investigates any complaint in accordance with the organization's documented procedure and maintains a record of all such complaints and the corrective actions (where relevant) taken by the organization to ensure that a reoccurrence does not occur; |
| h) | complies with ANAB requirements, when making reference to its accredited status in communication media brochures or advertising; |
| i) | notifies ANAB of any changes affecting the certification body and which may have an effect on the accreditation, especially with regard to any changes in: |
| 1) | legal, commercial or organizational status; |
| 2) | organization or key management staff or any other staff which may have an effect on the accreditation; |
| 3) | resources and premises which may impact its accreditation; |
| 4) | capacity to service adequately its scope of accreditation or ability to comply with the requirements of accreditation; and/or |
| 5) | documentation, main policies or procedures. |
| j) | allows ANAB access to those documents that provide insight into the level of independence and impartiality of the accredited certification body; |
| 4.2 | All such notifications regarding any of the above to ANAB shall initially be through phone, e-mail or fax on or before the change and followed by written notification. Certification bodies that are uncertain of the consequences of any such changes should notify ANAB prior to the changes to obtain an opinion regarding the effect of the changes on their accredited status. A re-assessment/surveillance visit may be required after any of the above changes. |
| 5 | Impartiality and Integrity |
| 5.1 | ANAB requires that all accredited certification bodies maintain impartiality, independence, and integrity. In particular, an ANAB accredited body may not allow any person or organization to influence the certification process contrary to normal accepted procedures. The certification body should not engage in any activity that endangers the integrity of its independence of judgment in relation to its accredited activities. |
| 6 | After Accreditation is Achieved |
| 6.1 | Continuing accreditation demands continuous compliance with ANAB requirements laid down in relevant ANAB requirements particularly in the PRO-PR-119: Conditions for Granting, Maintaining, Extending, Reducing, Suspending and Withdrawing Accreditation. |
| 7 | Retention and Renewal of Accreditation |
| 7.1 | Accreditation is retained for the period specified on the accreditation certificate provided that it has not been withdrawn by ANAB for any reason whatsoever. Renewal of accreditation will normally be made by the issue of a new accreditation certificate. This is normally done every two years for renewal of the accreditation certificate. |
| 8 | Reduction, Suspension, or Withdrawal of Accreditation |
| 8.1 | Accreditation may be reduced, suspended, or withdrawn temporarily if the accredited certification body fails to comply with the accreditation requirements defined by ANAB and procedures in PRO-PR-119: Conditions for Granting, Maintaining, Extending, Reducing, Suspending and Withdrawing Accreditation. |
| 9 | Changes Affecting Accreditation |
| 9.1 | It is the responsibility of the accredited organization to notify ANAB prior to any changes within the accredited organization or as soon as possible thereafter. Failure to notify ANAB in a timely manner may result in the withdrawal of accreditation by ANAB. |
| 10 | Variation in Scope of Accreditation |
| 10.1 | An accredited certification body may have the scope of the accreditation changed at any time subject to fulfilling ANAB requirements in this regard. An organization wishing to change the scope shall contact ANAB formally. For this activity see PRO-PR-119. |
| 11 | Publicity |
| 11.1 | Accreditation certificates issued by ANAB belong to ANAB. They may not be regarded as confidential by the accredited body and shall be available to the public at all reasonable times. ANAB maintains a copy of the accreditation certificate for each accredited organization and these documents shall also be available to the public at all reasonable times. |
| 11.2 | The accredited organization shall ensure that all claims made by the organization are within the scope of the accreditation certificate. |
| 11.3 | No claims to a certification body's "accredited status" shall be made (either explicitly or by implication) by an accredited body without a statement of the full details of the accreditation, as given in the schedule of accreditation. |
| 11.4 | An accredited organization may use without variation, the phrase: "Listed in ANAB Accreditation Directory of Certification Bodies." |
| 11.5 | An accredited organization shall follow PR 1018 Policy on the Use of ANAB Accreditation Symbols and Claims of Accreditation. |
| 12 | Issuing of Certificates by Accredited Certification Bodies |
| 12.1 | Any work done by an accredited certification body falling outside the scope of the accreditation shall not use the ANAB logo nor any references to its accreditation by ANAB. |
| 13 | Records |
| 13.1 | An accredited certification body shall keep sufficient records to enable a full retrieval of all details of a certificate. |
| 14 | Arrangements Between an Accredited Organization and Their Customers |
| 14.1 | Arrangements between accredited organizations and their customers are ordinary commercial transactions. The amounts charged by accredited organizations are decided by the accredited organization itself. ANAB does not have any control or input into the setting of such charges. ANAB is not responsible for any loss or damage alleged or incurred from any such transaction. Furthermore, the accredited organization shall indemnify and hold ANAB and its agents blameless from or against any claim for any such loss or damage. |