Accreditation of Product Certification Bodies
Certification Bodies providing product certification issue product certificates or licenses to organizations which entitles them to display a mark of conformity on their product or to issue a certificate indicating the product’s conformity with specified requirements.
In this way the consumer is assured that the product they are purchasing has reached a set standard and the product they have purchased has been tested by qualified personnel to the applicable codes and/or standards.
SLAB accredits certification bodies against the requirements of ISO/IEC 17065- Conformity assessment – requirements for bodies certifying products, processes and services to deliver a range of Product certification Schemes such as organic agriculture, Energy labeling, green building, fisheries, food sector, etc.
Certification bodies are accredited in compliance with ISO 17065 for a defined range of activities and these are detailed in the scope of accreditation which is annexed to the organization’s accredited certificate.
Benefits of accrediting Bodies that certify Products, processes and services
- Market access
- Speed to market
- Risk management
- Product differentiation
- Competitive edge:
- Customer confidence
Advantages of ISO/IEC 17065 for product certification
- Marketplace and customers of this service measure the beneficial value of accreditation.
- Accreditation for product certification programs in accordance with international guidelines
- International and regional recognition through arrangements for mutual recognition of equivalency across boundaries.
- Businesses whose products earn a certification mark from a product certification program that has been accredited have more freedom to compete in many markets around the world, often without the requirement for a duplicative test or mark.
- There is an opportunity of doors opening to new markets, products compete on a level playing field, and regulatory costs can be minimized