Why choose an accredited certification body?

24 January, 2024

Who are UKAS?

UKAS (United Kingdom Accreditation Service) is the single body appointed by the British government to assess the capability and competence of organisations that provide ISO certification services.

Why use UKAS accredited certification bodies?

UKAS accredited certification bodies are required meet explicit Standards for competence, impartiality, and performance. This means that when you choose a UKAS accredited certification body, you can have confidence that they have been carefully assessed and meet the highest Standards in the industry.

UKAS accreditation is recognised worldwide and provides assurance to customers that your business is operating in compliance with best practice.

ISO Certification outside of the UK

Most major economies have a national accreditation body (equivalent to UKAS) which will be a registered member of the International Accreditation Forum (IAF).

The IAF’s works globally with the primary function of developing a single worldwide programme of conformity assessment. This programme helps reduce risk by giving businesses and their customers confidence that accredited certificates and verification statements are reliable and trustworthy.

In the UK, certification organisations such as ISOQAR, NQA & BSI etc are all accredited by UKAS (United Kingdom Accreditation Service).
In the USA certification organisations are more likely to be accredited by ANAB (ANSI National Accreditation Board).
DakkS is the accreditation body for certification organisations in Germany.

An ISO certification from an assessment body accredited by an IAF member is widely recognised and respected around the world.

How to check for UKAS accredited certification in your supply chain?

To establish if an organisation has UKAS accredited certification, you can utilise the UKAS Cert Check service.

All you need is the name of the organisation or the certificate number to check the certification.

Remember, certificates expire every three years and certified organisation is subject to at least annual surveillance visits by the awarding certification body. Therefore, make sure you remember to check annually for continued compliance.