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Accreditation
Certification
 

Accreditation - Accreditation Process - To Apply - Fees - Complaints & Appeals

 

How to apply for accreditation

Organizations interested in applying to be accredited by SAAS must meet the criteria set out in SAAS Procedure 200 and ISO/IEC 17021. SAAS Procedure 200 specifies requirements regarding accreditation to conduct audits and the certification of organizations to social standards. The systems set out in Procedure 200 are binding to CBs accredited by SAAS for performing SA8000 and other social standard certifications. Procedure 200 includes requirements for certification body audit processes, auditor qualifications, procedures and issuance of certificates. In addition to the Procedure 200 document, Certification Bodies must conform with the supplemental SAAS Advisories:
-Advisory 1
-Advisory 2
-Advisory 3
-Advisory 4
-Advisory 5
-Advisory 6
-Advisory 7
-Advisory 8
-Advisory 9
-Advisory 10
-Advisory 11
-Advisory 12
-Advisory 13
-Advisory 14
-Advisory 15
-Advisory 16
-Advisory 17
-Advisory 18

ISO/IEC 17021 contains principles and requirements for the competence, consistency, and impartiality of an audit and the certification of management systems of all types and for bodies providing these activities. CBs interested in accreditation by SAAS must meet the requirements set out in ISO/IEC 17021. Please see the SAAS Notification related to implementation of ISO/IEC 17021:2011.

SAAS Procedure 201 also provides critical information on the procedures for granting, maintaining, extending, reducing, suspending and withdrawing the accreditation of a CB by SAAS. This document should be read in conjunction with SAAS Procedure 200.

*Due to planned revisions and changes to the accreditation and certification methodologies for the SA8000 system, Social Accountability International, the creator and owner of the SA8000 Standard, has authorized SAAS to stop accepting new applicants for accredited certification bodies. SAAS shall temporarily suspend the process for accrediting applicant certification bodies until the changes to the procedures and policies are completed. SAI and SAAS would like to notify organizations interested in applying to conduct accredited SA8000 certification audits that no new applications will be accepted before the revision process is complete. This suspension shall be in effect beginning October 19, 2012. For more information, please contact Lisa Bernstein, SAAS Program Manager.*

Please see the basic overview of the accreditation application process

At this time, SAAS has been notified by BSCI that its Auditing Working Group is in the process of formalizing a "Procedure of Approval" and this procedure will clearly state what is expected of CBs in terms of performance. This document is being drafted and will not be finalized prior to January 2013. Until that time, BSCI is NOT accepting any new applicant auditing companies to deliver BSCI audits.

Please see BSCI's website for additional information: http://www.bsci-intl.org/join-us/auditor


 

 
 

 

 
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