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
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2
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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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