Procedure for Issue and Withdrawal of Certificates
Granting or Refusing for Certification
INTERCERT Certification committee may refuse certification, in case of non fulfilment of audit criteria, non submission of corrective action / documentation to meet the requirements within stipulated time frame. In cases of any non-compliance or requirement of additional information or clarification, report shall be sent back to audit team leader for necessary actions / submission. In cases of re-certification, certification committee shall make decisions on renewing certification based on the results of the recertification audit, as well as the results of the review of the system over the period of certification and complaints received from users of certification.
Detail for issuing of certification
The issued certificate to client identifies the following:
- the name and geographical location of each certified client (or the geographical location of the headquarters and any sites within the scope of a multi-site certification);
- the effective date of granting, expanding or reducing the scope of certification, or renewing certification which shall not be before the date of the relevant certification decision;
- the expiry date or recertification due date consistent with the recertification cycle;
- a unique identification code;
- the management system standard and/or other normative document, including indication of issue status (e.g. revision date or number) used for audit of the certified client;
- the scope of certification with respect to the type of activities, products and services as applicable at each site without being misleading or ambiguous;
- the name, address and certification mark of the INTERCERT; other marks (e.g. accreditation symbol, client’s logo) may be used provided they are not misleading or ambiguous;
- any other information required by the standard and/or other normative document used for certification
- In the event of issuing any revised certification documents, a means to distinguish the revised documents from any prior obsolete documents.
Maintain Certification
INTERCERT maintains certification based on demonstration that the client continues to satisfy the requirements of the management system standard through the surveillance and recertification audit conduction. It may maintain a client’s certification based on a positive conclusion by the audit team leader without further independent review and decision, provided that:
a) for any major nonconformity or other situation that may lead to suspension or withdrawal of certification, INTERCERT has a system that requires the audit team leader to report to the INTERCERT the need to initiate a review by competent personnel, different from those who carried out the audit, to determine whether certification can be maintained;
b) competent personnel of INTERCERT monitor its surveillance activities, including monitoring the reporting by its auditors, to confirm that the certification activity is operating effectively.
Suspension of certification
Suspension of certification may be done in the following cases:
- The certified client’s management system has persistently failed to meet certification requirements, including requirements for the effectiveness of the management system.
- The certified client does not allow surveillance or recertification audit to be conducted at the required frequencies.
- The certified client has voluntarily requested a suspension.
- In case of not applying of new standards that changed due to certification system.
- Violate use of certification mark.
- Violate contract or agreement of certification.
- In case of providing false information or document during audit.
- During suspension, certificate is considered as invalid.
Restoring of Certification
INTERCERT restores the suspended certification if the issue that has resulted in the suspension has been resolved. Failure to resolve the issues that have resulted in the suspension within six month shall result in withdrawal or reduction of the scope of certification.
Withdrawing of certification
INTERCERT withdraw certification for following causes:
- Failure to resolve the issues that have resulted in the suspension within six months
- The certified client has voluntarily requested for withdrawal.
- Any other cause which justifies withdrawal as decided by Independent auditor and certification decision committee
Any major nonconformity or other situation that may lead to suspension or withdrawal of certification, INTERCERT has a system that requires the audit team leader to report to INTERCERT to initiate a review by competent personnel, different from those who carried out the audit, to determine whether certification can be maintained; Competent personnel understand the applicable standard and certification requirements, and shall have demonstrated competence to evaluate the outcomes of the audit processes including related recommendations of the audit team.
INTERCERT enforceable arrangements with the certified client concerning conditions of withdrawal ensuring upon notice of withdrawal of certification that the client discontinues its use of all advertising matter that contains any reference to a certified status. Upon request by any party, INTERCERT will state the status of certification of a client's management system as being suspended, withdrawn or reduced
Expanding or Reducing the scope of certification
INTERCERT, in response to an application for expanding the scope of a certification already granted, undertake a review of the application and determine any audit activities necessary to decide whether or not the extension may be granted. This may be conducted in conjunction with a surveillance audit.
INTERCERT reduce the client's scope of certification to exclude the parts not meeting the requirements, when the client has persistently or seriously failed to meet the certification requirements for those parts of the scope of certification. Any such reduction will be in line with the requirements of the standard used for certification.
