Services

MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS CERTIFICATION BODIES
SIAC(E) accredits management system certification bodies on the basis of the ISO/IEC 17021-1 : 2015  standard. Certification bodies are assessed based on their independence, integrity and technical competence. They have to demonstrate a level of competence, within their area of operation and the audit organizations’ management systems that fulfills the requirements of ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 22000, OHSAS 18001 or other international standards.
Scope of Accreditation
A certification body’s scope of accreditation indicates which management systems it is accredited to assess and certify:

• Quality Management Systems
• Energy Management Systems
• Environmental Management Systems
• Food Safety Management Systems
• Occupational Health And Safety Management Systems
• Information Security Management Systems
• Service Management Systems
• Business Continuity Management Systems
• Management Systems For Manufacturers Of Medical Devices

All certification bodies are eligible to apply for the above accreditation schemes.
Please click here to apply for accreditation.
CALIBRATION AND TESTING LABORATORIES
SIAC(E) accredits laboratories on the basis of the ISO/IEC 17025 : 2005 standard. SIAC(E) accreditation is only granted for specific tests and calibrations in specific fields. Laboratories are only allowed to issue endorsed reports for accredited tests and calibrations.
Scope of Accreditation
SIAC(E) offers specialty programs in the following areas:

• Agriculture, food, animal health, and plant protection
• Calibration
• Environmental
• Fasteners
• Forensic
• IT security evaluation and testing
• Mineral analysis
• Test method development and non-routine testing
• Medical laboratories
• Proficiency testing

Please click here to apply for accreditation.
PRODUCT CERTIFICATION BODIES
SIAC(E) accredits product certification bodies on the basis of the ISO/IEC 17065 : 2012 standard.
Product certification bodies determine whether products, services or manufacturing processes meet requirement. A major difference is that they do not just inspect a single sample or a single batch but they also inspect the company. They also assess subsequent products to verify if a batch of products meets the specified requirements for example? And verify the consistency if the next batch is produced in the same way. Complying manufacturers can use the relevant mark. A product certifying body continues to provide ongoing supervision.
Please click here to apply for accreditation.
Notified Body accreditation (Directives and Regulations)
SIAC(E). provides accreditation for the purposes of appointment under EC Directives (European Union)
Bodies seeking appointment by a European Union competent authority under relevant European Union regulations or EC directives may apply for accreditation from SIAC(E). Background information, including details of the relevant European Union competent authorities, is given in  and application should be made to SIAC(E)  using the SIAC(E) Application Form. 
Bodies wishing to be accredited under these arrangements should liaise with the appropriate competent authority (see the Appendix in  * for details) and take steps to ensure that they understand and comply with the relevant guidelines for appointment, as published by the relevant competent authority, and with the relevant regulations before applying to SIAC(E).
It is Government policy, in line with EC policy, to use the accreditation of bodies seeking to undertake conformity assessment tasks under Directives and to regard accreditation to the relevant standards in the EN 45000 or ISO/IEC 17000 series to an appropriate scope as supporting evidence that the applicant body satisfies the requirements of the minimum criteria.
SIAC(E) provides accreditation on behalf of the following competent authorities:
The Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS)

• Electrical safety (low voltage)
• Electromagnetic compatibility
• Equipment for use in explosive atmospheres
• Gas Appliances
• Lifts
• Machinery
• Noise emission in the environment by equipment for use outdoors
• Personal protective equipment
• Pressure equipment
• Radio and telecommunications terminal equipment
• Recreational craft
• Simple pressure vessels
• Toys
• Certain EU/third country Mutual Recognition Agreements
• Pyrotechnical Articles

INSPECTION BODIES
SIAC(E) accredits inspection bodies on the basis of the ISO/IEC 17020 : 2012 standard.
Inspection covers a wide array of activities/services. It is the examination of a product design, product service or process/plant. It also involves determining its conformity, either against specific requirements or on the basis of professional judgment. Achieving effective inspection is important in maintaining the safety of plant machinery, equipment, structures and systems in operation.
Please click here to apply for accreditation.

PROFICIENCY TESTING PROVIDERS
SIAC(E) accredits proficiency testing providers on the basis of the ISO/IEC 17043 : 2010 standard.
Proficiency testing involves the use of inter-laboratory comparisons for the determination of laboratory performance. PTP’s ensure that all samples have precisely the same composition and that the results obtained are processed in the correct way.
Calibration laboratories, test laboratories and medical laboratories regularly have to take part in proficiency testing. For a proficiency test various laboratories are sent the same sample, which could be blood, sludge or drinking water for example. The composition of the sample is known to the organizer. The laboratories test the sample and send their results to the organizing party who then checks whether the results are mutually comparable and reports on this to the participants. This guarantees that a laboratory produces reliable results. The need for ongoing confidence in laboratory performance is not only essential for laboratories and their customers but also for other interested parties such as regulators and accreditation bodies.
Please click here to apply for accreditation.

PERSONNEL CERTIFICATION BODIES
SIAC(E) accredits personnel certification bodies on the basis of the ISO/IEC 17024 : 2012 standard.
Accreditation of a personnel certification body is the process of assessing and publicly recognizing the credibility, impartiality and technical competence of an organization's personnel certification services. Personnel certification bodies provide services for many professional and trade persons, such as auditors, welders and doctors. The role of certification bodies involves assessing the individuals' necessary competencies, and ensuring that these are appropriate to the work being performed.
The major difference between this and a diploma is the certification involves ongoing supervision. A certificate therefore has a specific period of validity.
Please click here to apply for accreditation.

accreditation schemes are open to any entity, whether public or private, profit or non-profit, irrespective of its size or whether it performs activities other than those that are the object of accreditation.
The organization applying for accreditation should:

• Be a legally identifiable body, with legal status.
• Have experience in carrying out the activities for which accreditation is requested.
• Be familiar and comply with the accreditation criteria applicable.

Assessment of technical competence is carried out by means of the study of documents describing how the body performs the activities (management system, methods and working procedures, staff competence, etc.) and on-site assessment of how the body works. The results of the assessment are included in a report which is forwarded to the applicant, who must then respond by taking the remedial action seen fit.
With the assessment report and the applicant’s response, SIAC(E) takes a decision. If favorable, the accreditation certificate is issued.
SIAC(E) regularly verifies if accredited bodies continue to comply to requirements with regular assessments. If it is observed at any time that the body does not fulfill an accreditation obligation, SIAC(E) may suspend or withdraw the accreditation temporarily until compliance with the accreditation requirement is demonstrated once more.
Find out more about the accreditation process.

• Step one: Apply for accreditation
• Step two: Assessment
• Step three: Accreditation decision

Accreditation Process Step by Step
Step one: Apply for accreditation
To apply for accreditation, you should fill out the appropriate form and send it to SIAC(E), supplying all the documentation specified. This documentation will help us to get to know the features of your organization and the way in which the activities for which accreditation are applied for are carried out and to prepare the assessment properly. You should also attach the receipt for payment of the Application Fee in accordance with current rates.

Scope of accreditation
The scope of accreditation is a basic part of the application for accreditation as it will form the Technical Annex that accompanies the “Accreditation Certificate”. The applicant for accreditation establishes the scope for which they wish to be accredited in accordance with their needs and aims.
The application for a specific scope is a declaration on the part of the body of its technical competence for all the activities included in it, and the SIAC(E) assessment, therefore, sets out to determine whether the body is capable of showing its competence in the whole of the scope declared.
Instructions are provided on every application form for ascertaining under which terms the scope should be defined.

Application acceptance and review
After receiving the application for accreditation, SIAC(E) reviews the documentation supplied in order to check that the activity is suitable for accreditation and informs the applicant of the officer responsible for coordinating the accreditation process.
The officer responsible checks that the scope of the activities to be accredited is clearly defined and confirms that all the information needed for preparing and carrying out the assessment properly has been provided. If the documentation is incomplete or unsuitable, the applicant will be asked to rectify this.
If everything is correct and before starting the assessment, SIAC(E) sends the applicant a cost estimate the process for acceptance.
Step two: Assessment

Designation of the audit team
From amongst its assessors and qualified experts SIAC(E) designates an audit team to carry out the assessment process which will have a lead assessor, with ultimate responsibility for the audit, and as many technical experts as may be needed depending on the activities for which the body requests accreditation.
SIAC(E) informs the applicant of the names of audit team members and, where appropriate, of the organization to which they belong. If the body considers that there are reasons that could compromise their impartiality, it may turn them down in writing, explaining the grounds.

Documentation study
Prior to the on-site audit, a study is made of the technical documents supplied by the body. The report with the result of the study is forwarded to the body so that it may adopt the measures it considers fit for resolving, where appropriate, the problems detected.

Auditing and accompanying visits
When the documentation study is considered satisfactory, the lead assessor gets in touch with the body to set the date of the audit and forward an Audit Schedule.
During the audit the management system of the body, its operation, the undertaking of the activities and the accreditation requirements are assessed.
In order to verify the correct application and interpretation of the working procedures and the technical competence of personnel, activities representative of the scope of accreditation are selected in order to witness the performance of technical personnel.

• Testing laboratories are asked to carry out a representative sample of the tests that are the object of accreditation.
• Calibration laboratories are asked to calibrate a “transfer standard”, previously calibrated by an accredited laboratory, which is supplied by the audit team.
• At inspection, certifying and assessment bodies, accompanying visits are made whereby technical experts witness the performance of the assessors / inspectors.

At the end of the audit the audit team will provide the representatives of the body with a summary of the results of the investigation and the deviations detected in respect of the accreditation criteria.

Audit team report
When the audit has been carried out, the body is given a written report prepared by the audit team with the results of the assessment carried out.

Applicant’s response
The body should examine the causes of deviations detected, review the impact that they may have on related activities and forward SIAC(E) a schedule of remedial action, providing evidence that they have received the proper treatment to resolve them.
The body may make allegations against those points in the report with which it is not in agreement, putting forward all the evidence that it may consider necessary.

Step three:Accreditation decision
Accreditation decisions are taken by an independent technical body called the Accreditation Commission.
To confer accreditation, the Accreditation Commission has to be duly convinced that the accreditation requirements are met and that the deviations detected, where applicable, have been suitably rectified. For this purpose it examines the information generated during the assessment process and, on the basis of this, adopts one of these decisions:

• Confer accreditation.
• Determine the extraordinary assessment activities that may be necessary to ensure that deviations detected are rectified.

If not in agreement with the decision, the body may address the Standing Committee, with whatever claims it deems fit.

Accreditation Certificate
The Accreditation Certificates specifically states:

• Name of the body and number of the accreditation granted.
• Scope of the accreditation, by reference to a document referred to as the Technical Annex to the Certificate.
• Date of entry into force of the accreditation.

Maintenance of accreditation
Accreditation is not the result of a one-off process. SIAC(E) assesses accredited bodies on a regular basis, checking that they maintain their technical competence by means of follow-up visits and re-assessment audits. The frequency of visits is determined in accordance with previous results.

Follow-ups
The first follow-up visit is carried out within a period of not more than 12 months from awarding of the accreditation and subsequent follow-up is made not later than 12 months from the last visit; the body being notified in advance of the date.

Re-assessment
After a maximum of 3 years from the initial accreditation date, the body’s competence is re-assessed by carrying out an audit equivalent to the initial one.
Extension of the scope of accreditation
Accredited bodies may extend the scope of their accreditation. For this purpose they should make formal application for extension, using the application forms.
To evaluate this extension, the above assessment process is performed, though simplified as required in accordance with the volume and nature of this extension. The costs of the assessment process may be reduced if the extension coincides with a follow-up visit

SIAC(E) assesses compliance with the requirements laid down in the following international standards for the working of the different conformity assessors:

• Management System Certification Bodies  ISO/IEC 17021-1
• Calibration and Testing Laboratories ISO/IEC 17025
• Notified Body accreditation (European Directives and Regulations)
• Inspection Bodies ISO/IEC 17020
• Product Certification Bodies ISO/IEC 17065
• Personnel Certification Bodies ISO/IEC 17024
• Proficiency Testing Providers ISO/IES 17043

Click here for application for SIAC(E) Accreditation. You should inquire by way of the respective scheme (laboratories, inspection, certification, etc.) for details on technical and documentation requirements, audit process and cost details by writing an e-mail to info@swissiac-eu.ch

Accredited once, accepted everywhere

The international harmonisation of these standards warrants that the accreditations are carried out on a global basis according to the same criteria. As a result of these harmonised standards, and thanks to international agreements, the assessment services of bodies accredited in Germany are accepted in many European and non-European countries.

This ability to overcome technical barriers to trade facilitates cross-border trade and warrants the acceptance of conformity assessments results at an international level without requiring further inspections.