Page 11 - Getting Started

Standards and Certification

Certification bodies must also meet stringent
requirements to become and remain accredited.
Certification bodies go through audits just like
their clients to ensure that they meet and maintain
the requirements of the standard. These oversight
audits are conducted by an Accreditation Body (AB).
Accreditation by an oversight body helps to ensure
impartiality, lack of conflict and competence of the
certification body. The certifications create the
ultimate confidence for end users—whether it is for
public or privately held companies.

Accreditation Bodies like the ANSI-ASQ National
Accreditation Board (ANAB brand) provide
accreditation to a select group of International
Standards Organization (ISO) standards for
management systems, testing and calibration
laboratories, reference material producers, and
inspection bodies.

These ABs help maintain the integrity and
impartiality of accredited certification bodies.
Further support is provided by the International
Accreditation Forum (IAF) and the International
Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC),
which oversees ABs around the world.

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