Certification and Inspection Department

The application shall be completed in original, carefully, clearly and completely, according to the specific activity for which the body or laboratory seeks accreditation. It must be accompanied by the required documentation and signed by an authorized representative of the body or laboratory. The application is examined by technical officers of the relevant Accredia Department to check its acceptability on the basis of the requirements of the general regulations and applicable technical regulations.

Following a positive outcome, Accredia communicates acceptance of the application for accreditation, together with the proposal of the technical economic estimate. The fees charged by the Accreditation Body for assessment activities conducted during the accreditation process are public and can be found in the Accredia Price-list.

The analysis of the documents submitted with the application for accreditation is conducted by an assessment team appointed by the Director of the relevant Department. The purpose is to verify the conformity of the body’s or laboratory’s activity with the requirements of the applicable documents, as well as with the contract drawn up by Accredia. If the review reveals that additions or adjustments are necessary, the body or laboratory is asked to provide the missing documents or complete the information.

Following a positive outcome, Accredia initiates on-site assessments at the body or laboratory seeking accreditation and, in applicable cases, schedules accompanying assessments at the bodies’ client organizations.

On-site assessments are conducted by a team, composed of assessors and experts qualified by Accredia and selected from special lists. The purpose of the assessments is to verify that the operating methods of the body or laboratory seeking accreditation, in relation to the activities performed, comply with the requirements of the general and the technical regulations, and any other general and sectorial documents, as well as with the regulations and procedures established by the applicant, as formalized in the management system documentation (manual, regulations, procedures, instructions, checklists, personnel qualifications, etc.).

Each assessment is concluded with an evaluation report. If simple observations emerge, the accreditation process proceeds. If minor criticalities are revealed, further evaluation visits are carried out. In the event of non-conformities, the accreditation process may be suspended.

If the outcome is positive, the summary document of the assessments carried out is submitted to the competent Sector Accreditation Committee for analysis.

For the accreditation of certification, inspection and verification bodies, the on-site assessment is followed by accompanying assessments at client organizations.

The latter term is understood to mean: companies, public or private, holders of company management system certifications and product certifications (licensees of certification marks); companies using the inspection and verification services of emission declarations; certified persons. The results of witness assessments follow the same procedure as for on-site assessments.

On successful completion, the summary document of the assessments carried out is submitted to the competent Sector Accreditation Committee for analysis.

The competent Sector Accreditation for the activity for which the body or laboratory seeks accreditation evaluates the dossier and deliberates.

The granting of accreditation is formalized by means of an agreement between Accredia and the accredited body or laboratory and the issuing of the certificate with Accredia mark.

Accreditation and the corresponding certificate are valid for four years.
The resolutions and the registration of the name of the body or laboratory are published in the databanks on Accredia’s website.

During the four-year period of validity of the accreditation, Accredia carries out periodic surveillance of the activity of the accredited body or laboratory in order to verify its maintenance of the requirements of competence and impartiality and its regular compliance with the applicable standards and other documents.

During the four-year period of validity, the body or laboratory may request the extension of the accreditation to new activities and operational sites. The extension does not extend the validity of the accreditation and does not entail the signing of a new agreement, except in the case of adding accredited sites.

A body may extend its accreditation to new certification schemes or new sectors, within the scheme already covered; a testing laboratory may extend the range of accredited tests; a calibration laboratory may cover new metrological sectors and reference materials, diversify measurement ranges and/or reduce measurement uncertainties.

Prior to the expiry of the four-year accreditation cycle, the renewal process may be initiated in the same way as for the first accreditation.