What is certification?
Certification is independent verification that your organisation's management system, product, or service, satisfies the requirements of an applicable national or international standard.
There are a number of international standards a company can be certified to. For example:
- Quality management systems (ISO 9001)
- Environmental management systems (ISO 14001)
- OH&S management systems (ISO 45001)
Additionally, there are other management systems standards that cover a wide range of industry sectors including food, information security, forestry, and disability services.
For information on which standards PwC's Compliance Services can certify against, click here.
Why get certified?
Companies certify their business for a number of reasons; it may help keep track of their processes and procedures, or it may be because a client is demanding they have certification before they will trade with them.
More and more these days, companies are asking if their suppliers are certified as it provides assurance that the company they are dealing with is under control, and undergoes regular independent, third-party assessment.
For many organisations, the additional credibility of their systems helps with their own reputation in ther market by being certified to globally recognised standards.
What standards can I get certified to?
There are numerous standards available that a company can be certified to.
An example of some of the standards offered by PwC's Compliance Services are:
- ISO 9001 (Quality management systems);
- ISO 14001 (Environmental management systems);
- ISO 45001 (H&S management systems);
- ISO 27001 (Information security management systems);
- TAPA (Transport Asset Protection Assurance),
- ISO 22000 (Food safety management systems); and
- Safe Quality Food (SQF) for food safety.
What is a certification body (CB)?
A certification body is an organisation, like PwC's Compliance Services, who is accredited as a Conformity Assessment Body (CAB) by an Accreditation Body. The most commonly used Accreditation Body in Australia and New Zealand is the Joint Accreditation System of Australia and New Zealand (JAS-ANZ).
Certification bodies are subject to audits by Accreditation Bodies (such as JAS-ANZ) to ensure they are operating within their documented policies and procedures, as well as the international certification auditing requirements.
Who controls the certification bodies in Australia?
The Joint Accreditation System of Australia and New Zealand (JAS-ANZ) provide internationally recognised accreditation to certification bodies such as PwC's Compliance Services and other Conformity Assessment Bodies (CABs) and ensures they are complying with standard owner requirements and conducting audits in line with mandated criteria.
Joint Accreditation System of Australia and New Zealand (JAS-ANZ) is a member of the International Accreditation Forum (IAF).
For more information about JAS-ANZ, head to their website at www.jas-anz.org/
Who is JAS-ANZ?
This acronym stands for the Joint Accreditation System of Australia and New Zealand.
JAS-ANZ accredits organisations like PwC's Compliance Services so we can conduct audits and issue certificates on companies.
JAS-ANZ does not certify or inspect organisations, products or people; rather, they accredit the certification bodies that do.
For more information about JAS-ANZ, head to their website at www.jas-anz.org/
Is my certification recognised outside of Australia?
Yes, JAS-ANZ is recognised globally as an accreditation body for Australia and New Zealand and is a member of the International Accreditation Forum (IAF).
Additionally, many standards against which you can be certified to are published by ISO, the International Organization for Standardization.
As part of the PwC network, certificates issued by PwC's Compliance Services will be reconised globally as well.
Do companies require certification?
Generally, certification is not compulsory.
Companies make the decision to be certified for a number of reasons. For example, they may be trying to supply a customer who requires them to be certified, or they may want a system in place to ensure all business activities carried out are consistent, and that this is verified by an independent third party audit.
Does certification to an OHS standard mean I meet legal requirements?
No. There is an abundance of legislation relating to a company's responsibilities to, example Work Health & Safety/ Occupational Health & Safety (WHS/OH&S).
When building an WHS/OH&S management system, you are building a system to the requirements of (in this case) ISO 45001. This standard has a number of elements documented to build your system around so that the end result is you are managing your OH&S risks.
However, as part of that overall system, legislative requirements are sure to be referenced.
Who should get certified?
Any business can potentially get certified, provided they maintain a management system aligned to the relevant Standard(s), and are able to provide consistent and reliable evidence to demonstrate this.
What happens when my company becomes certified?
Once you become certified, you will be issued a certificate demonstrating your compliance to the standard and the scope covered by that certificate. Your organisation will be added to (eg. JAS-ANZ register) list of certified organisations to show potential customers you hold certification.
Generally your certification is a three year cycle and subject to ongoing surveillance audits within the next 6 or 12 months.
The certification period for most food standards is dependent on audit score; SQF audits are typically conducted annually however in the event that the site scores a 'C', a 6 monthly surveillance audit is required.
