Achieving certification for international or ISO standards such as ISO 14001 (environmental), ISO 45001 (occupational health & safety), or ISO 9001 (quality) can significantly benefit many organizations.
In recent years, there have been increasing instances where businesses have invested in and undergone processes to achieve certification, believing they have succeeded, only to discover they were working with a non-UKAS organization. Consequently, the ‘certification’ they received is effectively useless.
What Is UKAS?
The United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) is a government-appointed agency authorized to assess the competence and capability of organizations providing certification, testing, inspection, and calibration services against internationally agreed standards.
Achieving UKAS accreditation is a lengthy and challenging process for certification bodies, requiring comprehensive reviews that evaluate and assess everything from policies, procedures, and management to competence testing.
The UKAS ‘crown and tick’ symbol signifies that a company has met this gold standard of ISO certification and clearly demonstrates the certification body’s ability, competence, and integrity.
UKAS Versus Non-UKAS
Many certification bodies are ‘non-accredited,’ meaning they have not been accredited by UKAS. While anyone can issue an ‘ISO Certificate,’ only certification bodies accredited by UKAS can award the ‘crown and tick,’ having been independently assessed and approved by UKAS.
Simply put, would you choose to be represented by a lawyer who self-certified their practice? The answer is, of course, no, and this should be the same answer regarding working with non-UKAS accredited certification bodies.
UKAS is the UK’s only government-appointed accreditation body, meaning that in many tendering situations, UKAS accredited certification is often required as a standard to ensure that an ISO management system certification is internationally recognized.
Unfortunately, many small businesses are misled into believing they have been certified only to find out their certification is not recognized. This means their certificate is unregulated, carries little to no weight, and often does not demonstrate compliance with the objective ISO standard.
Some organizations proceed with non-accredited companies, hoping to save money, unaware of the full scope or difference between UKAS accredited and non-accredited bodies.
Non-regulated certification bodies often have inconsistent quality approaches, ranging from fairly competent with acceptable service levels to ‘certificate mills’ where companies are not properly checked or audited. Despite their impressive claims, a non-UKAS accredited body is a gamble. Even if they are ‘quite good,’ the time, effort, and money spent can ultimately be wasted.
The Benefits of Choosing a Certified ISO System
While the lower upfront costs of non-UKAS certification may be tempting, especially for small and medium-sized businesses, the ‘savings’ can often result in wasted money. There are several benefits to choosing a UKAS accredited certification organization, including:
- Profitability: Organizations with UKAS certification can clearly demonstrate their commitment to meeting international quality standards, leading to quicker growth, higher profitability, and the ability to charge more for UKAS-backed services.
- Impartiality: UKAS prohibits assessment organizations from receiving accreditation if they also provide consultancy services, preventing them from ‘marking their own work.’ Non-UKAS certification providers are not held to these standards and often include consultation as a key part of their service, creating a significant conflict of interest.
- Tendering: Internationally recognized certification demonstrates that a business conforms to the highest standards, greatly increasing success chances when tendering. Companies are often excluded from tendering processes because of the risks associated with non-UKAS bodies.
In summary, if you want the assurance that your ISO 9001 certification or other chosen standard will be recognized and your investment worthwhile, always choose a UKAS accredited Certification Body. When in doubt, check the UKAS website.