EuroWire May 2023

Corporate News

Benefits of BASEC certification and accreditation Product and management system third party approvals in relation to cable products are established in the market, and their credibility is underpinned by an international system of governance. The International Accreditation Forum (IAF) is at the forefront of this system through its work as a worldwide association of accreditation bodies (ABs) whose primary function is to develop a single worldwide programme of conformity assessment. Certificates issued by non-accredited organisations are dependent solely on the standing and credibility of the issuer and might not be accepted by the end user. Manufacturers require system approval as part of their product approvals, and the starting point is a management system conforming to ISO 9001:15. If this system has been certified by a non-accredited CB, BASEC cannot issue its product approval certificates.

ISO is not part of the governance process: it writes the standards but does not govern how they are utilised. Users of certification services are advised to choose a certification body (CB) accredited by an IAF member. When selecting a CB, consideration should be given to its recognition in particular sectors; the knowledge and experience of its staff; and its overall level of service. For organisations operating in the cable sector, BASEC (British Approvals Service for Cables) not only has the expertise to test, audit and certify cables, but also has the credibility and accreditations to provide a one-stop solution for accessing international markets. The initial and ongoing assessments to gaining BASEC certification are stringent, providing assurance to end users that the cable products and quality manage- ment processes maintain compliance.

Kieran O’Brien, certification and com- pliance director at BASEC, commented, “In the case where a non-accredited CB has been used to gain ISO 9001:15, BASEC would treat the system as not certified. A full management system audit would be required from scratch, adding to the costs of product approvals.” As an expert in the cable testing and certification sector, BASEC provides certification to ISO 9001, continuously auditing cable manufacturers and stockists, and can undertake this in parallel with its PCR audits. Certification to ISO 14001 and 45001 with additional benefits for those who have implemented integrated management systems are also available.

This system ensures the consistency of approach, reducing risk for businesses and their customers by assuring them that accredited certificates and validation and verification statements may be relied upon.

BASEC Group Ltd www.basec.org.uk

The international accreditation conformity system

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May 2023