The world of Product Certification is currently facing significant challenges. One topic of debate is whether accredited schemes should comply with ISO/IEC 17065 or ISO/IEC 17020, with current schemes from different certification bodies following different routes.
Manufacturers are interested in obtaining product certification to demonstrate their product’s performance, to provide reassurance to specifiers and end users. However, in the current landscape they should pay close attention to the details of the certification scheme they are considering using for their products. ISO 17065 requires assessment of a product against a publicly available, well-defined set of criteria (classified as pass/fail). This means that a product’s performance can be described without any ambiguity. Product certification with an ISO 17065 accredited scheme is therefore consistent, impartial, and transparent to the manufacturer. Unlike ISO 17065, the alternative ISO 17020 is founded on the principles of professional competency and judgement of the assessor, rather than pre-defined and consistently applied criteria. This means that different certificates from the same ISO 17020 accredited scheme may not be directly comparable, as different products may have been assessed against different criteria. SCI emphasizes the importance of applying transparent and consistent criteria to assess products so they can be readily compared and verified for their intended end use.
SCI is a UKAS accredited certification body No. 10414. SCI’s product certification system is accredited in accordance with ISO/IEC 17065:2012, and has been developed in close collaboration with manufacturers, clients, designers, regulators, and warranty providers including NHBC.
If you would like to discover how SCI Product Certification can benefit you, visit: scicerts.com or contact: certification@steel-sci.com / +44 (0) 1344 636501