Accreditation literally means: giving confidence. We want to be able to blindly trust that the quality of products and services is correct. We want to know that the results of blood tests are correct, that meat does not contain too many bacteria, that escalators are safe to use, that electronics engineers are acting professionally. All of this is only possible when certificates and reports substantiate what is being claimed.
The NBE assesses conformity-assessment bodies: laboratories, inspection bodies, certification bodies and verification bodies – organisations which, in turn, assess the products and services of suppliers in every imaginable field of work: health, environment, construction, energy, food, transport, finance and many more. If a conformity-assessment body meets the specified standards it is issued with an accreditation mark. We distinguish between various disciplines in this process:
• Calibration laboratories
• Test laboratories
• Medical laboratories
• Proficiency testing organisers
• Producers of reference materials
• Inspection bodies
• Product certification bodies
• Natural product certification bodies
• Management system certification bodies
• Personnel certification bodies
• Greenhouse gas verification & validation bodies
You can find it in the NBE website menu section.
A certifying body assesses managementsystem or the products or services of a supplier. In the event of a positive outcome the supplier receives a statement of conformity in the form of a certificate or report. An accreditation body assesses the expertise, impartiality and independence of certifying bodies and of other confomity assessment bodies.
Product certification is about assessing a product, service or process. Management system certification is about assessing an organisation's management system. In the latter case there is therefore no statement about whether the products, services and processes of an organisation meet the specified requirements.
If an organisation no longer meets the accreditation requirements temporarily the accreditation is suspended on the request of the organisation (voluntarily) or by the NBE (imposed). In that case the organisation may no longer use the accreditation mark and may not make any other reference to the accredited status.
If an organisation no longer meets the accreditation requirements and cannot solve the problem within the specified timeframe, the accreditation is withdrawn by the NBE (imposed). The organisation can also ask the NBE to withdraw the accreditation (voluntarily). When the accreditation is withdrawn, the organisation may no longer use the accreditation mark and may not make any other reference to the accredited status.
You can select the required of programmatic area - accreditation programs page.
An accreditation application is submitted using the application form.
Different types of audit can be used to establish whether an accreditation can be granted.
You can find it in Publications-Accreditation Documents section.
You need to submit an application form for an accreditation application for the same standard.
An accreditation application for a new standard is handled in the same way as an application for a new accreditation.
The Accreditation programs page-accreditation criteria describes the steps in an extenstion assessment.
The NBE recognises 2 types of complaints: complaints about the work of the NBE and reports about the work of bodies accredited by the NBE. As a rule, reports are only handled after a complaint has first been submitted to the relevant body. In that way an body is given the opportunity of resolving any problems itself. Further information can be found in compliant prosedure (Publications-Accreditation Documents Section).
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