Technical field
Product certification
Product certification evaluates whether a product, process or service meets the requirements of a scheme, and decides whether certification should be granted. The scheme, not a general impression of quality, defines the question.
ISO/IEC 17065
ISO/IEC 17065 specifies requirements for bodies certifying products, processes and services. The accreditation scope identifies the schemes and the categories covered. Without the scheme, a claim of product certification cannot be interpreted.
Evaluation may include testing, inspection, design appraisal or audit of a production process, according to the scheme. The certification body remains responsible for the decision, including when it uses results from other bodies. Those other bodies need to be competent for the work they are given.
Impartiality requires that the decision to certify is not controlled by the designer, manufacturer or supplier of the product, except as the standard itself permits and controls.
A product certificate relates to the scheme and to the product or family named. It is not an accreditation, and it is not evidence for a different scheme. Regulatory marks that arise under European product law are a separate matter. This site does not confer them and does not describe AKZERT as a notifying authority.
Matters ordinarily examined
- The scheme and the product category are identified.
- Evaluation activities match what the scheme requires.
- Results taken from testing or inspection bodies are used under controlled arrangements.
- The certification decision is impartial and recorded.
- Surveillance, where the scheme requires it, is defined and carried out.
Questions
Is product certification the same as CE marking?
CE marking is a manufacturer’s declaration under specified European product legislation, sometimes involving a notified body. Product certification under ISO/IEC 17065 is a conformity assessment activity against a scheme. The two can coincide only where the law and the scheme say so. AKZERT does not, on this website, claim the status of a notifying authority.
Who issues the product certificate?
The certification body issues it. An accreditation body, where one is involved, attests the certification body’s competence for the scheme. The accreditation body does not certify the product.