United Kingdom Accreditation Service - UKAS News
UKAS has welcomed the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) as its most recent Member. As a company limited by guarantee, UKAS does not have shareholders and is governed by its Members. UKAS Members There are 21 UKAS Members, including the SMMT, who are drawn from government, business, professional institutes, and customer groups, all with an interest in accreditation. Other UKAS Members include the Confederation of British Industry, the Association for Innovation, Research and T...
UKAS is excited to launch its eLearning portfolio, with 8 courses available to purchase in the first phase: Conformity Assessment Schemes (CAS) Setting the scene (or scheme) Ensuring the validity of results Identification, documentation, and management of risk Introduction to measurement uncertainty Introduction to metrological traceability Key components of a Quality Management System Measurement uncertainty Insights and pitfalls in ISO 15189 Medical laboratory's qual...
Having a robust supply chain is an essential element of modern business. Verifying that potential suppliers hold essential accredited certifications (such as ISO 9001 for quality management or ISO 14001 for environmental management) is a key part of building a reliable network. Many organizations in both the public and private sectors specify that prospective suppliers must hold UKAS-accredited certification. procurement best practice Independently checking the authenticity of each applicant&...
Fire safety and protection are more prevalent now than ever before. There is a huge push on competency and compliance for the installation and products in the fire industry in 2022, following tragic recent events such as Grenfell. Just like a plumber would need to showcase that they are competent to service a boiler, the demand for fire protection installers to show they are competent is essential. What is Passive fire protection (PFP)? Passive fire protection (PFP) is a crucial component of...
Congratulations to the Audiology team at Sheffield Children’s Hospital, who are the first physiology service in the UK to transition to the new Improving Quality in Physiological Services (IQIPS) 2020 standard. The IQIPS standard is managed and delivered by UKAS and covers eight Physiological Science disciplines. IQIPS standard v2 2020 Laura Booth, Senior Assessment Manager for IQIPS had the following to say on this achievement, "Following the recent commencement of the transition of ac...
The United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) has awarded the first accreditations under Renewable Energy Assurance Ltd (REAL)’s Compost Certification Scheme (CCS). Following the successful conclusion of a 12-month pilot assessment program, three certification bodies have been granted UKAS accreditation against both REAL’s CCS and the internationally recognized ISO/IEC 17065 product certification standard: Aardvark Certification Ltd NSF Certification Ltd Organic Farmers &...
UKAS is proud to be a gold event partner for the International Quality Awards, hosted by the Chartered Quality Institute. Quality Future Summit Taking place on Thursday, 23rd June, in London, this prestigious event is a great opportunity to celebrate the achievements of exceptional quality professionals from across the globe. The event has been enhanced through the addition of the Quality Future Summit, which will feature thought-provoking panel discussions with leading quality professionals....
On March 16th, Matt Gantley (UKAS CEO) and Dr. Adel Alkeaid (SAAC Executive Director) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to formalize the relationship between the two national Accreditation Bodies. This agreement fully acknowledges the expertise of each organization, enabling the sharing of knowledge and experience that will contribute to the quality of infrastructure in both nations. technical consultation and support UKAS and SAAC will work together to provide technical consultation...
On 10th March the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) and the Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) published guidance information for UK Conformity Assessment Bodies (CABs) intending to subcontract tasks, such as testing, certification, or inspection. This information is appropriate for: UK Approved Bodies UK Notified Bodies (for the Northern Ireland market) GB Appointed Bodies (for transportable pressure equipment) User Inspectorates Recognized Third...
As stakeholders in food safety may already be aware, an ISO Joint Working Group (JWG36) has been working on the revision of ISO/TS 22003 to become ISO 22003-1 (Requirements for bodies providing audit and certification of food safety management systems) and ISO 22003-2 (Requirements for bodies providing evaluation and certification of products, processes, and services, including an audit of the food safety system). ISO has recently announced that both standards shall proceed directly from the Dr...
The Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), has published a document on GOV.UK, which lists product categories currently covered by UK-registered Approved Bodies. Some product categories currently lack sufficient coverage by UK-registered Approved Bodies, so it is intended this list will help Conformity Assessment Bodies (CABs) consider expanding to fill these gaps in the UK market. UK CABs interested in registering to become an Approved Body can find guidance on the...
In the last couple of years, a number of new ISO management system standards have been published. To date, UKAS has received a few enquiries for accreditation to underpin the related certification activities. As they are new standards UKAS would need to undertake a development project to confirm the applicability of the standard and also to establish a robust and proportionate assessment approach. UKAS is reviewing its current development projects and wants to gauge the level of inte...
Paul Wilkinson, the Chairman of Independent Fire Engineering & Distributors Association (IFEDA), has commented on behalf of the trade association, in support of the BAFE (British Approvals for Fire Equipment) campaign – ‘Don’t Just Specify, Verify’. Paul Wilkinson stated, “IFEDA has witnessed that there are companies operating across the industry claiming to have, for example, fire alarm expertise with over 20 years of experience. When checked, however, you fin...
All UKAS certificates of accreditation for ISO 15189 Medical Laboratories are being updated following the November 2021 issue of a revised Joint IAF-ILAC-ISO Communiqué on the Management system requirements of ISO 15189, as the current certificates refer to the January 2015 issue of the communiqué. Requirements of ISO 15189 Statements for use on test, study, calibration, and check reports/certificates have also been revised The communiqué states: "A medical laborator...
UKAS and the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) would like to invite certification bodies to express an interest in joining a pilot program to become accredited to certify against the UK Digital Identity and Attributes Trust Framework. The trust framework is a set of rules for providers of digital identity and attribute services to meet in order to demonstrate they meet requirements for secure, trustworthy services. This program presents an excellent opportunity for certifi...
UKAS is the National Accreditation Body for the United Kingdom. UKAS is appointed by the Government, to assess and accredit organizations that provide a variety of services including certification, testing, inspection, and calibration based on compliance with international standards and demonstration through objective evidence of competency and impartiality in the performance of defined activities. At the beginning of the pandemic reliable testing was quickly identified as a key component in th...
In December 2021, following an agreement at its November General Assembly, the European co-operation for Accreditation (EA) published its revised Articles of Association and associated Rules of Procedure (EA-1/17). This is the culmination of months of discussions regarding the EA membership criteria, with revision allowing UKAS to retain its membership status. This status was previously at risk following the UK’s exit from the EU and hence UKAS no longer met the EA membership criteria tha...
UKAS is proud to announce that four of the UKAS Training Academy courses have been certified by the CPD Certification Service, as conforming to continual professional development principles. These courses are: Proficiency Testing ISO/IEC 17043:2010 Awareness Holistic Quality Management for the Healthcare Sector Internal Audit for Healthcare Point of Care Testing (PoCT) Awareness ISO 22870:2016 requirements of the assessment The UKAS Commercial Team and supporting trainers have worked...
Between July 2018 and June 2021, UKAS’ measurement uncertainty technical focus, Dr. John Greenwood has worked with a consortium of other experts from several European National Metrology Institutes, designated institutes, an industrial company (Rolls-Royce), the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), an Asian NMI (AIST) and another accreditation body (Accredia), in order to produce a compendium of worked uncertainty examples. This project, 17NRM05 “Examples of Measurement Uncertainty Evalu...
UKAS is delighted to announce that following the passing of a Resolution at the European Cooperation for Accreditation (EA) General Assembly on 25th November 2021, UKAS’s continued membership of EA has been assured. UKAS’s membership of EA, the association of national accreditation bodies for the European region, had been under review following the UK’s withdrawal from the EU in 2020. The EA and UKAS were keen that UKAS remained a member and the Articles of Association ha...
UKAS is pleased to announce the accreditation of the following as Conformity Assessment Bodies under ISO/IEC 17065:2012: AARDVARK CERTIFICATION LTD NSF Certification UK Limited Organic Farmers & Growers CIC The accreditations follow the successful completion of the associated pilot program and of their assessment against ISO/IEC 17065:2012 and the REAL Compost Certification Scheme (v9) having demonstrated that all requirements for accreditation have been met.
BAFE continues to stress the importance of verifying appropriate UKAS-accredited third-party certification with growing industry support. 'Don’t just Specify, Verify' campaign As the nation moves towards stronger responsibility and accountability for fire safety measures, the BAFE Fire Safety Register reiterates their message on the significance of UKAS-accredited third-party certification. BAFE’s 'Don’t just Specify, Verify' campaign launched in March 2020 identifies the im...
In 2020, the Forensic Science Regulator set in place a timeline for Sexual Assault Referral Centers (SARCs) to achieve accreditation to ISO 15189:2012, by 1st October 2023. UKAS recognized that ISO 15189:2012 and the requirements for a management system was a new and unknown element for many SARCs and has worked with the FSR to develop an assisted application scheme (UAAS). UKAS application fee includes access to the UAAS The UAAS has been developed as a series of eLearning modules that guide...
The UKAS Academy Training Team continues to evolve with learners at the forefront of everything they do. A key objective of theirs is to ensure that they deliver valuable content to their customers to empower them to add value to their organizations and support them in the continuous improvement of their service. Over the coming year, they will be undertaking a three-part quality improvement project, designed to enhance their training programs and provide a delegate experience that is highly le...
The Government has confirmed that verification bodies for the UK ETS scheme do not need to be registered as a UK legal entity or have an office in the UK, but they shall need to hold the appropriate accreditation (ISO 14065) from the UK’s National Accreditation Body, i.e. UKAS. The UKAS assessment will take into account any relevant accreditation where this has been granted by a National Accreditation Body that is a signatory to the EA Multilateral Agreement (MLA) and, where such accredit...
The new UKAS publication GEN 6 - Reference to accreditation and multilateral recognition signatory status by UKAS accredited bodies, was issued on 1st November 2021. This applies to all types of Conformity Assessment Bodies (CABs) and sets out UKAS policy on references to accreditation and MLA signatory status, in line with European co-operation for Accreditation (EA) mandatory document EA-3/01 M. UKAS publication LAB 1 Reference to Accreditation for Laboratories has been withdrawn as requirem...
UKAS is pleased to announce that Technical Manager, Kevin Belson, has taken the position of Chair of the Technical Committee for the International Accreditation Forum. As well as congratulating Kevin on his appointment, they would like to extend good wishes to JAS-ANZ’s General Manager of Accreditation, Steve Keeling, who precedes Kevin in this role. Along with UKAS’ Accreditation Director, Lorraine Turner, who currently chairs the Inspection Committee of the International Labo...
UKAS is pleased to publish the Annual Report for the financial year of 2020/2021. In line with the new logo, symbols of accreditation and website, that were unveiled at the start of 2021, the Annual Report has also been updated to reflect the refreshed branding. Importance of accreditation The content of the report has also been expanded, containing a range of articles that highlight the importance of accreditation in its role of delivering confidence in the products and services t...
CIC has been welcomed by the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) as its newest and twentieth Member, following a positive vote at the UKAS AGM, which took place on 19 October 2021. certification, and inspection UKAS is the government-appointed sole National Accreditation Body, whose role is to provide oversight of testing, certification, and inspection organizations across the full spectrum of economic activity. UKAS is a not-for-profit, non-profit-distributing independent company ope...
The United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) has welcomed the Construction Industry Council (CIC) as its newest and twentieth Member, following a positive vote at the UKAS AGM. UKAS is the government-appointed sole National Accreditation Body, whose role is to provide oversight of testing, certification, and inspection organizations across the full spectrum of economic activity. Important link to the sectors UKAS is a not-for-profit, non-profit-distributing independent company operating un...
