1. Accreditation of Inspection Bodies - A tool for national infrastructure development
APLAC General Assembly
Monday, June 15, 2015
Colombo, Sri Lanka
Raj Nathan
Senior Vice President
International Accreditation Service, Inc.
USA

2. Introduction Presentation Overview
Accreditation and Inspections under ISO
ISO/IEC and worldwide standardization
Benefits of accredited inspection services to national infrastructures
ISO/IEC International Standard: Conformity assessment – Requirements for the operation of various types of bodies performing inspection.
ISO: International Organization for Standardization
IEC: International Electrotechnical Commission
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3. Terminology – Accreditation and Inspection
Accreditation: Third-party attestation related to a conformity assessment body conveying formal demonstration of its competence to carry out specific conformity assessment tasks.
Inspection bodies carry out assessments to provide information about the conformity of inspected items with regulations, standards, specifications, inspection schemes or contracts. Inspection parameters include matters of quantity, quality, safety, fitness for purpose, and continued safety compliance of installations or systems in operation.
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4. What is conformity assessment?
Conformity assessment involves a set of processes that show your product, service or system meets the requirements of a standard
Undergoing the conformity assessment process has a number of benefits:
It provides consumers and other stakeholders with added confidence
It gives an organization a competitive edge
It helps regulators ensure that health, safety and/or environmental conditions are met
The main forms of conformity assessment are testing, certification, and inspection
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5. What is inspection?
Examination of a product design, product service, process or plant/installation and determination of their conformity with specific requirements or general requirements (based on professional judgement)
Critical difference from testing – conformity based on professional judgement
Note 1: Inspection of processes includes personnel, facilities, technology and methodology
Note 2: The results of inspection may be used to support certification
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6. What is done during an inspection?
Inspection involves examinations by competent personnel using techniques such as:
Visual examination
Visual comparison with standards
Dimensional checks
Examination using gauges and instruments
Verification that production complies with approved quality assurance and safety requirements
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7. Inspection-Testing- Product Certification
An inspection body is accredited to ISO/IEC and a testing laboratory to ISO/IEC 17025
The decision as to which of these two standards are to be applied is at the discretion of the accreditation body and/or the Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ)
The definition of inspection overlaps with that of testing and product certification where these activities have common characteristics. However, an important difference is that many types of inspection involve professional judgement to determine acceptability against general requirements. This will have to be considered when defining competence requirements and inspection methodology
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8. Inspection Body- Scope of Certification
Field (category) of inspection should be product design, products (specified as materials or equipment), installations, plant, premises, services and surveys
Type and range of Inspection should be in-service inspection or inspection of new products
Inspection methods and procedures should be Code ,Rule, Regulation, Standard, Specifications, expert knowledge, case studies, white paper, International publications, checklists etc. as applicable and will be a part of accreditation certificate.
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9. What does inspection body accreditation accomplish for regulators?
Accreditation provides assurance that the inspection body is capable of producing results that can be relied upon by government to meet their regulatory and legislative responsibilities.
Independent (third party) attestation that is based on an internationally recognized standard.
Eliminates the need for duplicate inspections in each country (international trade)
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10. What does inspection body accreditation accomplish for regulators?
Reduction in the need for central and local government to employ their own specialist assessment personnel.
Accreditation provides the assurance for government to rely on commercial providers of evaluation and inspection services
The use of accredited services in a sector can reduce the need for legislation
Accreditation provides an alternative means of ensuring the reliability of activities that have the potential to impact on public confidence, health and safety or the environment.
Using accreditation also reduces the risk of duplication, thus contributing to the drive for open and efficient government
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11. What does accreditation accomplish for the private-sector?
Accreditation provides assurance that the inspection body is competent to provide an objective, confidential, and competent assessment of the conformity of inspected items with specifications which are defined by the client.
Eliminates bias through an external/objective assessment to standards of ISO/IEC
Accredited Inspection may be helpful for global marketing through international trade agreements
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12. What does accreditation accomplish for the private-sector?
Enhancing business efficiency
Business innovates to meet standards in efficient and cost-effective ways
Accreditation allows for a rapid response to new issues and priorities by swiftly adapting existing regimes already used by business to suit new circumstances
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13. Risks associated with not using accredited process
Product failure as result of relying on invalid inspection and/or test results
Increased costs caused by inaccurate measurement (as a consequence of poorly calibrated equipment)
Legal action arising from inadequately inspected equipment resulting in accidents
Rejected tenders and orders by not being able to support products claims with accredited inspection, test or certification report
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14. Accreditation = Quality = Competence
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15. Global Trade – What are the Issues?
Products and services need to cross borders to meet global demand, without causing undue risk to the health and security of individuals or the environment
Regulations on trade should not be prohibitively costly or burdensome to businesses, and not create technical barriers to either domestic markets or to export opportunities
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16. Global Trade Agreements
Often reference or require accredited inspections under ISO/IEC 17020
Encourage international recognition of quality, removing requirements for separate testing and inspection of products in each country.
“One Test, One Inspection, One Certification Worldwide”
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17. National Benefits – Global Trade
Greater Ability to Compete Globally
ISO/IEC is cited in most global trade agreements
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18. Enhance the operational efficiency of businesses
Other Benefits….
Enhance the operational efficiency of businesses
Risk management, decision-making
Promotes consumer confidence in imports from other countries
Demonstrates due-diligence in the event of legal action
Enhanced protection of the public’s health, welfare and safety!
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19. United States – Inspections and Accreditation
A variety of regulators have specified inspection body accreditation requirements to meet either local, regional or national needs
California Air Resource Board (CARB) requirements for monitoring of formaldehyde emissions
Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ) for local construction inspections under the Building Code regulations
Manufactured Housing and Recreational Vehicle Industry – state, national and local requirements
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20. United States – Inspections and Accreditation
Product Certification Agencies, such as, ICC ES, CSA, UL, ITS, etc. requiring inspections under ISO/IEC 17020
Steel and Concrete Fabrications under accredited inspection programs
Fastener Industry requirements under inspection accreditation
Wind and Solar industry associations and inspection specification under ISO/IEC 17020
Consumer toys under inspection scrutiny
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21. United States – Inspections Methods and Standards
ASTM standards specifying inspection requirements for various materials and products
UL, CSA, FM, etc. standards providing technical requirements for inspections in electrical, fire-related assemblies, construction materials. etc.
ICC ES Acceptance Criteria stipulating inspection frequency and sampling measures under ISO/IEC 17020
ICC – International Building Codes and family of I-codes – providing prescriptive language on third party inspections and technical requirements
EPA requirements for Energy Star compliance and inspection needs for product certification
City of Miami-Dade County requirements for Wind-related disaster mitigation – inspection and sampling requirements
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22. International Accreditation Service, Inc.
Raj Nathan
Senior Vice President
International Accreditation Service, Inc.
3060 Saturn Street, Suite 100
Brea, California USA
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