1. Introduction
Certification of a management system is not a statement by the certification body guaranteeing that the product or services actually meet specified requirements. Certification does not imply a view on the specification of a product or service. It does not guarantee a good product or service.
LiberoAssurance is a privately owned independent (third party) organization
2. Scope
LiberoAssurance undertakes the audit, evaluation and certification of management systems operated by companies to the respective management system standards applied for. The client must agree to supply all necessary information to LiberoAssurance
3. Personnel
LiberoAssurance undertakes to provide suitably qualified personnel for all audit and surveillance work by using own staff or suitable qualified subcontractors. All members of LiberoAssurance (full-time employees or sub-contractors) are required to sign confidentiality agreements concerned with all confidential information to which they may be exposed at client premises.
The client has right to object to any auditor if he perceives conflict to his interest. He can raise his objection to Director Operations, who shall review the potential impartiality threat and take necessary actions; however the change cannot be guaranteed.
4. Certification Contract
On receiving a completed application, LiberoAssurance will prepare a contract detailing audit cost, terms, conditions and requirements. On acceptance of this contract, the client will sign the contract and forward it with the advance cheque to LiberoAssurance. The project will then be allocated by the Director Operations to a suitable audit team who will then carry out the audit in line with LiberoAssurance’s procedures.
5. Audit Methodology
- The first stage of the audit as carried out by LiberoAssurance is to carry out Stage 1 audit, a review of the client’s documentation with respect to the appropriate standard(s). This is to be performed onsite at the client’s premises in conjunction with the client’s management representative.
- On satisfying the auditor on the compliance of the documentation and site requirements (if applicable), a report is produced and Stage 2 audit date is agreed and an audit is carried out by the auditor(s). If further visits are required due to non-compliances found, these will be undertaken and extra charge will be incurred by the client. The on-site audit is carried out using client manuals and procedures and by interviewing relevant members of staff regarding their working practices.
- After certification, if the client changes anything which significantly affects the registration, then LiberoAssurance must be informed. LiberoAssurance reserves the right to re-audit if necessary.
- Triennial / Renewal audit is required by LiberoAssurance All non-conformances if any has to be closed prior to Triennial / Renewal certification
6. Certification
On completion of the on-site audit the Lead Auditor reports to the Director Operations. On receiving a report stating that the client’s management system meets the requirements of the relevant Standards and approval by Certification Committee, the certificate is issued. The certificate remains the property of LiberoAssurance and is valid for three years, provided the client maintains the management system to the required standard, the certificate is valid for three years. Triennial / Renewal audit is to be carried out at least three months prior to the expiry of the certificate at extra cost.
7. Surveillance
After the issue of a certificate, to maintain annual registration, surveillance visits will be carried out at the client’s premises (announced visits) at least once per year. If areas of concern are identified, more visits may be carried out at the discretion of LiberoAssurance. The client agrees to meet the extra costs relating to such increased surveillance. Any changes to scope, products or manufacturing processes must be communicated to LiberoAssurance.
The First Surveillance Audit needs to be conducted within twelve months from the date of Stage 02 / Certification / Renewal Audit. Failure to comply with this will lead to certificate withdrawal and client deregistration.
8. Extension to the scope of registration
Extension to the scope of registration is being done the same way as the initial audit, indicating the increased scope of registration being required. Audit will be carried out in the areas not previously audited. If successful, a new certificate indicating the new full scope will be issued by LiberoAssurance. There will be a charge for extensions to scope and re-issue of the certificates.
9. Short Notice Audits
LiberoAssurance may when necessary conduct short notice audits to investigate complaints, in response to changes or as a follow up to suspended clients.
10. Reduction in scope of Certificates issued
LiberoAssurance shall, wherever applicable, reduce the scope of certification if during the time of routine surveillance audits / Re approval or Renewal audits it finds that the certified client has continually / seriously failed to meet the certification requirements for those parts of the scope of certification. The reduction in scope will be approved by the Chairman of Certification Committee.
11. Publicity
Once a certificate has been issued, the client has the right to publish the fact. The relevant logos can be used on marketing material but only to the audited scope of registration and the relevant standard. All conditions of the Logo Rules will need to be followed.
12. Certificate Misuse
LiberoAssurance will take all reasonable precautions to see that there is no misuse of their certificate in client advertising etc. The client undertakes to use certification marks as appropriate to its certified scope of registration and relevant Standards. LiberoAssurance Certification Mark will be delivered to the certified company electronically. LiberoAssurance name and Certification Mark are trademarks of LiberoAssurance. We reserve the right to require that you remove them from your site and discontinue use of them should it be determined there is a breach of any conditions laid out in these Terms. Divisions, parents, subsidiaries, sister companies and other affiliated companies are not permitted to use the LiberoAssurance Certification Mark unless they have individually received certification by LiberoAssurance. Detailed use of LiberoAssurance Marks is described in the organizations Quality Manual though Quality Procedure QP12.
13. Appeals Procedure
If for any reason a client is not in agreement with the Lead Auditor’s verdict after an audit, re-audit or a surveillance visit, including suspension or withdrawal of a certificate, he/she is at liberty to lodge an appeal with the Managing Director of LiberoAssurance through mail or website. All appeals will be held in the presence of an Appeal committee. The committee will hear evidence from the client’s representative and the relevant Lead Auditor. The decision of the committee is final and binding on both the client and LiberoAssurance. No counter claims will be allowed by either party. No costs, for whatever reason, will be allowed for either party as a result of an appeal. Expenses of the Appeal will be met in full by the party who has the decision against them.
14. Complaints against LiberoAssurance personnel
If a client has a complaint regarding any employee of LiberoAssurance, this should be sent through mail or website to the Managing Director of LiberoAssurance at the Head Office address. If the complaint involves the Managing Director then the complaint is to be addressed to the Board of Directors of LiberoAssurance. The complaint shall be managed as per LiberoAssurance’s defined complaint handling process.
15. Complaints against LiberoAssurance certified clients
If any interested party has a complaint against LiberoAssurance certified client, this should be sent through mail or website to the Managing Director of LiberoAssurance Ltd. at the Head Office address. The complaint shall be handled as per LiberoAssurance’s defined complaint handling process.
16. Liability
Neither LiberoAssurance nor any of its employees or agents warrants the accuracy of any audit, review, information, certification, service or advice supplied. Except as stated in this document, neither LiberoAssurance nor any of its employees or agents shall be liable for any loss, expense or damage however so sustained by any company, client or person due to any act whatsoever taken by LiberoAssurance or its employees or agents, save to the extent that any attempted exclusion or liability would be contrary to law.
17. Accreditation body witnessed audits
It is a condition of the rules of registration that all LiberoAssurance certificated clients should, if requested, allow, accreditation body assessors to visit the client premises / witness LiberoAssurance staff carrying out their audits.
LiberoAssurance also has allowed unannounced assessments of its office, certified clients and related entities by accreditation body assessors for the following reasons:complaints, pattern of nonconformance, regulatory requests, fraudulent activity unethical behavior, misuse of logo etc.
Failure to allow this could jeopardize the client’s registration
18. Information collected
During the application process, LiberoAssurance gathers from an authorised representative of the client the following information (as a minimum):
- The desired scope of the certification
- The general features of the applicant organisation, including its name and address (es) of its physical location(s), significant aspects of its processes and operations, and any relevant legal obligations.
General information, relevant to certification activities applied for, concerning the applicant organisation, such as its activities, human and technical resources, functions and relationship in a larger corporation