CONTENTS:

1. Purpose

2. Scope

3. Related Documents

4. Terms and Definition

5. Procedure

5.1 Suspending and Withdrawing Certification

5.2 Extending or Reducing Scope of Certification

6. Standard Forms

1. Purpose:

To define the circumstances in which certification  may be suspended, withdrawn, extended or reduced and the procedures to be followed when such circumstances occur.

2. Scope:

This procedure applies to all QUACERT Certified Organisations 

3. Related Documents:

• Decision 398/QC-QD on Terms and Conditions of Management Systems Certification

• QM 07     Quality Manual, Management of Certification Process

• QP 09      Procedure for Handling Appeals

• QP 21      Procedure for Preparation for Assessment

• QP 22      Procedure for Conducting Assessment

• QP 23      Procedure for Approval of Certification

• QP 24      Procedure for Maintaining Certification

4. Terms and Conditions

• Nil

5. Procedure:

5.1  Suspending and Withdrawing Certification

5.1.1   QUACERT shall suspend certification in cases when: 

1. The client's certified management system has persistently or seriously failed to meet certification requirements, including requirements for the effectiveness of the management system;

2. The certified client does not allow surveillance or recertification audits to be conducted at the required frequencies; or 

3. The certified client voluntarily requests a suspension/withdrawal. 

Note: For OHS, information on incidents such as a serious accident, or a serious breach of regulation necessitating the involvement of the competent regulatory authority, provided by the certified client (see QP 24-Cl .5.1) or directly gathered by the audit team during the special audit, (QP 24-Cl .5.1) shall provide grounds for the Certification Body to decide on the actions to be taken, including a suspension or withdrawal of the certification, in cases where it can be demonstrated that the system seriously failed to meet the OH&S certification requirements. Such requirements shall be part of the contractual agreements between the CAB and the organization

The maximum period of suspension is 6 months.

QUACERT shall notify organization of the suspension and require corrective actions and corrections to be taken within a timeframe limit. 

Upon issuance of the suspension notice to the client, Technical Department sends information to IT, IT then shall remove the name of the suspended client from JAS-ANZ register and notify on the QUACERT website. 

At the end of suspension period, QUACERT shall review all appropriate evidences in order to reactivate the certification or withdraw certification if the organization failures to resolve the issues that have resulted in the suspension in a defined timeframe or take action as specified in 5.2.

If the certification is reactivated, the IT shall update the name of the client back to the JAS-ANZ register and remove its name from the notice on the QUACERT website.

If the certification is withdrawn, the IT shall move the name of the client from the list of suspended certificates to the list of withdrawn certificates on the QUACERT website.

5.1.2  QUACERT shall withdraw certification and cancel all agreements on using of Certification Documents and Certification Mark in following cases: 

1. As specified in 5.1.1;

2. Organization goes bankrupt; or

3. As required by organization.

5.1.3  The process for carrying out suspension and withdrawal activities is defined detailed in the Appendix 1, Appendix 2 and Appendix 3.

5.2  Extending or Reducing Scope of Certification

5.2.1 The scope of certification may be considered to be extended or reduced: 

1. when a certified client requests to do so; or

2. when a relevant recommendation has been made by a Audit Team Leader or Surveillance Coordinator during the surveillance audits or surveillance activities. Particularly, QUACERT shall reduce the client's scope of certification to exclude the parts not meeting the requirements, when the client has persistently or seriously failed to meet the certification requirements for those parts of the scope of certification.

5.2.2 The request or recommendation shall be evaluated by the Technical Committee to determine whether an assessment is necessary to confirm that the management system is effectively maintained within the extended or reduced scope. If needed, the audits will be conducted in accordance with the procedures QP 21, QP 22 and QP 23.