Certification Rules.

CL. 01The basis of certification

Certification is a contract with defined obligations on both sides. Before any audit is planned, the requested scope is reviewed, the audit time is calculated to published international rules, and the client agrees in writing to the rules of certification.

These rules apply to new certifications, transfers from other certification bodies, additional standards, scope changes and recertifications.

CL. 02Application and review

The applicant provides the information the certification file is built on: legal entity details, contacts, the requested scope with products, services and sites, organisational structure, current certification status, and relevant approvals held.

Every application is reviewed before quotation: completeness of the information, whether the requested scope falls within QSI accreditation, legal entity status, independence and conflict of interest screening, and multi-site structure where relevant.

QSI may decline an application, for example where the scope falls outside accreditation, a conflict of interest exists, required information is withheld, or resources cannot support timely audit scheduling. A declined applicant receives the reason in writing, including whether the rejection is permanent or temporary.

CL. 03Audit time and quotation

Audit duration is not negotiable against price. Man-days are calculated per ISO/IEC 17021-1 and the applicable IAF mandatory documents for single-site, multi-site and integrated audits, adjusted for documented complexity factors such as number of sites, process and product complexity, design responsibility, regulatory exposure and management system maturity.

The quotation states the estimated audit time, the audit schedule including Stage 1 and Stage 2, the fee derived from the audit time, travel and expenses where applicable, payment terms, and the period for which the quotation stands.

CL. 04The contract

Certification proceeds on an executed contract set.

• A client agreement confirming intent to proceed, scope, standards, fees and schedule.
• Standard terms and conditions covering payment, cancellation, confidentiality, liability limits and dispute resolution.
• The rules of certification for the applicable scheme, including impartiality, certificate validity, surveillance requirements and scope changes.
• The accepted quotation.

Contract changes, such as a scope change, an additional site or an additional standard, are processed through a formal amendment: the impact on scope, audit time and fees is assessed, a revised quotation is issued where needed, and the amendment is executed before it takes effect.

CL. 05Client obligations

A certified client, and an applicant during certification, must:

• Provide accurate and complete information at application and keep it current.
• Give the audit team access to the facilities, documents, records and personnel within the certified scope.
• Submit a corrective action plan for major nonconformities, typically within 30 days, with root cause analysis, proportionate corrective actions, a realistic implementation timeline, assigned responsibility and a method of verifying effectiveness.
• Allow scheduled surveillance audits to proceed at the agreed date and time.
• Meet the financial obligations of the certification contract.
• Use certification claims and marks correctly, within the certified scope only.
• Report changes that affect certification, as set out in clause 8.

CL. 06Independent review and decision

Every audit file passes through review that is independent of the team that produced it. An administrative review confirms the report is complete and signed. A technical reviewer, independent of the audit team, then assesses whether each finding is supported by objective evidence, correctly referenced to the standard and correctly categorised.

The Certification Committee makes the decision on the reviewed file. The decision maker was not part of the audit team, and the decision is documented with its justification.

CL. 07The certificate

The certificate identifies the certified legal entity, the exact scope with standards and locations, a unique certificate number, issue and expiry dates, and the accreditation reference where applicable. It is valid for three years, subject to successful surveillance and continued conformity.

Certificates are produced on secure stock with unique, traceable serial numbers. Every certificate is recorded in the certificate register, which tracks its status through its life: active, suspended, withdrawn or expired.

A decision to refuse, suspend or withdraw certification carries the right of appeal under the complaints and appeals process.

CL. 08Changes during the certificate life

During the validity period, changes to the certified organisation are handled through defined routes.

CL. 09Transfers, renewal and expiry

A valid certification held with another accredited certification body can transfer to QSI. The previous body’s audit report and current certificate are reviewed, the audit activity required is determined by their recency and scope alignment, and the transfer is accepted by certification decision before a QSI certificate is issued.

Recertification is a full audit completed before the expiry date. If no recertification decision has been made by expiry, the certificate expires, the register is updated and the organisation is notified. Re-establishing certification after expiry requires a full recertification audit.