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Guardian Independent Certification Ltd (GIC) and Guardian Independent Certification Pte Ltd are private limited companiesaccredited by internationally recognised accreditation bodies ; financed through paid up shares, the shareholders being GIC Group Pte Ltd.
GIC scheme of certification provides independent third party assurance of an applicant's management system ability to produce and deliver goods and services to defined specifications.
GIC has the rights and responsibilities for its activities, including maintaining, extending, reducing, suspending, granting and withdrawing of certification.
GIC understands the importance of and is committed to impartiality in carrying out management system certification activities, by managing any conflict of interest and ensuring objectivity of assessment.
GIC will send an information pack to any enquirer, or this can be downloaded from the GIC website, www.gicg.co.uk. This pack will include a questionnaire, which must be completed and returned to GIC to enable the Certification Manager to prepare a quotation.
GIC service is unconditionally available to all applicants. GIC will only limit its service to applicants operating within a defined geographic region, or within the technical sector, or part of a sector, in which GIC has an accredited scope. GIC will not practise any form of discrimination such as delaying, speeding up or refusing applications. GIC will confine requirements, assessment and decision on certification to those matters specifically related to the scope of the certification being considered. Regardless of any circumstances, GIC will conduct audits with respect to GIC procedures and specified requirements without any special treatment or preferences. GIC will not give an impression, that for example, that certification would be easier if consultancy is taken from a GIC recommended consultant.
If the enquirer accepts the quotation they must complete the application for registration form and send this to GIC together with a cheque for the application fee and their management system documentation.
The applicant must have a management representative who is responsible for ensuring the management system meets the requirements of the relevant management system standard (eg ISO9001, ISO14001, ISO22000, OHSAS18001). This person will be the contact point between the applicant and GIC.
A qualified lead auditor is appointed to examine and report on the documentation. Where possible the same auditor carries out the physical assessment to ensure the system is implemented and meets the requirements of the relevant management system standard (eg ISO9001, ISO14001, ISO22000, OHSAS18001).
The client has the right to object to inclusion of any auditor put forward by GIC on the groinds of sompetency or possible conflict of interest.
The applicant will be invoiced accordingly. The assessment fee must be paid prior to the assessment.
The applicant must make all premises they wish detailed on the certificate available to the assessor together with any other relevant sites.
An applicant who satisfies the requirements of the scheme will be issued a GIC certificate. The certificate remains the property of Guardian Independent Certification
If a certificated organisation intends to discontinue their certification they must notify GIC in writing not less than two months before the due date of the next surveillance visit.
A certificated organization is entitled to use the GIC logo on condition that:
The logo must always be accompanied with the organisation's certificate number and must only be used in conjunction with the certificated organisation's name. The logo must only be used in connection with the scope detailed on the certificate. The certificated organization must not offer the certificated scope from any other address than that stated on the certificate except on a related site(s). The logo must not be used in any way that would indicate product approval. The certificated organization must discontinue any use of the logo that is unacceptable to the GIC. The certificated organization must withdraw any statement regarding the logo that GIC deem is misleading. If certification is withdrawn, or suspended the certificated organization must immediately remove both the logo and all references to certification.
Upon certification, the certificated organisation will be provided with detailed instructions on the use and application of the GIC logo and associated marks, depending on the particular scheme applied for and whether it is accredited or non the accredited.
The GIC logo must not be used on laboratory test, calibration, or inspection reports
The GIC logo must not be used on any part of the product, or product packaging seen by a consumer, or in any way to imply product approval.
See also Section 9 below for additional information .
A certificated organization is entitled to use the UKAS, or JAS-ANZ or SAC mark in conjunction with the GIC logo (as in paragraph 6) provided that GIC are accredited for the organizations scope. The organization may use the UKAS, JAS-ANZ or SAC mark on their letterheads, advertising material, brochures etc, but not on business cards, products, or flags.
In order to maintain certification the organization must:
Ensure that all work is carried out in accordance with the requirements of the relevant management system standard (eg ISO9001, ISO14001, ISO22000, OHSAS18001).
Maintain a master copy of the documented Management System.
Advise GIC of any important changes to the documented Management System other than ongoing improvement.
Advise GIC of any important changes to organisation and management
Advise GIC of any changes to contact address and permanent sites
Advise GIC of any changes to scope of operations
Where required any changes will be checked during a routine surveillance visit.
Present all revised documentation to the assessor at each surveillance visit for checking.
Ensure that all sub-contacted work is carried out in accordance with the requirements of the certificated system.
In the event of the certificate being withdrawn allow the assessor access to check all the references to certification have been removed.
You must conform to the requirements of GIC when making reference to certification status in communication media or other documents.
You must not make or permit any misleading statement regarding your certification.
You must not use or permit use all or part of your certificate in a misleading manner.
If your certification is withdrawn or suspended, you must discontinue its use in advertising that contains a reference to certification.
If the scope of certification has been reduced you must amend advertisingf matter accordingly.
You must not allow reference to your management system certification to be used to imply certification of your product, service or process.
You must not imply that certification applies to activities outside the scope of certification.
You must not use your certification in such a manner that it could bring the GIC certification system into disrepute.
The fees due from an applicant / certificated organization are as follows:
The applicant fee that covers initial registration and the documentation examination.
The assessment fee that covers the physical assessment and issue of the certificate.
A re-assessment fee if the organization fails the first assessment.
The surveillance fee that covers each surveillance visit.
Note:
The details of the fee structure will be highlighted in the quotation and will remain in force of three years.
GIC will carry out a minimum of one surveillance visit annually to ensure the certificated organization is maintaining the management system. If serious problems are found the organisation will be given a specific time to carry out corrections and the next surveillance visit will be brought forward or a re-assessment will be carried out at GIC's discretion.
GIC use the surveillance visits to monitor the performance of a certificated organization.
A reassessment and recertification is carried out three years after the initial assessment. Duration and depth will depend on the performance of the organization as sampled during the surveillance visits. Any complaints against the organisation will be taken into consideration
The only information GIC will divulge about any applicant is that they have registered for certification. The only information GIC will divulge about any certificated organization is what is detailed on the certificate. Where GIC is obliged by formal agreement with its accreditation body, or with a regulatory body, to provide information to a regulatory body, GIC will inform the certified organisation of the information provided.
When confidential information is made available to other bodies by GIC ( eg to accreditation bodies, or government agencies) GIC will inform the client of this action
GIC will notify a certificated organization of any complaint received from a customer or other body and will examine the complaint and any relevant action during the next surveillance visit. If the complaint relates to a client's certified activities GIC will consider the effectiveness of the certified management system.
GIC require each certificated organization to maintain a Complaints File detailing their client complaints and resulting actions. Complaints and customer feedback will be examined by the auditor during each visit.
GIC reserve the right to remove a certificate from a certificated organisation that fails to comply with the scheme regulations.
Should a dispute arise from GIC operations, the Scheme Manager or Operations Manager is responsible for submitting sufficient detail to the GIC Independent Certification Board (ICB). The ICB shall be responsible for appointing suitable persons to investigate matters pertaining to the dispute. The ICB shall be responsible for directing remedial or conciliatory actions as appropriate. Records of disputes and actions taken shall be recorded in the ICB minutes and documents retained for not less than six years.
Any complaint against GIC must be submitted in writing to either the Certification Director or Scheme Manager detailing the specific details of the problem. Following this an internal investigation will be conducted , including tracking and deciding on action to be taken.
If an applicant or certificated organization wishes to appeal against the composition of the audit team in relation to any auditor/technical experts to be used, they must write to the Certification Manager within three days from receipt of GIC's Assessment Programme.
If an applicant or certificated organization wishes to appeal against any certification decision they must write to the Certification Director within fourteen days from receipt of GIC letter.
The Scheme Manager will arrange for the Appeals Committee to meet within 30 days from receipt of the appeal. Any decision will stand until revoked by the Appeals Committee. At the appeal meeting both the applicant/organization and the assessor will be able to state their case in private. This decision of the Appeal Committee shall be final.
The assessed scope may be revised on application to GIC. Simple extensions of scopes may be examined during a surveillance visit. More complex extensions may require further a special visit.
GIC reserve the right to revise the scheme regulations within the rules for accreditation. Any such revisions will not immediately jeopardize the right of a certificated organization to use the logo, as they will be given six months to comply with any new regulation.
GIC maintain a register of certificated organisations that is revised every six months and lists all the certificate holders together with their addresses and certificated scopes. This register is freely available to any enquirer and is distributed to all certificated organizations, when required.
GIC reserves the right to publish details of any certification withdrawal in the register.
For further information on the assessment process please E mail or contact the following address:-
Tel +65 6749 6702
Fax +65 6749 6703
Customer Service:- enquiry@gicg.co.uk
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