Product certification policies

It is the company’s policy to grow the business through delivering consistent, flexible services satisfying our customers’ needs and maximising our potential in our markets.

This policy is underpinned by our Key Performance Values:

Delivery
Striving for superior performance, achieving challenging objectives and profitably growing the top line in a creative, collaborative and innovative way;

Inspirational Leadership
Demonstrating passion for the business; communicating, sharing and acting upon a meaningful vision for the future;

Proactive with people
Leading by example, uncompromising in the drive for improved performance and management of under-performance, supportive in the development of others, encouraging talent and creating opportunities for people to learn;

Integrity
Ensuring that business dealings are conducted in accordance with the BSI Group Rules and Group policy documents and in an ethical manner, demonstrating respect for others within a diverse cultural environment, that does not tolerate prejudice or discrimination;

Commercial Focus
Displaying a clear understanding of our customers and recognising the need for change and adding value.

BSI is committed to maintaining a quality management system, incorporating all accreditation requirements, which supports this quality policy and our Key Performance Values and encourages a culture of continuous process improvement throughout the business.

Impartiality
The aim of certification is to inspire confidence from the public and interested parties that an organisation certified by BSI fulfils specified requirements. This confidence depends upon many factors including the competence of management and staff, impartiality and the perception of impartiality and the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To that end, BSI follows the principles set out in ISO/IEC 17021-1:2012 and has appropriate processes to safeguard BSI's impartiality.

Certification status
BSI provides publicly accessible information about the certification status of each of its clients through the Certificate and Client Directory.  This shows whether a certificate or Licence is current, and may also show if a certificate or Licence is suspended or has been withdrawn in the last month.

Suspension and revocation policy
BSI may suspend or revoke a certificate if in its reasonable opinion the Client does not comply with the requirements for the relevant law, standard, rule or scheme, or fails to comply with any of its obligations under the Contract, or uses BSI’s services in such a manner that may be misleading or that may bring BSI into disrepute. Under suspension, the relevant certification is invalid until the suspension is lifted. Such suspension may be made clear on the BSI client directory.

Appeals Process
If you are a certified client of BSI and have a dispute concerning your certification and which you have been unable to resolve either through your Scheme Manager, or with the local management of your BSI office, you may appeal in writing to the Head of Compliance and Risk of the BSI office in your country. The address of each office can be found on a country specific website through www.bsigroup.com.

Regardless of country location, following the receipt of an appeal, selected BSI personnel will be appointed who are independent of the appealed issue. Contact will be made to acknowledge receipt of the appeal, outline the appeals process, gather and verify additional data and information required. The results of the appeal decision will be communicated formally.

Complaints
BSI takes complaints against itself and its clients seriously.

Complaints about BSI should be submitted in writing, to the regional Managing Director of the office in your country. We will ensure we understand your concerns fully and deal with the complaint fairly and promptly. You will be kept informed of progress and we will reply as soon as the complaint been fully investigated.

Complaints about a registered client should also be submitted in writing. Having confirmed that the subject client is registered by BSI, we will ensure that they are taking appropriate action and confirm how the issue has been dealt with during a subsequent audit of the client. For this reason, these complaints may take longer to fully resolve.

Public Knowledge of Complaints
BSI will not make complaints against itself or any of its client’s public unless required to do so by a court of law.