1 Information on the status covers granting, refusing, maintaining of certification, expanding the scope and renewal of certification.

a. Granting of certification: This happens after the audit process has been completed,outstanding issues from the audit process resolved, certification recommendation acceptedby the decision-making team. Multiple procedures are deployed from application forcertification and decision for granting certification.

b. Refusing of certification: This can be due to serious adverse findings during the audit and interactions that impact the effectiveness of the management system and its capabilities, or any other justified reason that leads to refusal of certification.

c. Maintaining of the certification: The is ensured during the conduct of the periodic surveillance audits as per audit programme. Any serious findings that affect the management system effectiveness or legal and regulatory issues or any verifiable complaints may impact the status of certification.

d. Expanding the scope of certification: The certification body shall, in response to an application for expanding the scope of a certification already granted, undertake a review of the application and determine any audit activities necessary to decide whether or not the extension may be granted. This may be conducted in conjunction with a surveillance audit.

e. Renewal of certification normally happen at the end of certification cycle, provided that adequate evidence are available to demonstrate continued effectiveness of the management system.

2 The policy and procedure for reducing the scope of certification, suspending or restoring following suspension, or withdrawing of certification.

Action/s shall be taken on clients’ certification status when they do not continue to meet the certification requirements. The situations can be the following, but not limited to:

   • The management system of the client is not able to, persistently and seriously, meet the requirement of the standard and that of certification;

   • Results of a special audit based on reports of serious deficiencies including legal non-compliance,indicate serious lack of conformance (refusal        to present themselves for such a special audit shall be construed to indicated serious lack of conformance);

   • The certified clients do not allow or present themselves for surveillance activities as part of the agreed audit programme;

  • The certified client has voluntarily requested for a suspension or withdrawal of certification.

2.1 This procedure shall be applied to any client which undergo such conditions where suspension of certification is a strong possibility.
2.2 Reduction of scope, when requested by the client, shall be subjected to regular offsite or on-site review as determined after a review of the request.
2.3 Reduction of scope may be determined as a result of the complaint/feedback mechanism involving an interested party.
2.4 Suspension may be result of major nonconformance or serious adverse obligatory compliance requirements or any other reasons demonstrating lack management system conformance that would include not meeting, or not permitting, surveillance requirements and serious findings during surveillance audits.

Certification status policy

5.2.6 Suspension, in most cases, would not exceed 6 months. If the suspension exceeds more than 6 months, the scheme manager shall review to decide if an on-site audit required to revoke the suspension.
5.2.7 There would be no change in the overall validity end date, nor a proportional extension, of the certificate period even when part of the period has been lost in suspension.
5.2.8 The scope of certification shall be reduced to exclude the parts not meeting the certification requirements, when a certified client has persistently or seriously failed to meet the certification requirements for those parts of the scope of certification. Such reduction shall meet the requirements specific to the scheme.
5.2.9 Continued serious non-conformances impacting requirements of certification may result in. withdrawal of the certification.

5.3 Status change approval shall be given by the Scheme Manager.
5.4 Certification status changes shall be registered indicating the reasons and action taken.
5.5 Status change registrations shall be reviewed to consider follow-up actions