The certification of a certified client can be suspended or withdrawn because of the following reasons:
- The certified management system has persistently and seriously failed to meet certification requirements, e.g.:
- a) Failure to respond adequately to identified non-conformance(s)
- b) Management system does not reflect the current organization and processes, e.g. as a result of changes, acquisitions, diversification etc.
- c) Major part of the management system not implemented
- Surveillance audits and recertification audits not conducted according to required frequency or as scheduled. A grace period of 2 months will be provided to the client. If Surveillance/recertification is not done in the grace period, certification will be suspended and informed to the client accordingly.
- Violation of the terms of the signed certification contract e.g.:
- a) Non-payment of fees
- b) Incorrect use of the certification mark and reference to certification
- Customer voluntarily requesting temporary suspension
- Request from regulatory authorities for:
- a) Evidence of non-compliance with regulatory/statutory requirements relevant for the certified management system
- b) Evidence of a non-effective management system in case of serious incidents/accidents.
Suspension of a certificate is normally initiated as the first step, followed by withdrawal if the issue of concern is not resolved within due time. Dependent on the seriousness of the case, TUV Apex may decide a direct withdrawal of the certificate; where failure of the management system is related to a specific part of the organization, specific products/services etc., TUV Apex may also consider a reduction in the scope of certification as an alternative to suspension. TUV Apex may also choose to give the customer a warning that suspension is being considered.
The decision to suspend or withdraw a certificate will be communicated to the customer by a formal letter; in case of decision to withdraw a certificate, the client should:
- a) Terminate use of the certification mark and any reference to certification
- b) Return certificate(s) and copies to TUV Apex
The customer has a right to appeal. An appeal may be lodged through the complaint’s procedure.
