A standard is a set of guidelines, requirements, or specifications that define how a particular product, service, or process should be developed, implemented, or performed. Standards can cover a range of areas, including quality management, environmental management, health and safety, information security, and many others.
A certified UKAS-accredited body is an organisation that has been accredited by the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) to provide certification services for specific standards. UKAS is the national accreditation body for the United Kingdom. It is recognised internationally for its expertise and impartiality in assessing conformity assessment bodies such as testing and calibration laboratories, certification and inspection bodies, and more.
Some organisations claim to offer a convenient one-stop shop for consultancy and certification, which may appear to be the most efficient, cost-effective, and straightforward option. However, this practice directly violates the regulations that UKAS-accredited certification bodies are obligated to follow.
These organisations may assert that they are accredited, but their accreditation is not obtained through UKAS. Non-UKAS accreditation is not bound by the same regulatory standards and does not provide adequate guarantees of impartiality, integrity, or accountability.
Certificates issued by these organisations are frequently disregarded by customers and clients and may even have a negative impact on business growth and tender applications.
By using a UKAS-accredited organisation, businesses can have confidence that the certification or testing results are reliable, accurate, and trustworthy. The UK government strongly recommends that businesses seeking certification or testing services use UKAS-accredited organisations.
This is because UKAS is the only national accreditation body in the UK that the government has recognised as meeting the relevant international standards for accreditation bodies. By using a UKAS-accredited organisation, businesses can demonstrate their commitment to meeting high quality, safety, and environmental sustainability standards, which can be essential for winning new contracts and customers.
At AvlSO, we work with only UKAS-accredited certification bodies to ensure you get the absolute best from your investment.
The ethos is always to develop a system that meets your needs first whilst still complying with the standard. We have shown that a management system tailored to your individual goals and objectives can be more than just a certificate and will bring about positive company improvements.
Our experience and approach uniquely position us to offer and deliver the most meaningful advice in a way that best suits you.
AvISO takes pride in being an ISO Consultancy that regularly works with major UKAS Accredited Certification Bodies, such as BSI, SGS, NQA, and QEC. Through using these organisations, we have gained a thorough understanding of their operating practices, enabling us to guide our clients efficiently towards ISO certification from the start of the process to the final assessment.
If you are trying to decide which certification body to use, below are some useful contact details of UKAS-accredited certification bodies we associate with. Please get in touch with us for area-specific contact details.
If you would like to check if a business is UKAS accredited, please follow this link to the UKAS website, which lists all their accredited bodies.
Accreditation Body: QEC
Address: 25 Carolina Place, Wokingham, Berkshire, RG40 4PQ
Telephone: 0118 33 88 060
Website: www.qecuk.com
Accreditation Body: BSI
Address: Davy Avenue Knowlhill, Milton Keynes MK5 8PP
Telephone: 0345 080 9000
Website: www.bsigroup.com/en-GB/
Accreditation Body: BM Trada
Address: Chiltern House, Stocking Lane, Hughenden Valley, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire HP14 4ND
Telephone: 01494 569 965
Website: www.bmtrada.com
Accreditation Body: SGS
Address: Station Road, Oldbury, B69 4LN
Telephone: 01276 594010
Website: www.sgs.com
Accreditation Body: NQA
Address: Houghton Hall Park, Warwick House, Porz Avenue, Houghton Regis, Dunstable, LU5 5ZX
Telephone: 0800 052 2424
Website: www.nqa.com
Accreditation Body: Alcumus ISOQAR
Address: Blackmore Rd, Stretford, Manchester, M32 0QY
Telephone: 0330 127 2220
Website: www.alcumusgroup.com/isoqar
Accreditation Body: Lloyds Register
Address: 71 Fenchurch Street, London, EC3M 4BS, UK
Website: www.lr.org
Accreditation Body: Auva
Address: Little Braxted Hall, Little Braxted, Essex, CM8 3EU, UK
Telephone: 01376 386110
Website: www.auvacertification.com
Accreditation Body: Bureau Veritas
Address: Suite 206 Fort Dunlop, Fort Parkway, Birmingham, B24 9FD
Telephone: 0345 600 1828
Website: www.bureauveritas.co.uk
What Standard are you looking to obtain:
If you would like to know more about ISO Standards, Certification and the value of a good management system you can add to your business we would love to hear from you: Kent: 01892 800476 | London: 02037 458 476 | [email protected]