Canada’s Accreditation System and Conformity Assessment Infrastructure Sylvie Lafontaine VP Standards and International Relations Standards Council of Canada Standards experts . Accreditation solutions .
What is Accreditation? Accreditation is the formal recognition by an accreditation authority to the competence of a conformity assessment body to carry out a specific service in accordance to standards and technical regulations Standards Council of Canada (SCC) accredits : – Standards development organizations – Conformity assessment bodies Benefits: • Increased credibility of certifications • Increased international recognition and acceptance of certifications 2 Standards experts . Accreditation solutions .
Accreditation and Certification Process in Canada Accreditation National Accreditation Body – process Standards Council of Canada Certification Witness Certification Body (CB) process Audits Product (Organic Food; Electrical; Plumbing) Standards experts . Accreditation solutions .
Canada’s Strong Accreditation System = Confidence Standards experts . Accreditation solutions .
More than 400 SCC-accredited clients Standards experts . Accreditation solutions .
SDO Accreditation Process - Overview Application and Fee Planning and Review Onsite Assessment Findings Resolution Review Accreditation Maintenance Standards experts . Accreditation solutions .
Assessment Process - Review of customer's policies and procedures Assessment Team Document Review Required Changes - SCC assigns a team - Requirements: of 2 trained assessors comparison table - Report identifies - Lead assessor and a - Lead assessor verifies required changes technical expert policy requirements are - Client makes required reflected in client’s changes procedures - Acceptance of - Generation of report changes Standards experts . Accreditation solutions .
Assessment Process - Granting of accreditation Resolution of Quality Accreditation non- check conformance Standards experts . Accreditation solutions .
Standards Development Organizations SCC Accreditation Program Calibration and Testing laboratories Greenhouse gas Validators and verifiers STANDARDS COUNCIL Good laboratory OF Practices and Facilities Accredits to CANADA (SCC) international Inspection bodies standard Management systems certification bodies Bodies offering certification of persons Bodies offering certification of products/services Standards experts . Accreditation solutions .
SCC offers specialty programs in the following areas: • Agriculture, food, animal health, and plant protection • Calibration • Environmental • Test method development and non-routine testing • Fasteners • Forensic • IT security evaluation and testing • Mineral analysis Standards experts . Accreditation solutions .
Example of Accreditation Program - Canadian Laboratory Management System and Procedures • Accreditation by the Standards Council of Canada (SCC) is a mark of competence and reliability recognized throughout the world. SCC accredits: • Testing and calibration laboratories to ISO/IEC 17025 – General requirements for the competence of testing and calibration laboratories • Medical testing laboratories to ISO 15189 - Medical Laboratories – particular requirements for quality and competence • Proficiency testing providers to ISO/IEC 17043 - Conformity assessment - General requirements for proficiency testing . SCC is also the only organization within Canada to offer Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) recognition - Recognition of facilities that perform pre-clinical studies of a variety of different products, including pharmaceuticals Standards experts . Accreditation solutions .
Benefits of SCC accreditation for labs • Demonstrates a laboratory’s competence to manage and perform activities defined by its specific program scope of accreditation. • Laboratories are able to obtain independent, third-party, credible test results for themselves and for their customers. • Helps laboratories deliver services with confidence and attract new customers. • International recognition • Ensuring quality management Standards experts . Accreditation solutions .
Mutual Recognition Agreements (MRAs) • Mutual Recognition Agreements (MRA) are legally binding, negotiated agreements between governments based on specific regulated products. They can be negotiated between governments, between accreditation bodies and between testing and certification organizations, based on specific regulated products. MRAs are important tools for expanding market access for Canadian industry Multilateral Recognition Agreements (MLAs) • MLAs are voluntary agreements among accreditation bodies that operate on the basis of the recognition of technical equivalency among signatories. It ensures that procedures meet the requirements of a given standard. An MLA is also a confidence building mechanism as it helps to ensure the competence of CABs in economies importing into the Canadian market, and vice versa. Standards experts . Accreditation solutions .
SCC Membership in IAF & ILAC • SCC is a member of the IAF & ILAC MLA/MRAs, which are a means to recognize the equivalence of accreditations issued by members’ accreditation bodies. • Accreditation Bodies participate in mutual peer evaluations based on the requirements of ISO/CASCO documents and IAF and ILAC specific application documents. • The consequence of joining the IAF or ILAC MLA/MRA is that accreditations issued by any one of the signatories to the MLA/MRA should be recognized by other Signatories to the MLA’s/MRA’s (and by extension accredited certificates should be recognized). Standards experts . Accreditation solutions .
Benefits of MLAs/MRAs • Reducing barriers to trade. • Increasing Canadian exporters’ access to foreign markets. • Providing manufacturers with an opportunity to test and certify products one time to the requirements of multiple markets. • Reducing costs and delays associated with duplicate testing of products. • Ensuring that an accreditation body’s program is re -evaluated regularly against best practices. Overall these agreements lower the costs of doing business, and reduce the burden on both industry and regulatory agencies, thereby facilitating trade. MLAs/MRAs do not require signatory countries to harmonize their standards or regulations. Instead, these agreements develop closer and stronger relationships among regulatory authorities and CABs. Standards experts . Accreditation solutions .
SCC & Domestic Regulatory Coordination More than 1,300 standards Federal referenced in federal regulations; SCC Over 4,000 references at the P/T Government provincial/territorial level P/T P/T P/T Certification Certification Certification Body Body Body Standards experts . Accreditation solutions .
Review: Regulatory Authority Advisory Bodies (RAABs): • Consist of representatives from various Canadian governmental organizations • Resolve issues of national importance, develop aligned responses to public safety issues, coordinate regulations, standards, and conformity assessment procedures between jurisdictions . • Play an important role in approving Other Recognized Documents (ORDs), which are documents developed by certification bodies to establish safety and performance criteria for a new product in the absence of a recognized Canadian standard. Standards experts . Accreditation solutions .
SCC’s Vision – New Governance Framework • SCC envisions a multi-phase approach, starting with agreements between SCC and RAABs in key sectors, expanding to include those in sectors where standards are referenced in regulations. • SCC would provide a more effective and coordinated structure to the RAABs by providing enhanced secretariat services. • Based on monitored data, SCC anticipates that some of those sectors could include energy, the environment, health, finance, labour, natural resources, transportation, natural gas, municipal affairs and housing, technology, consumer services, northern development, and justice. Standards experts . Accreditation solutions .
SCC’s Vision – New Governance Framework SCC Oversight/ Single Comprehensive Secretariat Agreement Strategic/Policy Strategic/ Policy Strategic/Policy Committee Committee Committee Regulatory Authority Advisory Bodies (RAABs) Advisory Advisory Advisory Council Council Council Future Advisory Advisory Consolidated Associations of Council Council Chief Inspectors Standards experts . Accreditation solutions .
QUESTIONS? Standards experts . Accreditation solutions .
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