1. How can I know if a company/organisation is
accredited?
To
check if a company/organisation is accredited by the NAB-MALTA you need to
check the list of accredited organisations available from this website. It is not enough to check that the company/organisation
is accredited. It is very important to check the scope of accreditation to ensure that the company/organisation is
accredited for the specific activities you are looking for.
The list
also provides contact details and location of the accredited conformity assessment bodies.
2. If a company/organisation is listed on the
register, does it mean all of its services are
accredited?
No, a company/organisation
is accredited for specific activities (e.g. specific test methods, specific
calibration methods, specific inspection activities) as defined in the accreditation scope available here. The
accreditation process specifically checks and assesses these activities;
however it does not check or assess the technical competence of the company/organisation
in other activities which the same company/organisation may perform and which
are not subject to accreditation.
3(A). How can I check if an accredited company/organisation
is accredited for the scope of
activity I need? What is the scope of
accreditation?
The
scope of accreditation is an official list issued by the accreditation body
which defines the particular activities (e.g. particular tests) for which the
company/organisation is fulfilling the requirements of the relevant
accreditation standard (e.g. EN ISO/IEC 17025). The organisation is only assessed
by the accreditation body for that scope
of accreditation and not for any other activities the
organisation/company may be performing. .
Log
onto the NAB-MALTA website, and search the list of Accredited Organisations.
To review the scope of activities that the company/organisation is accredited
for, click on the PDF of its “Scope
of Accreditation”.
3(B). I cannot find the expiry date of the accreditation certificate. How will I know that an
accreditation is still valid?
The NAB-MALTA accreditation certificates do not have expiry dates. Question 1 in this list explains how to check whether a company or organisation is still accredited. If the organisation is not on the list of accredited CABs, then its accreditation is either suspended or it has been withdrawn.
4. Is there a difference between
accreditation and certification?
There
are important and critical differences between these two seemingly similar
terms.
Accreditation is
the formal recognition of competence and integrity to perform testing,
calibration, inspection and certification services (these are collectively
known as “conformity assessment activities”). Accreditation covers both the
management system and the technical capabilities of a company/organisation.
Certification involves
ensuring conformity with a given standard, e.g. a management system or a
product. It does not cover technical competence.
5. Is it correct to say that a company/organisation
is accredited to ISO 9001?
No, a company cannot be accredited to ISO 9001.
ISO
9001 is the result of a certification activity. A company can
claim that it has been certified
to ISO 9001. ISO 9001 does not contain the element of technical competence and
therefore, a company cannot be accredited against the standard but can be
certified against it.
Users
of ISO 9001 certified companies should make sure that certification has been
granted by a certification body which has been accredited by a recognised
national accreditation body.
6. Does it make a difference if a laboratory has
ISO 9001 certification or EN ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation?
Yes, there is a significant difference.
If a
laboratory is ISO 9001 certified, then this only means that the laboratory
has a management system in place for that scope.
On the
other hand, if the laboratory is EN ISO/IEC 17025 accredited for a particular scope
then the laboratory does not only have a controlled quality management system
but, more importantly, its technical competence for that particular scope has
also been checked and assessed.
7. What if we are requested to have ISO 9001?
Companies/Organisations
which are accredited to an ISO 17### standard for a particular scope, are
also using a management system for that same scope which is in line with the
principles of ISO 9001.
The
ISO, ILAC and IAF have issued a communication to clarify this as follows for laboratories
A
laboratory's fulfillment of the requirements of ISO/IEC 17025 means the
laboratory meets both the technical competence requirements and
management system requirements that are necessary for it to consistently
deliver technically valid test results and calibrations. The management
system requirements in ISO/IEC 17025 are written in language relevant
to laboratory operations and operate generally in accordance with the
principles of ISO 9001.
A same
communication has been issued for inspection bodies:
An
inspection body's fulfilment of the requirements of ISO/IEC 17020:2012 means
the Inspection body meets both the technical competence requirements and
management system requirements that are necessary for it to consistently
deliver technically valid inspection results. The management system
requirements in ISO/IEC 17020:2012 (Section 8) are written in language
relevant to inspection body operations and are aligned with the pertinent
requirements of ISO 9001.
8. How can my company/organisation be accredited?
It
is first recommended to hold a meeting with the NAB-MALTA during which we
explain the accreditation process requirements and guide you to the documents
that need to be followed.
9. What are the fees involved to become
accredited?
Fees
are presently calculated on a case-by-case basis, depending on the nature of
the scope of accreditation.
The
fees incurred will be based on the assessment effort i.e. depending on the
complexity of scope of accreditation being sought. This will reflect on the
number of assessors and time on site. These fees include not just the time
the assessment team spent on-site, but also office time and costs of travel.
Until
the NAB-MALTA receives the application for accreditation which details the
size of your operation, it is very difficult to provide you with an accurate
estimate of the cost to become accredited.
10. How long does it take to become accredited?
The
accreditation process can take up to 18 months from receipt of application to
award of accreditation. This depends on various factors including the level
of preparedness of the applicant company/organisation and its responsiveness
to any findings and improvement actions raised.
11. What documents and forms do I need to fill in
to become accredited?
All
applicants are required to fill in the relevant application form and submit
the requested documents. Regulations, guidance, policy and mandatory documents should be
read as part of the application process. All documents and forms are
available on the NAB-MALTA Website.
12. If I am a one man company/organisation, can the company/organisation still be
accredited? Or does there have to be a minimum amount of employees?
Accreditation
is awarded to a company/organisation based on its ability to demonstrate that
it is competent and impartial and that it complies with the criteria in the
relevant international and European standards and other normative documents.
There is no minimum requirement.
Accreditation
may only be granted to registered companies. Self-employed persons and
individuals cannot be accredited.
13. My company/organisation is registered in Malta.
Can I become accredited with an
accreditation body other than the NAB-MALTA?
Under the
European Regulation Regulation (EU) 765/2008 which came into effect on 1st
January 2010, you may only apply for accreditation with the national
accreditation body of the Member State. In the case of Malta, this is the
NAB-MALTA.
14. If a company/organisation has
resigned/withdrawn its accreditation with the NAB-MALTA
does that mean the
certificate is not valid or recognised, even though it was issued when
they
were accredited?
Accredited
test or calibration or inspection certificates/reports issued by a laboratory
or inspection body are valid if the laboratory or inspection body is
accredited at the time of the testing/calibration/inspection.
Accredited
certificates issued by a certification body are only valid within 3 months of
the date of withdrawal of the certification body from the NAB-MALTA
programme.
15. What if an organisation is not accredited by
the NAB-MALTA, but by another
Accreditation Body?
The
NAB-MALTA is the national signatory, along with other nationally recognised
accreditation bodies world-wide, to multilateral agreements for the purposes
of mutual recognition through the European Co-operation for Accreditation (EA). Those bodies that are
signatory to these agreements are deemed to be equivalent having undergone
stringent peer evaluations.
The EA
website gives information about the organisations and details of the
accreditation bodies that are signatories to their Multilateral / Mutual
Recognition agreements
If your
certificate is from a body that is a signatory to one of the above
multi-lateral agreements, then the certificate you have is deemed equivalent
to one issued by an NAB-MALTA-accredited body, and the certificate should be
recognised in those countries whose national accreditation bodies are
signatory to the EA multilateral agreements or ILAC/IAF mutual
recognition agreements.
16. How can I know whether a company/organisation
has applied for accreditation?
The
NAB-MALTA is unable to provide information regarding applicants due to
reasons of commercial confidentiality. You should speak to the company/organisation
to determine whether they are in the process as some companies/organisations
using such statements as “working towards becoming accredited” are not always
actively pursuing an application.
If you
believe any such claims are not true than you should report this to the
Consumers Office of the Malta Competition and Consumer Affairs Authority.
17. What if a laboratory claims that it is
“EN ISO/IEC 17025 compliant”?
Such a
statement is simply a self-declaration.
As long
as the laboratory cannot demonstrate a certificate of accreditation, then
this laboratory is not accredited.
18. If I have concerns about the activities of the
NAB-MALTA or of an NAB-MALTA accredited
organisation, how can I register a
complaint with the NAB-MALTA?
We are
committed to providing a world class, value adding accreditation service and
aim to maintain the highest standards in all our dealings with our customers,
third parties and stakeholders. However, we recognise that on occasion it may
be necessary for our customers, or those using accredited services to raise a
complaint with us. If you are a third party who has concerns about the
activities of an NAB-MALTA accredited company/organisation, or you are a
direct customer of the NAB-MALTA who is unhappy with our service, then we
want to hear about it. Please contact us either by email at info@nabmalta.org.mt or by telephone +35623952510.
19. How can I lodge an appeal with the NAB-MALTA?
An applicant or accredited conformity assessment body may lodge an
appeal for reconsideration of any adverse accreditation decision taken in
relation to its desired accreditation status. An accreditation decision means a
decision on granting, maintaining, extending, reducing, suspending and
withdrawing accreditation. To lodge an appeal, this must be submitted in
writing within two weeks of the date of the decision to: The Director,
NAB-MALTA, Mizzi House, 1st Floor, National Road, Blata l-Bajda, HMR9010 Malta.
20. Can the NAB-MALTA recommend accredited companies/organisations?
As
Malta’s national accreditation body, the NAB-MALTA has to be impartial and
therefore unfortunately we cannot recommend one accredited company/organisation
over another. All NAB-MALTA accredited companies/organisations are
subject to rigorous and regular assessments for compliance with the relevant
International standard for which they are accredited and the technical scope
included on their scope of accreditation. Their scope of accreditation
will only appear on the NAB-MALTA website if they continue to meet
the requirements of the international standard to which they are
accredited.
The
presence of the companies/organisations’ scope of accreditation on our
website provides assurance and confidence to procurers. The absence of a
scope of accreditation on the NAB-MALTA website indicates that the
accreditation is no longer in force.
21. Which companies are Notified Bodies?
The
NAB-MALTA is not responsible for the notification process. This is the
responsibility of the Malta Competition and Consumer Affairs Authority. The
European Commission has a website known as the NANDO website which confirms
all notified organisations across Europe.
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