What Exactly Is a Certification Body?

— The legal definition of a certification body is the following: an independent organization accredited (i.e., officially authorized by a government body) to perform works on conformity assessment of products and services to the requirements of regulatory documents.

— That said, a certification body is first and foremost your partner, a helping hand that has the authorization, knowledge, responsibility, and experience to conduct an impartial conformity assessment and thus assist a business or company.

Currently, a variety of companies state that they provide the complete scope of conformity assessment services. How does one know which option would be best for your business?

It is important to bear in mind the risks associated with choosing a dubious or fraudulent certification body:

· incorrect product identification;

· nonobservance of the conformity assessment procedure;

· incomplete or incorrect testing program;

· incorrect registration of authorization documents (certificates, declarations);

· inability to reliably confirm product safety.

When choosing a certification body, start with the following steps:

1. Collect and verify information on the accredited body. Use the website of the Federal Service for Accreditation (RusAccreditation) to check if their accreditation status has ever been suspended. Check their scope of accreditation.

2. Ask for recommendations from their business partners.

3. Talk or meet with a representative of the certification body to check the cost of their services. The price is an important factor: if it is too low, it is a red flag.

We hope that our advice helps you navigate the market and choose the most reliable and competent certification partner!