Login Glossary
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ACCREDITATION
Accreditation in the ISO industry is the classification given to a certification body that is inspected by an accrediting body against standards, such as ISO 17021. It results from an assessment of the competence and impartiality of an organisation, as well as the compliance of their work to nationally and internationally recognised standards or schemes.
ANNEX SL
This is a term that defines the high-level structure for modern ISO Standards. Ensuring consistency and compatibility between different management standards, Annex SL has already been adopted by popular ISO Standards like 9001, 14001, 27001, and 45001.
Read more about Annex SL here, or watch our on-demand Annex SL webinar.
ASCB
The Accreditation Service for Certifying Bodies (ASCB) are a leading independent accreditation body of certifiers globally.
BRC
The acronym BRC stands for British Retail Consortium and has been rebranded to BRCGS, which stands for British Retail Consortium Global Standards. BRCGS is a leading global brand and consumer protection scheme recognised by thousands of customers worldwide.
BS STANDARD
British Standard are the standards produced by the BSI Group, which is incorporated under a royal charter, and which is formally designated as the national standards body for the UK. They set up standards of quality for goods and services
CERTIFICATION
Certification in the ISO industry is the document generated to verify an organisation’s compliance with a specific standard or scheme, it consequently results from a successful third-party audit of an organisation’s systems or products.
CERTIFICATION CYCLE
The certification cycle is the process in which a certification body verifies the ongoing compliance of an ISO certified organisation.
The initial certification process includes a two-stage initial audit. Then, once certified, surveillance audits take place in the first and second years and a recertification audit takes place in the third year. The first three-year certification cycle begins with the certification decision. Subsequent cycles begin with the recertification decision.
Find out more about the certification cycle here.
ESG
ESG standards for Environmental, Social and Governance and is a criteria that investors use to help them determine whether a company is worth investment.
The practice of ESG investing began in the 1960s, with some investors excluding entire industries from their portfolios based on business activities (e.g. tobacco production). ISO Standards such as ISO 50001 (Energy), ISO 45001 (H&S), ISO 37001 (anti-bribery) and ISO 27001 (Security) can help organisations manage and demonstrate performance in these key areas.
FSSC
This is an acronym for the Food Safety System Certification, referring to FSSC 22000. The FSSC 22000 scheme is built on ISO 22000.
However, the FSSC 22000 contains additional requirements, including the Pre-Requisite Program (PRP), or universal procedures used to control the operating conditions in food factories and the specific requirements of the FSSC to ensure consistency, integrity, and management of the system itself.
The FSSC 22000 scheme is recognised by the GFSI (Global Food Safety Initiative).
ILO-OSH
This is an acronym for International Labour Organisation’s Standards on Occupational Safety and Health. Similar to ISO, the International Labour Organisation brings together governments, employers, and workers of its member States to set labour standards across all working environments.
ISO STANDARD
These are a collection of best practises, that have been agreed on by industry experts from around the world, to ensure the consistency and reliability of organisations that conform with them. These standards cover a broad range of activities including making a product, managing a process, or delivering a service.
ISO/IEC STANDARD
An International Organization for Standardization/International Electrotechnical Commission (ISO/IEC) Standard is an internationally recognised standard that is governed by both ISO and IEC.
LEAD AUDITOR
This is an individual who leads an ISO management system audit, usually independent of the organization being audited.
OHSAS
This is an acronym for the Occupational Health and Safety Management System Standard, OHSAS 18001. This was a British standard that has now been superseded by the international Occupational Health and Safety Management System Standard, ISO 45001.
PRODUCT REALISATION
This is a term used describe the various processes that take place throughout a product life cycle. It is an important aspect of an ISO management system, coving design, development, manufacturing, packaging, shipping and equipment maintenance.
QUALITY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
A quality management system (QMS) typically refers to the management system delivered in accordance with the ISO 9001 Standard. It a set of business processes which are built around meeting your customers’ needs, using their feedback to help you enhance what you do to increase satisfaction. It is typically aligned with your organisation’s purpose and strategic direction.
STAGE ONE AUDIT
For an organisation to receive a certificate that verifies their compliance with a set Standard, a two-stage audit must take place.
The Stage One Audit enables the certification body to assess whether the organisation’s existing documented processes, scope and objectives comply with a specified Standard. An audit result (Gap analysis report) is generated for the organisation to review and action ahead of arranging the Stage Two Audit.
STAGE TWO AUDIT
For an organisation to receive a certificate which verifies their compliance with a set Standard, a two-stage audit must take place.
The Stage Two Audit follows the Stage One Audit. The certification body will use this audit to evaluate the effectiveness of your management system and ensure any corrective actions highlighted at the stage one audit have been correctly put in place. Providing the auditor is happy with their findings the organisation will be recommended for certification.
THIRD PARTY AUDITING
Ahead of an external surveillance audit for ISO Certification, organisations will often choose to employ the services of a professional auditor that is independent and free of any conflict of interest.
This individual or organisation will then perform necessary services for the organisation to help ensure that they have maintained compliance with the Standard.
UKAS
The United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) is an accreditation body recognised by the British government to assess the competence of organisations delivering certification, testing, inspection and calibration services.