Terence S S Chan

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Terence S S Chan sschan_at_itc.gov.hk Hong Kong
Accreditation Service Innovation and Technology
Commission
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We will discuss

• How can accreditation help
• What is accreditation
• Hong Kong Accreditation Service (HKAS)
• International development in accreditation
• How to know whether an organisation is accredited

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Accreditation aids decisions

• Decision based on data and information
• - decisions are made by product producers,
  consumers and regulators
• - the data is obtained by testing, inspection
  or certification (conformity assessment
  activities ??????)
• Are the data correct?
• - wrong data ? wrong decision
• Accreditation provides assurance of data quality

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How Accreditation Helps
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Accreditation

• Procedure by which an authoritative body gives
  formal recognition that a body or person is
  competent to carry out specific tasks. (ISO/IEC
  Guide 2 1996)
• Key words
• - authoritative body
• a third party well recognised to have the
  status, independence and ability to determine
  competence
• - formal recognition
• recognition published, accreditation body
  recommends others to accept accredited
  organisations
• - competent
• accredited organisation capable of performing
  accredited activities
• - specific tasks
• accredited only for activities listed in the
  scope of accreditation

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Accreditation Requirements

• Quality System - generic requirements
• - Organisation structure and system
  documentation
• - Audit and reviews
• - Records
• Technical requirements - activity specific
• - Test and inspection procedures and their
  validation
• - Certification procedures
• - Equipment and calibration traceability
• - Staff training and competence
• - Quality assurance
• - Reports and certificates
• - Technical records

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Accreditation Process Flow chart
Application received
Advisory Visit
Rigorous on-site assessment
Corrective actions by applicant
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Monitoring of Accredited organisations

• Reassessed every two years
• Periodic on-site surveillance visits
• - laboratory - once a year
• - certification bodies - once every 6 months
• - inspection bodies - once every 6 months
• Accredited laboratory has to take part in
  proficiency testing programmes
• Inform HKAS Executive of significant changes

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Accreditation are only granted for specific
activities.
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Hierarchy of Conformity Assessment
Accreditation Body (ISO/IEC Guide 58, 61, TR
17010)
accredit
Laboratory (ISO/IEC 17025)
Inspection Body (ISO/IEC 17020)
Certification Body (ISO/IEC Guide 62, 65)
Conformity Assessment Bodies
test / calibrate
inspect
certify
Product, material (product standards, regulatory
requirements)
Product, process, design, service,
plant(Inspection standards, client
specifications, regulatory specifications)
System, personnel, product (ISO/IEC 9000,
14000, social accountability, product standards)
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HKAS Accreditation

• voluntary
• apply international standards
• formal recognition
• impartial
• emphasis technical competence
• - whether you can actually do it
• provide additional accreditation service when the
  need arise

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HKAS Structure
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Accreditation of laboratory

• Calibration Services
• Chemical Testing
• Chinese Medicine
• Construction Materials
• Electrical and Electronic Products
• - safety, telecommunications equipment, EMC,
  energy performance
• Environmental testing
• Food
• Miscellaneous
• Textiles and garments
• Toys and Childrens Products

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Accreditation of certification body

• Quality system (ISO 9000)
• Environmental Management System
• Product certification (starting from H2 of 2003
  for construction material, starting 2004 for
  consumer products)
• New service will be considered when the need
  arise (e.g. OHSAS 18000, occupational health
  safety management system)

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Accreditation of inspection body

• Consumer products
• - electrical and electronic products, household
  appliance, textiles, garments, food and food
  containers, footware, toys and childrens
  products, furniture
• Construction products
• - welds, NDT, other construction products
• New service being developed - indoor air
  inspection

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HKAS training course

• Conducted by overseas and local experts
• - Laboratory quality system management
• - Internal audits
• - Lead assessor training
• - Evaluation of measurement uncertainty
• - metrology training

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International Accreditation Structure
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Mutual recognition arrangements

• MRA promotes acceptance of data
• - MRA partners recognise and promote one
  anothers accreditation
• - mutual recognition of reports and certificates
  issued by organisations accredited by one
  another
• MRA is concluded after vigorous on-site
  evaluation and re-evaluation
• regulators recognise accreditation of MRA
  partners, e.g. under certain APEC MRA
• HKAS MRA
• - 44 MRA partners for laboratory
• - will sign the MRA for quality system
  certification
• - pursuing MRA for inspection body

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(HOKLAS) Mutual Recognition Agreements/Arrangemen
ts (MRA)
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What organisations can be accredited?
All organisations performing work within the
scope of HKAS, provided they meet the
accreditation requirements, e.g., - government
departments - third party laboratories,
inspection bodies and certification
bodies - in-house laboratories and inspection
bodies
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Are they accredited?
Ask for Certificates and Reports with
accreditation mark!
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Further information
www.info.gov.hk/itc/hkas - HKAS
operation - detailed scopes of accreditation - dir
ectories of accredited organisations - index for
finding laboratories for given tests - detailed
scopes of accreditation, including contacts of
accredited organisations - HKAS accreditation
criteria documents, regulations and forms - HKAS
News - training courses - links to ILAC, APLAC,
EA, etc CD HOKLAS directory - issued
quarterly - HKAS News
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Help wanted

• HKAS helps the industry
• HKAS needs helps of experts
• - Assessors and technical experts to conduct
  assessments, develop criteria and provide
  advice
• - Assessors are paid HK 1,800 per assessment
  day
• - Training will be given to potential assessors
• Let me know if you are interested
• - sschan_at_itc.gov.hk

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Question time
- Thank You -