UKB is an independent body recognised by the government to assess organisations that provide certification, testing, inspection and calibration services against internationally agreed standards.
Accreditation by UKB means that evaluators (testing and calibration laboratories, and certification and inspection bodies) have been rigorously assessed against internationally recognised standards to demonstrate their competence, impartiality and performance capability. UKB accreditation means the evaluator can show to its customer that it has been successful at meeting the requirements of international accreditation standards. This means that the customer reduces the risk of selecting an incompetent evaluator and paying for, or more seriously, acting upon invalid results.
Once accreditation is achieved, standards are maintained through yearly UKB surveillance visits, where assessors review the formal processes required by the standard to ensure they are still being applied and are fit for purpose. Organisations must undergo a full reassessment every four years to retain their accreditations.
Accreditation by UKB benefits its direct customers, their customers and purchasers by building confidence in a range of suppliers and enabling choice. It also encourages free, but trustworthy markets, enabling innovation and reduced regulation.
UKB is the UK’s signatory to the ILAC Mutual Recognition Agreement (MRA). For more information