Definition:
An Accreditation Body (AB) is an independent organization recognized to formally assess and authorize other entities, such as Certification Bodies and testing laboratories, ensuring they meet the applicable standards. Such as IEC 61508 for functional safety and ISO 17025 for calibration labs. Accreditation Bodies are mostly regional. Meaning there are ones used and recognized in certain countries/areas and less used in others. This could be marketing, tradition, or laws.
Becoming an accrediting body is its own process. ABs around the world are linked under the International Accreditation Forum Multilateral Recognition Agreement. ABs are themselves guided by ISO 17011.
In North America
- ANAB (ANSI National Accreditation Body) is the largest for the U.S. area. They accredited Exida and TUV to be CBs.
- SCC – Standards Council of Canada – accredited TUV
In Europe
- DAkkS – Deutsche Akkreditierungsstelle – in Europe – accredited TUV. This is the largest AB in Europe.
- UKAS – United Kingdom
- INAB – Irish National Accreditation Board
- COFRAC – France
- ENAC – Spain
- SWEDAC – Sweden
In the Middle East
- They do not have any specific ones. They generally use both U.S. and European ABs.
Key Points:
- Accreditation Bodies do not certify products directly; they certify the certifiers.
- Accreditation Bodies are regional, there are dominant ones in different areas of the world
Example:
Siemens makes a safety PLC, and their certification body is TUV. To become a certification body, TUV must go through a process with an accreditation body. ANAB is an example.
See Also: Certification Body, NoBo, authority having jurisdiction (AHJ), ANAB, SCC, DAkkS, INAB, COFRAC, ENAC, SWEDAC, IAF MCA
Cited Source:
- ISO/IEC 17011:2017.