FINDING A CERTIFICATION BODY
BRC do not undertake audits themselves, but closely manage the certification scheme by licensing the use of the Standards to third party ‘Certification Bodies’ who must be both accredited by their national Accreditation Body and abide by strict BRC requirements for auditor competency, reporting and performance. Approval ensures the Certification Bodies are kept fully informed of all developments with the Standards, meet the performance standards we expect and are insured for the work they carry out.
There are around 100 BRC approved Certification Bodies around the world to choose from. These are all listed on the BRC Directory where they can be sorted by Standard, country and accreditation status.
Certificated BRC audits can only be undertaken by approved Certification Bodies as listed on the Directory and due to the nature of the certification process cannot be undertaken by independent auditors.
In selecting a Certification Body, the company should consider:
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acceptability of the Certification Body to customers; certain customers carry lists of their preferred certification bodies
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the scope of accreditation of the Certification Body. It is essential that the certification body is accredited to assess companies for the categories of products produced. Clarification of the categories of products against which the Certification Body can audit should be obtained either by confirmation from the Certification Body concerned or from accreditation schedules published by the appropriate national accreditation body.
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confirmation that the auditor proposed by the Certification Body meets the qualifications, training and experience requirements specified by the BRC
The BRC has no influence on the cost of the audit and the costs should be confirmed with individual Certification Bodies.