Certification Requirements

Granting Certification

Following the completion of audit by our auditors and submission of audit documents to KGS and recommendation for granting certification by the auditor, the audit report along with the closures of the any non-conformances raised as applicable will be subject to reviewing process followed by decision making process upon which certification to the prescribed standard will be granted. New clients being granted certification by KGS will have their details updated on the KGS database and will receive the KGS logo for the prescribed standard along with the rules of usage of the KGS logo.

Refusing Certification

Refusing of certification will occur if:

  1. At the time of audit there is major system lapse and in the system of the applicant organization where every process have more than a one observed lapses, leading to major non-conformances in all or several major processes causing the deterioration in the quality products/services.
  2. The major non-conformances raised are not closed within 30 days from the last day of the audit.
  3. No corrective action plan is submitted for the minor non-conformances raised within 30 days from the last day of audit
  4. Evidences and/or corrective action plans submitted for the major and minor non-conformances respectively are not satisfactory and do not meet the requirements of the standard
  5. Response to the non-conformances raised exceeding the time of 30 days from last day of the audit.

Maintaining Certification

For existing certified clients of KGS, maintaining of certification is as follows:

  • Surveillance and Recertification audits performed, and system found to be satisfying the requirements of the prescribed management system standard,
  • Actions taken on the non-conformances raised have been effectively communicate to the auditor and non-conformances closed,
  • The auditor recommends for the certification of the client to be maintained through the validity period of the existing certificate after gaining confidence on the maturity and degree of compliance of the client’s certification,
  • None of the criteria for Suspension of Certification and Withdrawal of Certification are met

Renewing Certification

Recertification audit performed and system found to continuously satisfy the requirements of the prescribed management system standard after the three-year certification cycle, and the auditor recommends for the certification of the client to be maintained and new certificate with three year validity to be reissued.

Suspension of Certification

Suspension of certification is applicable to clients that are already certified by KGS. Under the suspension, the client’s management system certification becomes temporarily invalid. The maximum time limit for restoration of certification upon suspension is 6 months from the due date of the certification audit cycle. KGS will ensure that the suspension would not exceed six months.

Conditions for the suspension of certification are as follows:

  1. Improper usage of KGS Logo and Accreditation Mark.
  2. Not responding to Nonconformance raised during the time of audit in accepted time frame, after two reminders. The maximum duration allowed for response to nonconformances is 60 days from the issuance of those nonconformances.
  3. Potential threat to credibility of certification where the client’s certified management system has persistently or seriously failed to meet certification requirements, including requirements for the effectiveness of the management system as well as the requirements of KGS.
  4. The certified client does not allow surveillance or recertification audits to be conducted at the required frequencies with the audit scheduling not being accepted by the client. Requirements for audit scheduling are as follows:
  • 1st Surveillance audit shall be conducted at-least 9 months after the date of issuance of certificate upon Initial Certification/Re-certification and not exceeding 12 months from the certificate issuance date
  • 2nd Surveillance audit shall be conducted 12 months after the 1st Surveillance audit or at-least 21 months after the date of issuance of certificate and not exceeding 24 months from the date of issuance of certificate
  • Recertification audit shall be carried out 12 months after the 2nd Surveillance audit or at-least 33 months from the date of issuance of certificate and not exceeding 36 months from the date of issuance of certificate.

Upon suspension of certification, suspended clients shall withhold use of Accreditation Mark and KGS logo as well as claims to being certified with immediate effect until the conditions for maintaining certification are met and certification is restored.

Restoration of Certification

Restoration of certification is done following compliance of the suspended client to the requirements for maintaining certification. KGS will restore the suspended certification if the issue that has resulted in the suspension has been resolved. The issues resulting in the suspension of clients shall be resolved within 6 months from the time those issues were identified. Where necessary Special Audits may be carried out at the suspended client’s location to ensure issues are resolved such as issues related to audit non-conformances that have not been closed, and upon successful Special Audit the certificate will be restored.

Restoration of Certification

Restoration of certification is done following compliance of the suspended client to the requirements for maintaining certification. KGS will restore the suspended certification if the issue that has resulted in the suspension has been resolved. The issues resulting in the suspension of clients shall be resolved within 6 months from the time those issues were identified. Where necessary Special Audits may be carried out at the suspended client’s location to ensure issues are resolved such as issues related to audit non-conformances that have not been closed, and upon successful Special Audit the certificate will be restored.

Withdrawal of Certification

Withdrawal of certification unlike suspension is a permanent termination of a client certification. Restoration of certification is not permitted upon withdrawal. Hence, if client intends to be re-certified to the withdrawn certification it will be treated as a new certification and an Initial Assessment Audit (Stage 1 and Stage 2) will be carried out by KGS.

Conditions for the withdrawal of certification are as follows:

  1. Non-compliance to KGS Logo Rules even after notice.
  2. Not responding for the suspension notice within a week time
  3. Not accepting the surveillance or re-certification audit scheduling as per the audit scheduling requirements as stated under the Suspension of Certification
  4. Non-payment of audit fees
  5. Potential threat to credibility of certification as observed during the audit where the non-conformities raised shows that the client has not satisfied the requirements of the management system standard.
  6. Regulatory sanctions (if any)
  7. Failing to respond to the non-conformities raised during the audit given the nature of those non-conformities posing a potential threat or adverse event or legal non-compliance etc.
  8. Failure to comply to requirements for maintaining certification upon a failed restoration of certification after suspension
  9. Request by client to withdraw their certification

Upon withdrawal of certification of an organization by KGS, the withdrawn organization shall with immediate effect discontinue the use of KGS logo as well as any claims of being certified. The withdrawn organization shall return their certificate to KGS. KGS reserves the rights to take necessary action on organizations failing to comply to the withdrawal requirements.

Extension of the Scope of Certification

Extension of the scope of certification arises when the client has the request for the scope of activities to be extended to cover other new scope or in addition to the one currently certified or when the client wishes to increase the number of sites for certification. Audit for scope extension may be conducted in conjunction with a surveillance audit or with a special audit carried out at the site(s).

Reduction of the Scope of Certification

Reduction of the scope of certification arises during one of the following:

  • The client has requested for the scope of activities to be reduced so as to cover lesser scope e.g. reduced number of sites for certification & reduced operational activities. Audit for reduction may be conducted in conjunction with a surveillance audit or with a special audit carried out at the site (s).
  • The dormancy of the certified scope for one certification cycle or 3 years. This audit may be conducted in conjunction with a surveillance audit or re-certification audit.