Sistema Certification & Inspection SAS and the responsible certification body are committed to impartial, competent and evidence-based conformity-assessment activities.
Public commitment to impartiality
Commercial, financial, personal or other pressures must not influence audit findings, technical conclusions or certification decisions. Senior management is responsible for promoting impartiality and ensuring that threats are identified, evaluated, treated and monitored.
Threats and controls
- Self-interest, financial dependence and sales incentives are evaluated.
- Self-review, consultancy, advocacy, familiarity and intimidation threats are prohibited or controlled.
- Personnel disclose actual or potential conflicts before assignment and throughout the engagement.
- Auditors do not make the certification decision for work they audited.
- Competent personnel independent of the evaluation review findings and make or authorize certification decisions.
Reporting a concern
Any interested party may report a perceived impartiality risk through the public complaints form or by email. Raising a good-faith concern will not result in discriminatory treatment.
Confidentiality
Information obtained during application, assessment, certification and complaint handling is treated as confidential. Access is limited to authorized personnel and contracted resources with confidentiality obligations. Information may be disclosed when the client authorizes it, when it is already public, when a program or accreditation obligation requires it, or when disclosure is required by law. Unless prohibited, the affected party is informed before legally required disclosure.
Records and digital controls
Records are retained for the applicable certification cycle and any additional contractual, accreditation or legal period. Access permissions, secure transfer and controlled disposal are used according to the nature and sensitivity of the information.