Representatives of SURVIVE recently met with UKAS to discuss the variance in standards being applied by UKAS accredited Certification and Inspection bodies.

 

During the meeting a number of important actions were agreed, namely to include a section on the competence requirements for Certification and Inspection body auditors within PAS 43:2010

 

a)   to establish a process for reporting evidence of the historic and new failures of auditing by UKAS approved Certification and Inspection Bodies

b)   to include guidance within PAS 43:2010 on the maximum period of the validity of certificates issued by Inspection and Certification Bodies and also guidance on the criteria for issuing certificates

c)   PAS 43:2010 to include requirements to ensure continuity of the audit regime when a company changed their Inspection or Certification Body

d)   to remove the option for the sampling of vehicles, Inspection Bodies are now to audit 100% of vehicles annually

e)   UKAS to re-issue their guidance to Certification and Inspection Bodies (CIS 6) to coincide with the launch of PAS 43:2010

The final draft of PAS 43:2010, which still has to be agreed by SURVIVE Working Group 2 and the SURVIVE Executive, would be published on the BSI website in November for public comment, with its publication as the new standard by the end of March 2010.

 

RO understands that further discussion and decisions regarding the use of PAS 43 outside the UK are still to be agreed but there should be a general provision included within PAS 43:2010 to explain that, where appropriate, any national legislation requirements would still apply.

 

There still appear to be problems associated with publication on the SURVIVE website of a list of those organisations holding valid PAS 43 certificates, details of which are provided by the Inspection and Certification Bodies. The concerns centre around the maintenance of the information, the amount of work involved and potential liability issues arising from any inaccuracies in the information provided. It is hoped a way can be found to provide a central reference point for the information in the future.