22/06/2019
Its NABCB's endeavour to provide world class services to Indian industry.
NABCB SECURES INTERNATIONAL EQUIVALENCE FOR PERSONNEL CERTIFICATION
The National Accreditation Board for Certification Bodies (NABCB), India’s national accreditation body, has secured international equivalence for its accreditation programme for personnel certification bodies in the annual meetings of the Asia Pacific Accreditation Cooperation in Singapore today. NABCB signed the Mutual Recognition Arrangement (MRA) of the Asia Pacific Accreditation Cooperation (APAC) for its accreditation programme based on international standard, ISO/IEC 17024. ISO/IEC 17024: Conformity assessment - General requirements for bodies operating certification of persons which specifies criteria for the operation of a Personnel Certification Bodies (also known as a certification body for persons). The standard includes requirements for the development and maintenance of the certification schemes for persons upon which the certification is based.
NABCB, a constituent Board of the Quality Council of India, an autonomous body attached to the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, is responsible for accreditation of certification/inspection bodies as per applicable international standards under an international system of equivalence. This signifies that the accreditation of personnel certification bodies by NABCB is now accepted as equivalent at international level. NABCB has already secured international equivalence for its accreditation programmes for ISO 9001 certification bodies in 2002 and ISO 14001 certification bodies in 2007, Product certification bodies based on ISO 17065 in 2013, Inspection Bodies based on ISO 17020 in 2013, Global Gap in 2014, ISO 22000 certification bodies and ISMS certification bodies as per ISO 27001 in 2015, Energy Management Systems in Oct 2018 and for Occupational Health & Safety Management Systems in Dec 2018.
Accreditation reduces risk for business and its customers by assuring that accredited Conformity Assessment Bodies (CABs) are competent to carry out the work they undertake within their scope of accreditation. Accreditation Bodies (ABs) that are members of APAC and the CABs they accredit are required to comply with appropriate international standards and the applicable APAC application documents for the consistent application of those standards. ABs that are signatories to the APAC Multilateral Recognition Arrangement (MRA) are evaluated regularly by an appointed team of peers to provide confidence in the operation of their accreditation programs. Accreditation has become an essential tool for getting acceptance of inspection, testing and certification done in India internationally and it is referenced in many bilateral Free Trade Agreements like the India – Singapore Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement in which NABCB accreditation is a requirement for certification of electrical/electronic and telecom products. Thus, accreditation eliminates technical barriers to trade and facilitates export of Indian products in world market.
NABCB has currently accredited one certification body for Personnel Certification and has 4 applicants. This program will help professionals to get certified based on their competence in any required field. NABCB is already supporting Ministry of AYUSH and has accredited a certification body for certification for Yoga Professionals. This would promote Yoga certification scheme internationally.
Personnel Certification would support many professionals in India especially where we do not have formal education or certificate programme. Any person carrying ISO/IEC 17024 certificate with NABCB logo may be recognized internationally It can also be used by regulators for establishing confidence in certified personnel for different activities.
With the above recognition, NABCB hopes to facilitate export of Indian services and skills into the world market by attesting that persons are certified following international standards by the certifying bodies.
