Conformity assessment is what?

In the modern world with its developed markets andgrowing competition, manufacturers of various goods and service providers are trying with all their strength to prove to the consumer that their product is the best, most reliable, comfortable and safe. To help them comes the process, such as conformity assessment.

Basic concepts and definitions

Conformity assessment is evidencecompliance with the requirements established by regulatory documents (standards, technical regulations and conditions) or declared by the customer to the object of evaluation. The basic standards of conformity assessment are set out in the Law "On Technical Regulation" and other legal acts of the Russian Federation.

The result of the appraisal activitybecomes a confirming document that assures the conformity of the object of assessment with the regulatory requirements of the GOST and the technical regulations or the terms specified in the contracts.

The conformity assessment system is a collectionmanagement, rules and procedures used in the implementation of valuation activities. There are different levels of assessment systems - international, regional, national, subnational.

What can be the object of evaluation?

According to GOST ISO / IEC 17000-2012, the object of evaluationconformity is the material, products, system, process, installation, body or person to which it is possible to apply the evaluation activity. The term "products" includes the following categories:

• services (transportation);
• software (computer software);
• technical means (mechanical parts, engines, etc.);
• recyclable materials (lubricating fluids).

If the final product that is the object of evaluation consists of elements belonging to different types of products, it is classified as the predominant component.

Objectives of valuation activities

The purpose of conformity assessment of products oractivity is the conclusion, whether the object meets the established requirements, for which the actual values ​​of the regulated quality parameters are measured and compared with the normative ones.

Confirmation first of allserves to assure that the assessed object meets regulatory or specified requirements. In addition, the availability of a supporting document is intended to assist buyers in an informed choice of products, works or services of interest to them. It should be noted that obtaining the results of the conformity assessment of activities (products) makes it possible to increase the competitiveness of the assessed object in the domestic and international markets. Finally, the confirmation of compliance contributes to the creation of conditions for the provision of a single intra-state trading space, as well as for the promotion of international cooperation in the scientific, technical and economic spheres.

Tasks of assessment and conformity assessment

Achievement of the set goals is impossible without solving the following problems:

• selection of a number of quality indicators used to perform work on the assessment and validation of compliance;
• the establishment of limit values ​​or conformity points (when assessing on a scale scale) of the specified parameters and fixing them in normative legal documents;
• Determination of methods and means necessary for the production of appraisal and supporting activities;
• establishment of the procedure for the implementation of activities for assessment and conformity assessment.

Principles of assessment and conformity assessment

The principles of conformity assessment are the norms on which appraisal and confirmatory activity is based. These include:

• free access of interested persons to information concerning the procedure for performing valuation works;
• inadmissibility of the requirement of mandatory confirmation of the conformity of facilities for which the requirements of technical regulations are not established;
• Establishment in the technical regulations for the respective types of products of the list of forms and schemes used for mandatory confirmation of compliance;
• the need to shorten the deadline for the work of compulsory confirmation and the cost of the customer evaluation;
• inadmissibility of compulsion to voluntary certification;
• protection of the interests of applicants, including compliance with commercial secrets regarding data obtained during the performance of appraisal activities;
• inadmissibility of replacing mandatory certification with a voluntary one.

Forms and methods of conformity assessmentare created and applied to products, processes of construction, production, design or operation, regardless of the country of their manufacture or implementation, as well as the types or characteristics of transactions or producers, performers, sellers and purchasers. Thus, the principles, goals and objectives of the appraisal and confirmatory activity do not depend on the form in which the assessment or confirmation is made.

Forms of performance of appraisal works

There are following forms of conformity assessment:

• state control (supervision);
• Declaration of conformity (confirmation by the manufacturer);
• accreditation - recognition of the competence of the body or laboratory conducting the conformity assessment;
• state registration - confirmation of the safety of new products, in particular, food, biologically active additives, etc .;
• test;
• licensing;
• putting the facility into operation.

Types of conformity assessment

Confirmation of compliance can be eithervoluntary (voluntary certification) and mandatory (acceptance by the manufacturer of a declaration of compliance or mandatory certification). According to Russian legislation, the customer has the right to choose any form of mandatory confirmation, that is, mandatory certification of products can be replaced by declaration. Note that only processes are subject to mandatory certification. Work and services can only be subject to voluntary certification.

Methods of confirming compliance include:

• original certificate of conformity;
• original declaration of conformity;
• a copy of the certificate, certified by a notary or the certifying authority that issued the document, as well as the original holder;
• commodity-accompanying documents, issuedmanufacturer or supplier for each type of product on the basis of certificates or declarations of compliance with an indication of their output. This information is certified by the signature and stamp of the manufacturer (supplier, seller) with the indication of his contact information.

Voluntary certification

This method of compliance is appliedon the initiative of the manufacturer on terms agreed with the certifying authority. Voluntary certification is used to ascertain the conformity of products or services to state standards, voluntary certification systems, enterprise standards, and contract terms.

Mandatory certification

Activity on mandatory certification is performed exclusively for those facilities for which technical regulations have been developed and only for its compliance with the requirements of the regulations.

Mandatory certification is a kind ofstate supervision of product safety. It is produced by a certifying body on the basis of an agreement with the customer. The body that carries out the activity of mandatory certification must be accredited in accordance with the established procedure.

The received certificate and the sign of conformityare valid throughout the territory of the Russian Federation. Mandatory certification serves only to confirm the fulfillment by the applicant of the safety requirements that are critical to the health and life of the consumer, as well as property and environmental safety, in the production of products or the provision of services.

Declaration of conformity

The filing of a declaration of conformity isbased on the evidence presented by the applicant, in addition to which it is possible to add evidence obtained with the participation of a third party. Applicants can be both individuals and organizations. Declarations schemes, as well as the composition of materials for argumentation are determined by technical regulations.

Characteristics of types of certification

Comparative analysis of the main characteristics of certification types is conveniently presented in the form of a table.

Duties of manufacturers (sellers) of products and performers of works

When conducting conformity assessment, manufacturers and dealers of products, as well as contractors of works and services are obliged:

• release (sell) products (perform services) only if there is a supporting document;
• ensure compliance of produced or sold products with the declared requirements and marking it with a sign of conformity;
• indicate in the accompanying documents for the product or service details of the confirmation of compliance;
• facilitate the monitoring and supervision of certified products;
• suspendproducts, if it does not meet the requirements or after the expiration of the certificate, as well as after the expiry date.