Worldwide Quality Assurance

Introduction

The WQA registered firms scheme enables organisations whose quality management system complies with the requirements of BS EN ISO 9001:2008 to be registered by WQA and to display the WQA registered firm symbol in accordance with the document 'How to display the registered firm symbol'(WQA17) which forms part of these conditions.

The stages of registration

Enquiry

- Following your enquiry, WQA will provide you with a quotation for our services, based on the number of your employees and complexity of operations, specifying its acceptance life.

Application

- As acceptance of our quote you will be required to:
-- Agree to these conditions by signing and returning your quotation.
-- If you require additional application information WQA will provide this on request.

Assessment

To enable us to establish confidence that your quality system meets the requirements of BS EN ISO 9001:2008, we require you to:
- Make provision for examining documentation and access to all areas, records and personnel for the purpose of assessment, reassessment and resolution of complaints
- Advise us of any changes that might affect the quotation
- Have conducted a full internal audit and management review which meet the requirements of BS EN ISO 9001:2008.
- Pay the assessment fees in accordance with the quotation when invoiced by WQA.
- Demonstrate compliance with BS EN ISO 9001:2008 and these conditions.
- Nominate a deputy management representative.
- Note: The WQA procedures for all types of assessment are available on request.

Certificate issue

When you have satisfied the requirements of BS EN ISO 9001:2008 we shall agree a scope of registration describing the assessed activities and their locations. As evidence of compliance you will receive a certificate which may be accompanied by appendices. Where we are not satisfied with compliance WQA can at its absolute discretion refuse to issue a certificate.

Continuing assessment

To enable us to maintain confidence in your fitness as a registered firm you must advise us in writing if at any time you do not comply with the requirements of BS EN 9001:2008

We will visit your site to conduct continuing assessments to ensure you still comply. The duration and frequency is not fixed and is at the reasonable discretion of WQA. You will be notified in advance of our plans. A triennial performance review will be conducted to evaluate the performance of your quality system in monitoring conformance to the standard.

Suspension or Withdrawal of Certification

In the event that a client's license is suspended or withdrawn, it must ensure that its use of all advertising matter that contains a reference to certification is immediately withdrawn and discontinued.

Availability of Information

Any client or member of the public will on request be provided with full information on the certification processes for granting, maintaining, extending, renewing, reducing, suspending or withdrawing certification with regards to any of its worldwide operations.

Publicity and promotion

In order to maintain the integrity of our service, you will make no misleading statement concerning your application or registration and will use your best endeavors that no one connected with you gives any such misleading impression.

Confidentiality

WQA its staff and agents will keep confidential all information relating to your business and shall not disclose to any third party information unless required to do so by law. WQA staff and agents have signed confidentiality agreements that continues even after termination of this contract.

Impartiality

WQA offers a certification service that is designed through its organisational structure and auditing processes to ensure impartiality. WQA recognise the importance of impartiality in carrying out its management system certification activities and manage any possibilities for conflict of interests through documented analysis to minimize such threats, thus ensuring objectivity of its managment system and certification activies. WQA would welcome any enquiries relating to any perceived breaches of impartiality or conflicts of interest which will be made available to its governing committee for investigation and resolution.

Fees

Fees for assessment are non refundable but are only charged after the full assessment has been completed to the entire satisfaction of the customer. All other fees are charged at 1/12 of the annual fee each payment due monthly or following each assessment.Details of assessment charges and associated manday requirements will be made available on request.

Failure to pay any fees by the due date is considered contravention of this contract.

Ownership of WQA registration

The certificate and right to use the registered firm symbol shall remain the sole rights of WQA and can not be sold, lent or used as an asset of the company. Should the registered business become bankrupt, go into liquidation, receivership or be taken over then WQA must be notified as we may have to cancel registration, we will consider individual circumstances.

Cancellation of Audits

In the event that a client cancels a pre-arranged audit within 1 month of the audit date then the whole fee will fall due for payment.

Termination

WQA reserves the right to terminate registration immediately you fail to comply with these conditions or have acted in a way to bring your registration into disrepute and have failed to rectify this breach within one month of receiving written notice of the breach by WQA.

WQA can also terminate this contract for any reason by giving you three months notice of termination in writing.

You may terminate this contract at any time by giving WQA two months notice in writing and upon termination you must immediately cease to use the registered firm symbol and return all certificates to WQA.

Safety

You are responsible for the safety of all persons who enter your site and have adequate protective equipment for them to wear. Where specialist training is required this must be reported to WQA from the outset.

Indemnity

Each of us shall indemnify the other for damages and costs directly arising from our respective acts or omissions, but neither shall be liable to the other for indirect, consequential or purely economic losses.

Insurance

Each of us shall maintain sufficient third party liability insurance to a level that is appropriate to our business. Such insurance may be in the normal form for the risks involved and provide for indemnity of the other, such indemnity shall continue for a reasonable time after the liquidation of the other party.

Law

Updates to these conditions may be made from time to time upon reasonable notice from WQA.

These conditions are subject to English Law. We both agree to resolve any dispute between us and the appeal procedure, so that either of us will only resort to legal action where other means have been exhausted.

Complaints, disputes & appeals

QA maintain complaint, dispute and appeal procedures details of which are available on request