UKAS accreditation assurance

The United Kingdom Accreditation Service is the sole national accreditation body recognised by Government to assess - against internationally agreed standards - organisations that provide certification, testing, inspection and calibration services.

Accreditation by UKAS demonstrates the competence, impartiality and performance capability of these evaluators. UKAS is a non-profit-distributing private company, limited by guarantee.

UKAS is licensed by BEIS to use and confer the national accreditation symbols - formerly national accreditation marks - which symbolise Government recognition of the accreditation process.

UKAS accreditation provides an assurance of the competence, impartiality and integrity of conformity assessment bodies. UKAS accredited certification, testing and calibration and inspection reduces the need for suppliers to be assessed by each of their customers.

UKAS' involvement in international groups provides for mutual recognition, which further reduces the need for multiple assessments of suppliers and - as a consequence - helps to reduce barriers to trade.

View our UKAS schedules

Impartiality

SSAIB is committed - at all levels - to the maintenance of its impartiality and has put in place all the necessary policies and procedures to ensure that its certification activities and decisions are both objective and impartial.

These policies and procedures undergo regular review by an independent committee, whose primary task is to ensure that impartiality is safeguarded.

A copy of our impartiality statement can be viewed here.

Your Assurance

SSAIB’s remit as a certification body is to protect the interests of the consumer (eg purchasers, specifiers and end users.)

This is achieved by requiring registered organisations to meet criteria appropriate to the services they provide. For example, insurance and screening of personnel have, and implement, a complaints procedure. In addition, all services provided by registered organisations must comply with the requirements of international, European or British Standards or SSAIB Codes of Practice as appropriate.

However, if you are dissatisfied with the service provided by an SSAIB-registered firm and feel that your complaint has not been dealt with satisfactorily, SSAIB will investigate the matter with the firm in question. SSAIB will always ensure that a complaint against us - or any of our registered firms - is given prompt attention. For further information, please click here.

SSAIB security systems registration schemes are intended to establish compliance of such systems with relevant standards, meaning those that apply to the security system in question.

Our registration schemes are not intended to establish compliance with BS7671 IET Wiring Regulations or the competence of any person installing or testing – for example – spur points, unfused/fused outlets, socket outlets and/or electrical interconnections used to supply a security or life safety system.

This exemption includes the connection of a security system to an existing electrical spur point or socket outlet, eg the final connection of a security system to an electrical power point using a flexible cable.