UKAS
United Kingdom Accreditation Service
UKAS – United Kingdom Accreditation Service. The role of UKAS is basically to assess the assessors. So any organisation which provides certification (eg certifies companies to ISO 9000 etc), testing (eg mechanical testing, NDT), inspection (eg engineering inspection, food inspection & surveying for asbestos) and calibration (eg equipment calibration) can be assessed by UKAS against the requirements laid down in international standards. If successful, the company can use the national accreditation mark.
The assessment undertaken by UKAS examines the competence and the impartiality (integrity) of the company. For NDT service companies the accreditation is generally conducted against the European Standard EN 45004 – 'General criteria for the operation of various types of inspection bodies'. This standard is appropriate for inspection bodies performing NDT at manufacturers' premises or on customers' sites.
UKAS provides guidance documents to assist companies in achieving accreditation. RG7 (see image) is specific for NDT companies whilst RG2, 'Accreditation for In-Service Inspection of Pressure Systems/Equipment', is also of interest.
UKAS is a non-profit organisation and operates under a Memorandum of Understanding with the Government through the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, hence the presence of the crown in the logo.
For more information on UKAS see:
http://www.ukas.com/
What the hec?! articles are not intended to be the definitive account on the topic or acronym in question. Readers’ comments and contributions are welcomed. Email: ndtnews@bindt.org
The assessment undertaken by UKAS examines the competence and the impartiality (integrity) of the company. For NDT service companies the accreditation is generally conducted against the European Standard EN 45004 – 'General criteria for the operation of various types of inspection bodies'. This standard is appropriate for inspection bodies performing NDT at manufacturers' premises or on customers' sites.
UKAS provides guidance documents to assist companies in achieving accreditation. RG7 (see image) is specific for NDT companies whilst RG2, 'Accreditation for In-Service Inspection of Pressure Systems/Equipment', is also of interest.
UKAS is a non-profit organisation and operates under a Memorandum of Understanding with the Government through the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, hence the presence of the crown in the logo.
For more information on UKAS see:
http://www.ukas.com/
What the hec?! articles are not intended to be the definitive account on the topic or acronym in question. Readers’ comments and contributions are welcomed. Email: ndtnews@bindt.org
