Being impartial, and being perceived to be impartial, is necessary for SN Registrars (Holdings) Ltd to deliver certification that provides confidence. SN Registrars (Holdings) Ltd, it’s Directors, Manager’s, Staff and other persons involved in the Certification Activities fully understand the importance of impartiality in undertaking any Certification Activities.
SN Registrars (Holdings) Ltd recognise that the source of revenue for a certification body is the client paying for certification, and that this is a potential threat to impartiality. Therefore, SN Registrars (Holdings) Ltd has a number of controls to ensure that impartiality is retained.
To obtain and maintain confidence, it is essential that SN Registrars (Holdings) Ltd’s certification decisions are based on objective evidence of conformity or nonconformity, and that any decisions made are not influenced by other interests or by other parties. Certification decisions are made and signed for by a competent Scheme Manager who was not responsible for the audit and was not a member of the audit team.
When certain relations create unacceptable threats to impartiality, the Certification shall not be conducted. SN Registrars (Holdings) Ltd shall not certify another Certification Body for its activities relating to Management System Certification.
When potential threats to impartiality arise, SN Registrars (Holdings) Ltd eliminates or mitigates those threats. This process is monitored by the Impartiality Committee.
SN Registrars (Holdings) Ltd do not outsource audits or any other certification activities and where possible, SN Registrars (Holdings) Ltd will make sure that personnel who have provided consultancy or internal audit services in the previous two years, shall not take part in certification activities.
SN Registrars (Holdings) Ltd recognises that threats to impartiality include the following:
- Self-interest threats arising from a person or body acting in their own interest.
- Self-review threats arising from a person reviewing the work that they have conducted themselves.
- Familiarity (or trust) threats arising from a person becoming too familiar with or too trusting of another, instead of seeking audit evidence.
- Intimidation threats arising from a person having a perception of being coerced openly or secretively, such as a threat to be replaced or reported to a supervisor.
