Maintaining your Compliance

Once you have successfully gained certification in accordance with your chosen standard, it is important to remain compliant.

Each standard has its own surveillance and reassessment audit schedule – consult the table below to identify the requirements of your continual certification journey. 

*EN 1090 allows for gap years within surveillance cycle if no changes have occurred and no NCRs or observations were raised during the last assessment. The requirements for the frequency of surveillance visits are detailed within Table B.3 of the EN 1090 standard.

**CMSM: Annual returns will be required each year to verify continued compliance with the scope of certification. Where the annual return does not provide sufficient confidence of continued compliance, an on-site surveillance assessment may be required.

***CMSM: For manufacturers with less than 2 years of demonstrable production experience in the scope of manufacturing applied for the initial certification will be restricted to a two year period of validity before reassessment is required. This restriction will be stated on the certificate. Manufacturers with more than 2 years of demonstrable production experience in the scope of manufacturing applied for will receive certification valid for a maximum of 5 years from the date of the certification decision.

1. Annual Surveillances

A surveillance audit is part of a continuous evaluation process to check your organisation’s ongoing compliance with the scheme(s) and relevant standard. With the nature of the surveillance audit being to monitor and maintain compliance, they are less intensive than a certification audit therefore require less time from you and the assessment team. Conducted annually, surveillance audits are usually held on-site, however those who hold certification to WFCS in accordance with the ISO 3834 standard may be eligible for a desktop surveillance following the initial 2 years of certification with us:

• Eligibility for Desktop Surveillance (WFCS ISO 3834 ONLY)

  The first surveillance must be conducted on-site, but therefore companies may have the opportunity to choose a desktop surveillance, providing no NCRs or Observations were raised at the previous assessment and there have been no changes to the scope of work. We are the only certification body in the UK able to offer desktop surveillances as we hold unique status of International Institute of Welding (IIW) membership. Clients who choose TWI Cert as their certification body see gains through lower assessment costs and eliminates the burden of a site visit and the staff resource that would normally be required during an in-person surveillance.

2. Reassessments

In simple terms, a reassessment is the initial audit, repeated, but without the preliminary gap analysis. It is a stringent check of all processes, procedures and facilities including review of your nominated staff who appear on your certificate e.g. rWCs. Upon completion of a successful reassessment your organisation will receive a new certificate.

3. Informing us of Changes

Please also remember it is your responsibility to inform us of any changes in your organisation that may affect your certification. These include, but are not exclusive to:

• Extension or change of scope: materials, processes, equipment, location

• Change of responsible Welding Coordinator/s (rWCs), organisation name/ownership, key contacts

Failure to follow the required assessment/audit schedule or inform us of any changes affecting your certification may result in your organisation falling out of compliance.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding maintaining your compliance, please contact company@twicertification.com