Impartiality is understood to be the actual and perceived presence of objectivity.
Objectivity is understood to mean that conflicts of interest do not exist or are resolved so as not to adversely influence the activities of the certification body
SAIW Certification management, staff and any entity under the organisational control of SAIW Certification is committed to maintaining impartiality, by ensuring that no conflict of interest exists during any of the auditing or certification processes. Functional outcomes are subject to constant risk based assessment and implementation of appropriate preventive actions to mandate impartiality, whether it is a result of conflict of interest, financial or other pressure appropriate, when functional decisions are made by authorised / approved individuals or entities.
SAIW Certification management further stipulates the following to emphasise their commitment to impartiality:
SAIW Certification assessments of management systems for welding fabricators shall be carried out impartially
SAIW Certification shall be responsible for the impartiality of its assessment activities and shall not allow commercial, financial or other pressures to compromise impartiality
SAIW Certification will identify risks to its impartiality on an ongoing basis.
SAIW Certification will not offer or provide management system assessment services as well as management assessment consultancy to the same fabricator.
SAIW Certification will not offer or provide any other services in association with the assessment activities to a fabricator that will pose an unacceptable risk to impartiality.
The certification body and any part of the same legal entity and any entity under the organizational control of the certification body shall not offer or provide management system consultancy.
Where statements are made by any consultants or persons working with SAIW Certification, that certification will be easier, simpler or faster if companies get Certified by SAIW Certification, SAIW Certification undertakes to address and correct this statement in an appropriate manner.
The SAIW Certification Governing Board is committed to impartiality in management certification activities and will endeavour to maintain this impartiality by identifying, documenting and managing conflicts of interest between the certification body and its clients and any conflicts of interest arising from relationships.
The ANBCC Certification Board will assume the responsibilities of the Committee for Safeguarding Impartiality, in addition to their
existing responsibilities.
