What are inspections?

Everyone is talking about inspections – but what are they exactly? ISO/IEC 17020, the standard for inspection bodies, describes an inspection as an examination of items, for example materials, products, installations, equipment, processes, workflows or services. A fundamental difference to testing and certifications is that in an inspection, a technical expert assesses the extent to which the examined item complies with the specified requirements.

Criteria such as quantity, quality, fitness for purpose or safety play a role here. Important: the inspection can apply to all stages of the life cycle of an inspected item, including the design stage.

Inspection bodies carry out these assessments on behalf of private clients, parent companies or public authorities. The goal is to determine whether an inspected item is in accordance with the relevant regulations or standards and conformity is assured. The result is an inspection report, including a statement of conformity that informs the client or authorities about the current condition of the item.

ISO/IEC 17020 defines the general and specific requirements that an inspection body must fulfil with regard to independence, structure, resources and processes. It is applied at every stage of inspection, from type testing and initial inspection to in-service inspection. Compliance with this standard is the basis for accreditation as an inspection body.

What types of inspection bodies are there?

ISO/IEC 17020, the international standard for inspection bodies, distinguishes between three types of inspection bodies, regardless of the field of activity: A type A inspection body is an independent “third party” that receives external orders for the inspection of products, processes or services. The products, processes or services are also external, i.e. not part of the business of the inspection body.

• Type A inspection bodies returns their inspection reports to the external client after the inspection has been completed.
• A type B inspection body, by contrast, is always part of the organisation concerned with the product to be inspected. This type of inspection body inspects only the organisation’s own internal products. It is an identifiable but separate part of the organisation and provides inspection reports only to the internal client.
• In contrast to type B, a type C inspection body is part of an organisation concerned with the products to be inspected that is not clearly separated but can be identified. This type of inspection body inspects both its own internal products and similar or external products and provides its inspection reports to both internal and external clients.

The general requirements of the standard apply to all types of inspection bodies.

Tasks and objectives of the certification of management systems

Management systems support organisations in approaching their work methodically and in achieving their goals through clear structures and defined processes. This approach helps to optimise internal processes, minimise risks or meet customer expectations more systematically.

Many enterprises, from the manufacturing industry to the service sector, therefore choose to have an independent third party assess whether they are in compliance with the standardised requirements for a management system. This attestation is the responsibility of certification bodies for management systems.

Certification bodies for management systems can have their own competence assessed in an accreditation procedure. The requirements of ISO/IEC 17021 constitute the basis for this. This global standard sets out the general and specific requirements, in terms of independence, structure, resources and processes that these certification bodies must meet in order to be classified as competent and impartial. Accreditation on the basis of ISO/IEC 17021 therefore promotes recognition of such bodies and acceptance of their certifications at the national and international level, as well as in world trade.

Benefits and areas of application of certified management systems

Certification bodies for management systems offer their services both across sectors, in the areas of quality, environment, energy, IT security or occupational health and safety, and on a sector-specific basis in the food or health sectors.

For companies, drawing on the services of an accredited certifier not only offers more certainty in terms of being able to trust a professional service provider – in some industries, certification by an accredited body is in fact a prerequisite for acquiring new markets.

Numerous certifications of management systems can be accredited, including:

• Quality management systems (ISO 9001)
• Energy management systems (ISO 50001)
• Environmental management systems (ISO 14001)
• Information security management system (ISO 27001)
• Anti-bribery management systems (ISO 37001)
• Food safety management systems (ISO 22000, FSSC 22000, etc.)
• Occupational health and safety management system (ISO 45001
• Company health management

ISO/IEC 17024 Certification Bodies for Persons