FAQ's

Who is QEC US? 

QEC US is the independent marketing representative and ISO9000 Registration Facilitator in the United States for Quality and Environmental Certification, Ltd. - QEC(UK). QEC US identifies and schedules registration projects and assigns them to qualified auditors who are approved by and conduct audits under the direct and exclusive control of QEC(UK).  

What is the QEC US policy regarding assignment of auditors? 

Wherever practicable, QEC US 

•  strives to assign "local" auditors who reside close to the auditee's location in order to keep travel expenses to a minimum.
• encourages the auditee to interview the QEC auditor who will be assigned to the project before making a decision to contract for certification services 
• assigns the same auditor throughout the certification program (including the optional pre-assessment)

What is Quality and Environmental Certification, Ltd.? 

QEC(UK) is an assessment body, accredited by the  United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS), providing ISO9000 registration services, for the following industry sectors: 

EAC Codes 

• EA 5 Leather & leather prods 
• EA 9 Printing companies 
• EA 14 Rubber & plastic prods
• EA 15 Non-metallic mineral prods 
• EA 17  Basic metals and fabricated metal prod 
• EA 18  Machinery & equipment
• EA 19  Electrical and optical equipment
•  EA 28  Construction - Limited Scope
•  EA 29  Wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles; motorcycles and personal household goods 
• EA 31  Transport, storage and communication EA 33  Information technology
• EA 35  Other services

QEC(UK) conducts independent audits of quality management systems against the requirements of the applicable ISO9000 standard and, where warranted, recommends that UKAS authorize issuance of a quality system certificate for the auditee's operation.  

What is United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS)? 

UKAS is the sole national body recognized by the British government for the accreditation of testing and calibration laboratories, certification and inspection bodies. A not-for-profit company, limited by guarantee, UKAS operates under a Memorandum of Understanding with the government through the Department of Trade and Industry. 

Are QEC-UK/UKAS Registration marks recognized in the USA and elsewhere? 

Yes. UKAS, along with the recognized accreditation bodies throughout most of the world are members of the International Accreditation Forum, Inc. (IAF) and signatories to the IAF Multilateral Recognition Arrangement. (MLA) "The purpose of the MLA is to allow accreditations and the certificates issued by certification / registration bodies accredited by members of the MLA to be recognised by the other members of the MLA. The objective is that the MLA will cover all accreditation bodies in all countries in the world, thus eliminating the need for suppliers of products or services to be certified in each country where they sell their products or services (certified once – accepted everywhere)." 

The RAB, the recognized accreditation body in the United States, and the Standards Council of Canada are signatories to the MLA. A complete list of MLA signatories can be found on the web at  http://www.iaf.nu/default.asp 

How much does ISO9000 certification cost? 

The key factors that determine certification cost are:  

• The size of the organization undergoing certification - typically gauged by the number of employees and number of locations,
• The scope and  nature of the organization's activities and the maturity of its quality system, 
• The daily audit rate(s) and associated fees charged by the certification firm (the "Registrar"), and
• Travel expenses 

The International Accreditation Forum, Inc. (IAF) publishes guidelines on the amount of time required to be spent by certification/registration bodies. While they permit flexibility in the application of these guidelines, the use of lower times must be justified and recorded. 

How can I get a quote on certification from QEC(UK)?  
    
Simply download the QEC US Application form *, (MSWord 97 format)  complete it and send it back to us.  If you are unable to download it, complete our on line Contact Form, phone us at (610)913-7081 or fax (209) 797-9948 and we will send it to you.  

* Right Click (or if you are a Mac user, hold down the mouse button) and select Save Link