Witness Audits

Certification bodies that intend to carry out various certification activities must be accredited by a national or international accreditation organization to ensure that their services and the certificates they issue are valid and accepted globally. Accreditation bodies grant this authority only after auditing the certification organization and confirming that all required criteria have been met.

During both initial accreditation applications and accreditation renewal periods, the scope of audits conducted at the certification body’s headquarters is determined by considering the diversity of products, associated risks, and the organization’s branches and activities in other countries. If the certification body has additional branches apart from its main office, audits are also performed at the branches considered critical during the initial accreditation process.

The main purpose of these audits is to assess the effectiveness of the activities conducted by the certification body within the scope of its accreditation.

Witness audits are conducted for the following purposes:

• To evaluate the auditors’ technical knowledge about the product being certified
• To determine whether auditors are fully familiar with the certification program
• To assess whether auditors have the competence to evaluate the effectiveness of the controls and tests performed by the organization being audited

If the certification body is not accredited according to ISO/IEC 17020, witness audits are performed by observing inspection activities and evaluating management systems.

If the certification body is not accredited according to ISO/IEC 17025, witness audits are carried out only by observing testing activities.

During the initial accreditation audit of a certification body, at least one witness audit must be performed for a sub-product within the applied scope. However, the number of witness audits may be increased depending on the breadth and complexity of the applied scope.

Witness audits are required not only during the initial accreditation application but also as part of accreditation renewal audits. Before these evaluations begin, a detailed witness audit plan must always be prepared.

Within the scope of our audit services, our organization provides third-party audits to certification bodies, including witness audits. In these processes, we operate in accordance with relevant legal regulations, national and international standards, and widely accepted auditing practices.