Apply for Accreditation

SAAS thanks all organisations for their interest in accreditation by SAAS to conduct SA8000 certifications.  Dedication to this type of quality monitoring promotes social responsibility among businesses worldwide.  SAAS accepts applications for Certification Bodies to conduct certification audits to SA8000.   Applicant organisations may apply for accreditation in one or more countries and are accredited based upon their ability to satisfy the SAAS accreditation criteria. Organizations interested in applying to be accredited by SAAS must meet the criteria set out in SAAS procedures.   See below for more details.

CBs accredited by SAAS are invited to apply to conduct BSCI audits as well but must apply directly to BSCI.  

Accreditation for SA8000 Certification

Certification Bodies interested in conducting SA8000 audits must conform to requirements set out in both SAAS procedures and ISO/IEC 17021-1:2015. SAAS Procedure 200 specifies requirements regarding the conduct of SA8000 audits and the assessment process of organisations against the SA8000 Standard. The systems set out in Procedure 200 are binding to CBs accredited by SAAS for performing SA8000 certification audits. Procedure 200 deals with certification body audit processes to reliably assure consistent application of the SA8000 audit requirements by its audit team members. 

SAAS Procedure 201A and Procedure 201B describe the accreditation requirements and process by which SAAS operates and by which SAAS requires the CBs to operate.  They describe the process for granting and maintaining accreditation for CBs that deliver SA8000 certification and define the rights and responsibilities of SAAS and the accredited CBs, as well as the SAAS activities required for assessing and accrediting CBs.

ISO/IEC 17021 contains principles and requirements for the competence, consistency, and impartiality of an audit and the certification of management systems of all types (e.g. quality management systems or environmental management systems) and for bodies providing these activities. CBs interested in accreditation by SAAS must meet these requirements as well.

Application Materials for Accreditation For SA8000 Certification

The Application Requirements for accreditation to conduct SA8000 certification audits require the documents as described below.

Normative Documents for SA8000:2014 Audit Process

 
Application Documents to Apply for Accreditation to Conduct SA8000:2014 Audits
 
Upon application, all applicants shall submit the application fee and completed copies of the following documents:
  1. SAAS Application Form
  2. Checklist #2
  3. Checklist #3
  4. Checklist #4
  5. Checklist #5
  6. SA8000:2014 Auditor Competence Matrix
  7. Supporting management system and audit process documentation.
 
SAAS will not accept an application unless it contains ALL required documentation noted above, along with payment of the application fee.  Note: Within the checklists listed above, in the column entitled “Where compliance can be found in CB Management System” – applicants shall indicate the document name and clause number.  Be advised that checklists shall not be accepted or reviewed if the applicant has omitted the document name and clause number within the document.
 
SAAS, in collaboration with SAI, has created and released a webinar to review the SA8000:2014 audit through a complete, in-depth review of the entirety of the process requirements contained in Procedure 200.  Applicant CBs may be interested in learning more about the system and may enroll and participate in the pre-recorded webinar to understand the general content of this procedure.
 

SAAS emphasizes the importance of fully and completely reading the contents of all of these documents and the Application Form and Document Checklists, enclosing all requested documentation and the application fee.  This will speed the application process. Please also direct your attention to your rights and responsibilities as outlined in the various documents.  If you have questions, please contact Lisa Bernstein.

 

Applying For Accreditation For SA8000 Certification

Please be aware that the initial accreditation process can take between 6 to 18 months for completion, with an average timeframe of 12 months. Learn more about the process of accreditation by visiting the Application Procedure page and by downloading a description of the initial accreditation process by SAAS for SA8000 from the Document Library.  Please also visit the Document Library to review the updated policies and procedures.