Impartiality Policy

Overview

At Omni Assured International Certification Ltd (OMNI) impartiality is at the core of our business ethos as we are committed to the principles of impartiality embodied within the ISO 17021 and ISO 17065 standards for certification bodies.

We aim to provide an objective and fair assessment and certification process and have implemented processes, policies and best practice to ensure we safeguard the impartiality of all our activities.

We strive to deliver assessment certification services which provide the market place with confidence, while maintaining the credibility of our brand, industry, audit and certification processes, as well as the Irish National Accreditation Body (INAB) and all other interested parties.

We ensure that all of our employees and associates are trained and responsible for complying with our processes and guidelines in relation to impartiality. All personnel either internal or external are required to declare that they are free from any undue commercial, financial or other pressures, which could affect their impartiality. Personnel who have provided consultancy within two years to any organisation seeking certification are not employed to take part in any part of the certification process. Contracted personnel are required to reveal any situation which may present a conflict of interest.

We retain authority and responsibility for decisions made in regard to our activities.

In order to achieve our impartiality goals, we have appointed a formal Impartiality Committee. The Committee is responsible for monitoring and reviewing all aspects of our activities. The committee is empowered with the sufficient weight of power to properly protect interested parties in relation to the objectivity and impartiality of our activities.

The committee members are appointed to represent a full cross-section of our interested parties and are experienced within their field to provide value adding support, advice and judgement on issues of impartiality and appeals. They are sufficiently experienced to be able to guarantee a wealth of knowledge, expertise and integrity for OMNI.

In any instance where any interested party feels that there is a potential threat to impartiality, they are welcome to contact our head office where they are able to request any of our directors’ or committee members’ contact details in relation to Impartiality. All directors and committee members have the authority to initiate a full investigation into any enquiries made, in conjunction with the Chairman of the committee.

Threats to Impartiality

We recognise the following as threats to our impartiality:

• Self-interest – threats that arise from acting in one’s own interest.
• Self-review – threats that arise from reviewing one’s own work.
• Familiarity - threats that arise from one being too familiar with or trusting of another.
• Intimidation – threats that arise from one being or having a perception of being coerced in any way.

Conflicts of Interest

We recognise the following scenarios as a conflict of interest:

• Any system being audited by one who has created/implemented or had input into it.
• Auditing the system of one’s family or friends
• Accepting, directly or indirectly, any kind of personal advantage offered by those being audited

In order to ensure the impartiality and objectivity of our activities, we make the following clear commitments:

Impartiality Policy Version 4

We Shall

• be responsible for, and retain authority for, all decisions relating to certification;
• ensure that all personnel who could influence certification activities act impartially;
• require all personnel to reveal any conflicts of interest;
• ensure its relationships with other bodies does not compromise impartiality;
• ensure that activities are not marketed or offered as linked with the activities of any management system
• always take action to respond to threats to its impartiality.

We Shall Not

• offer or provide management system consultancy;
• design, manufacture, install, distribute or maintain a product, process or service it has certified;
• permit the involvement in the management of OMNI of any personnel of any separate legal entities producing a
• offer or provide internal audits to its certified clients;
• certify within two years a management system where there was consultancy from a body that has a relationship
• outsource audits to a management system consultancy;
• employ any personnel on assessments where that individual has provided management system consultancy within
• certify the quality management system of another certification body.