Delivering a Safer World
SGS Celebrates World Accreditation Day on June 9, 2018.
World Accreditation Day (WAD) is a joint initiative of the International Accreditation Forum (IAF) and the International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC) to raise awareness of the importance of accreditation. This year, the focus is on how standards and certifications deliver a safer world.
What is accreditation?
Accreditation is the independent evaluation of conformity assessment bodies against recognized national and international standards for carrying out specific activities. It ensures integrity, impartiality and competence. Accreditation enables government departments, businesses and the rest of society to have confidence in calibration and test results, inspection reports and certifications.
What are some of the global safety issues addressed by accreditation?
- 2.78 million deaths per year as a result of occupational accidents and work-related diseases
- 125 million people exposed to asbestos
- 1 in 8 people dying because of air pollution each year
- 1.25 million recorded road traffic deaths
- 374 million non-fatal work related injuries and illnesses per year
- USD 2.8 trillion in direct and indirect costs relating to workplace injuries and diseases
- 2 million estimated deaths from contaminated food or drinking water each year
- 177 million personal records exposed
How does accreditation help?
Accreditation plays a role in:
- Reducing costs
- Lowering employee absence and turnover rates
- Reducing workplace and roadway accidents
- Ensuring quality
- Protecting personal information
- Reducing bribery and corruption
- Improving food safety
- Reducing climate change
- Letting investors and customers know which businesses are behaving in a socially responsible way
Who benefits from accreditation?
Government agencies and regulators – rely on accreditation to verify that businesses comply with policies and technical requirements for ensuring the safety of working environments and products placed on the market.
Businesses – use accreditation to improve their reputations, attract and retain staff, and increase their opportunities for growth. The implementation of an accredited health and safety management system allows businesses to:
- Minimize the risk of downtime because of accidents
- Demonstrate compliance with best practice
- Reduce the cost of public liability insurance premiums
- Demonstrate their commitment to legal obligations
Employees – benefit from the knowledge that their health and safety is prioritized. An accredited health and safety management system identifies potential risks to staff and ensures a safe working environment.
The public – gain confidence that the goods and services that they purchase, from whichever country of origin, meet standards of health and safety when they are accompanied by accredited certificates of conformity.
Find out more about World Accreditation Day 2018
Download the WAD 2018 brochure or visit the ILAC website.
How can SGS help?
SGS is the world’s leading inspection, verification, testing and certification company. We ensure that products, processes, systems and services around the globe comply with national and international standards and regulations.
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