Accredited Certification Bodies should be aware of developments in the ISO/IEC 17021 series of documents.
CBs should note that TS documents are Technical Specifications and not direct requirement documents, however, the International Accreditation Forum (IAF) has adopted these and they therefore hold the same status as IAF Mandatory Guidance i.e. CBs must pay due cognisance to them within their accredited activities. It should also be noted that at the first review stages of these publications ISO is considering the upgrade of these Technical Specifications to International Standard status.
IAF has confirmed that the ISO/IEC 17021 documents that fall within the Multilateral Recognition Agreement (MLA) are endorsed normative documents to be applied in conjunction with ISO/IEC 17021-1, and the deadline for implementation is two years after publication. Furthermore, the UKAS Management System Certification Technical Advisory Committee has agreed that all of these documents should be considered as normative, irrespective of the IAF MLA, as all are covered under the European cooperation for Accreditation (EA) MLA. This bulletin overviews the current status of these documents, which continue to be developed.
ISO/IEC 17021-2: Competence requirements for auditing and certification of environmental management systems
This document specifies additional competence requirements for personnel involved in the audit and certification process for Environmental Management Systems (EMS) and complements the existing requirements of ISO/IEC 17021-1.
This document was reissued as an International Standard in November 2016, replacing the previous Technical Specification that was published in August 2012.
ISO/IEC 17021-3: Competence requirements for auditing and certification of quality management systems
This document specifies additional competence requirements for personnel involved in the audit and certification process for quality management systems (QMS) and complements the existing requirements of ISO/IEC 17021-1.
This document was reissued as an international standard in March 2017, replacing the previous Technical Specification that was published in May 2013.
ISO/IEC TS 17021-4: Competence requirements for auditing and certification of event sustainability management
This TS specifies additional competence requirements for personnel involved in the audit and certification process for Event Sustainability Management Systems (ESMS) and complements the existing requirements of ISO/IEC 17021-1. It was published in October 2013.
This TS has recently undergone a periodical review by ISO and has been confirmed as still valid.
ISO/IEC TS 17021-5: Competence requirements for auditing and certification of asset management systems
This TS specifies additional competence requirements for personnel involved in the audit and certification process for Asset Management Systems (ESMS) and complements the existing requirements of ISO/IEC 17021-1. It was published in April 2014.
This TS has recently undergone a periodical review by ISO and has been confirmed as still valid.
ISO/IEC TS 17021-6: Competence requirements for auditing and certification of business continuity management systems
This TS specifies additional competence requirements for personnel involved in the audit and certification process for business continuity management systems (BCMS) and complements the existing requirements of ISO/IEC 17021-1. It was published in November 2014.
This TS has recently undergone a periodical review by ISO and has been confirmed as still valid.
ISO/IEC TS 17021-7: Competence requirements for auditing and certification of road traffic safety management systems
This TS specifies additional competence requirements for personnel involved in the audit and certification process for road traffic safety (RTS) management systems and complements the existing requirements of ISO/IEC 17021-1. It was published in October 2014.
This TS has recently undergone a periodical review by ISO and has been confirmed as still valid.
ISO/IEC DTS 17021-8: Competence requirements for auditing and certification of management systems for sustainable development in communities
This TS specifies additional competence requirements for personnel involved in the audit and certification process for management systems for sustainable development in communities. The TS was published in January 2019.
ISO/IEC TS 17021-9: Competence requirements for auditing and certification of anti-bribery management systems
This TS specifies additional competence requirements for personnel involved in the audit and certification process for anti-bribery management systems and complements the existing requirements of ISO/IEC 17021-1. It was published in October 2016.
ISO/IEC 17021-10: Competence requirements for auditing and certification of occupational health and safety management systems
This TS specifies additional competence requirements for personnel involved in the audit and certification process for occupational health and safety management systems and complements the existing requirements of ISO/IEC 17021-1. It was published in March 2018.
ISO/IEC DTS 17021-11: Competence requirements for auditing and certification of facility management systems
This TS specifies additional competence requirements for personnel involved in the audit and certification process for facility management systems and complements the existing requirements of ISO/IEC 17021-1. It was published in November 2018.
Please note that UKAS does not currently provide accreditation for certification against all of the management systems covered by the 17021 Series of Technical Specifications. Should you require any clarification relating to this bulletin please contact the Technical Manager: Kevin Belson – [email protected].
Download printable version of this Technical Bulletin.