Introduction
To be an approved re-verifier of weighing and measuring instruments in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, you need to be certified by a UK-approved body to ensure the equipment you manufacture meets the required quality standards for production, product inspection, and testing.
Our team know from experience that the process of achieving and maintaining the relevant marketplace certifications can be time-consuming, costly and somewhat slow. When we set up the UK Metrology Board, we created an easy-to-follow 12-step process for certification to ensure we could be as fast, professional and trustworthy as possible.
Our 12-step certification process
1. Submit your Application for Certification: An application for a new certificate, a transfer or an addition to an existing certificate can quickly and easily be made by visiting the Apply Now section of the website. Here you can complete an online form, download a form and send it to us via email or contact us directly, and we will send you the necessary documentation.
2. Application Processed: Once we have received your application, we will process it and add it to our management system. We will then contact you if any additional documentation is required. This could be internal reports, legal documentation or current certificates relating to your equipment and the systems and processes you have in place.
3. Scoping out the Project: We then assess the scope of the audit and how long it will take. There is no set time for the length of an audit as it depends on how many sites you have, how many people need to be involved, the type of approvals that need to be in the certificate and how many standards are required for each certification.
4. Proposal and Provisional Dates Sent: Once we have assessed the scope of the project, we will then send you a detailed quote or certification agreement for you to approve which includes the cost of the audit and provisional dates.
5. Quote and Project Scope Agreed: Once you have reviewed the quote and agreement and are happy with it, you will need to return a signed copy to us via email.
6. Audit Plan Drafted and Agreed: Once you have agreed to go ahead and we have secured the auditors availability, the auditor will draft an audit plan which includes the requirements of the day, an outline of what will happen and who needs to attend.
7. UKMB Head Office Approves the Audit Plan: Our head office team reviews and approves the audit plan, this is then laid out in simple clear steps and sent to you for approval. At this point you will be put into direct contact with your auditor ensuring you can get a quick answer to any questions you have about preparing for the day or the audit itself.
8. The Audit Takes Place: The audit is undertaken at your site(s), the report is then uploaded to our management system and is sent to the technical team for review, the review part of the process is designed to ensure you are compliant with current legislation and usually takes around 7 days. At this point, we will issue you with an invoice for the audit.
9. Certification Decision: Once the technical review has been undertaken the results are sent to our Managing Director for a Certification decision, once the decision has been made we will let you know whether your certification has been improved.
10. Certificate Issued: Subject to approval, you achieve certification and your certificate is issued. Occasionally, businesses do not pass their audit, if this is the case we will provide you with a detailed outline of what it needs to be rectified and how you can go about doing this. We will also rebook your audit.
11. Upload to OPS&S: Once your certificate has been approved, it will be uploaded to OPS&,S and our systems will be updated to ensure we can automatically remind you when your annual surveillance audit is due.
12. Your Surveillance Audit: Once we have issued your certificate you will need to undergo an annual surveillance audit, this ensures you remain compliant with current legislation, can regularly review the terms of your certification and can work towards achieving a higher level of compliance.
If you would like to submit an application, you can do so here. Alternatively, if you would like to discuss your requirements you can send us an email info@ukmb.org and one of our team will be in touch.
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