Product Conformity Certification, to use its full title, is a process by which manufactured products are assessed and verified as conforming to stated requirements. This results in the issue of a statement or certificate of conformity and normally approval, to apply a mark indicating conformity of the product.

Is Product Certification mandatory?

Certification may be mandatory or voluntary. Mandatory certification applies when required by either national or international law. Voluntary systems are being implemented by specifying organisations in order to improve the build quality of components that form an integral part of a larger product.

What is the role of the certification body?

The certification body acts as an independent assessor of compliance with the product certification standard. In order to qualify them to do so, a national accreditation body, such JAS-ANZ, independently assesses the certification body against rules and regulations which govern the operating criteria for those certification bodies that operate product certification.

What do the various product certification marks mean?

In simple terms, a mark on a product is a form of assurance that the product and system used to manufacture it meet all regulatory requirements and the relevant specification. Marks in many different formats are used and some are mandatory, some not.

The underlying certification process may involve various tests and production quality assurance procedures and will vary in value and cost. Product certification marks signal that a product conforms to a specification, so it is important to understand the content of the specification to fully appreciate the value of the mark.