Mechanism of designation of the conformity assessment body
Terms and definitions:
- Conformity assessment: It is the verification of the extent to which products, services, or processes conform to the technical regulations and predetermined specifications.
- Conformity assessment body: It is the body that verifies compliance with specific conformity assessment activities in accordance with specific technical requirements.
- Accreditation: A certificate from a third party that a body provides conformity assessment services in a specific field is officially qualified to carry out specific conformity assessment tasks after fulfilling all the requirements listed in international evidence to ensure its continued efficiency.
- Authority: the body that is responsible for the registration process for conformity verification bodies in the countries which is the Public authority of the industry.
- Registration: Inserting the conformity assessment body in the list of conformity verification bodies at the Public authority of the industry.
- Designation: inserting the conformity assessment body among the approved bodies to carry out specific work (examination and calibration or/and sampling) at the Ministry of Public Works.
- The applicant body: any conformity assessment body that is desirous of designation and submitting a request.
- The registered body: any conformity assessment body that is published and registered at the official site of the Public authority of the industry.
- Certificate of designation: a document granted to the conformity assessment body to carry out its activities, and its validity period is six months that is renewable (until a conformity assessment body designation listed is prepared).
- MPW: Ministry of public works.
- QCD: Quality control department.
- GC: Government center for testing, quality control, and research.
- EPA: Environment public authority.
- KCCI: Kuwait Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
- MOCI: Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
- PAI: Public authority of the industry.
- LERF: laboratory Examination Request Form.
Introduction
The Ministry of Public Works was established in 1945 under the name of "Department of Works" to be responsible for achieving the construction plan of the state and the development of agricultural wealth and aquaculture in it and for achieving the quality of the materials included in that construction plan as well as the need to conduct examinations, quality control, and research to raise the efficiency of projects and ensure their quality. From this principle, the Government Center for Testing, quality control, and Research were established in 1953 (under the name of the Government Testing Station) to be a regional center for testing and research with the highest standards available at the time and to ensure continued leadership and keeping the pace with development in this field. And In order to achieve Kuwait Vision 2035 and the desired goals, the sector's first step towards this is through the preparation of a clear mechanism of designating conformity assessment bodies and involving the private sector in this mechanism to ensure the advancement, control, and documentation of the quality of business, considering all modern standards and specifications that would achieve this.
Requirements for designation of conformity assessment bodies:
Pre-designation procedures
1. The conformity assessment bodies go to the Government Center GC to submit their application for designation from QCD, with the submission of the LERF form and the necessary documents.
2. QCD procedures:
2. a QCD checks whether the conformity assessment body ISO 17025 certificate is accepted by the PAI.
2. b. All the documents that were submitted by the conformity assessment body shall be limited.
2. c Setting an appointment for the assessment visit by communicating with the conformity assessment body.
3. First technical visit:
3. a The technical study of the documents is done.
3. b A specific date is set for the first technical visit to the conformity assessment body.
3. c The outcome of the visit is then presented through a report with the results of the visit to the conformity assessment body.
3.d In case the result of the report was that it fulfills all the requirements, a designation certificate for the conformity assessment body will be issued by QCD that is valid for a period of 6 months (until a conformity assessment body designation listed is prepared).
3. e. When the report shows any non-conformity with the requirements, the conformity assessment body is responsible for fixing and conforming it by doing the necessary procedures within the specified timeout in the issued report by QCD.
4. Second technical visit:
4. a QCD will verify the effectiveness and adequacy of the procedures taken by the conformity assessment body through the second technical visit to ensure that the non-conformity mentioned in the report of the first technical visit is corrected and confirmed.
4. b If the non-conformity was corrected and conformed, the designation will be done.
4. c If the conformity assessment body fails to correct and conform to the designation requirements, QCD will prepare an identified report that includes non-conformed states and determines a specific date for the next and final visit.
5. Third technical visit:
5. a On the third technical visit, a report will be prepared by the QCD team.
5. b If the non-conformity was corrected and conformed, the designation will be done.
5. c If the conformity assessment body fails to correct and conform to the designation requirements for the third time, the application for designation will be rejected, and they will have to submit a new application for designation after six months.
Post-designation procedures
6. A designated conformity assessment body should expect regular announced or unannounced periodic assessment visits from the QCD team to monitor their compliance with the requirements.
7. The designated conformity assessment body must inform QCD of any changes that occur in the ownership, management system, key employees, or any changes in the MOCI license, KCCI and EPA certificates, and any visit report from the ISO awarding body, a copy of which must be provided to QCD.
8. Any non-compliance found by the QCD will be reported directly to the designated conformity assessment body through a report, and the body must take the necessary measures to correct it according to the period specified in the QCD report.
9. If the designated conformity assessment body fails to correct the cases of non-conformity detected during the periodic visits and after three attempts, its appointment may be suspended or canceled according to the non-conformity, and the time period between each visit is determined in a report issued by QCD.
10.The designated conformity assessment body shall keep a backup sample in suitable preservation conditions for the sample to be available to the QCD team for examination at GC laboratories or any other accredited conformity assessment body, and any test failure may result in the suspension of approval for that particular test.
11. The conformity assessment body shall keep a copy of the results of all the tests that are conducted through it and submit it to the QCD upon request.
12. The conformity assessment body is obligated to write down the statement of conformity in accordance with and document the decision rule (ISO/IEC (17025 clauses 7.8.6).
13. Any specific conformity assessment body can operate an on-site conformity assessment body in any project of MPW if it is approved by QCD and the supervisory body of the contract in which the on-site conformity assessment body is to be operated in. Designation on-site conformity assessment body follows the same process as the conformity assessment body in addition to the following documents:
- Project information.
- The supervisory body shall provide the quality control and quality documentation program provided by the approved contractor.
14. The designated conformity assessment body can renew its designation or request that it be assigned to a new scope by following the same procedures as explained above.
15. In the event that a non-conformance is noticed in the management system or the operating system, a conformity assessment body can be rejected from the MPW list, or its designation may be suspended within a specific scope based on the nature and impact of the identified non-conformity. QCD shall be the supervisor and tracker of the work of these bodies.
16. All designated conformity assessment bodies comply with all MPW circulars, especially those related to neutral conformity assessment bodies, with follow-up on the update that takes place in this regard until the required competence is reached and the need to review the special specifications of contracts and the general specifications of the Ministry.
Laboratory Examination Request Form (click here)