ANSI Launches Pilot Program for Certification Bodies Seeking Accreditation to BRC Global Standard for Consumer Products Issue 4

NEW YORK, Sept. 14, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The American National Standards Institute (ANSI), coordinator of the U.S. voluntary standardization system, has launched a Pilot Accreditation Program for certification bodies seeking accreditation to BRC Global Standard for Consumer Products Issue 4. ANSI is accepting applications for the program until Friday, October 20, 2017.

BRC Global Standards, a brand- and consumer-protection organization, published the new BRC Global Standards for Consumer Products (Personal Care and Household and General Merchandising) on November 1, 2016. The revised version of the Consumer Products Standard Issue 4 contains two parts that specifically focus on general merchandising and personal care and household items. The introduction of two levels -- Foundation Level and Higher Level -- was to allow simpler entry to the standard and encourage continuous improvement and to align with the different expectations of customers.  Additional changes have been made to the protocol regarding exclusions and the removal of surveillance audits.

As a signatory to the International Accreditation Forum (IAF) Multilateral Recognition Arrangement (MLA), ANSI is recognized by BRC as an accreditation body that accredits certification bodies (CBs) to BRC Global Standard for Consumer Products Issue 4.

Potential applicants seeking to be part of the ANSI BRC Global Standard for Consumer Products Pilot Program must first seek BRC approval by demonstrating, through qualifications and work experience, that the currently BRC-recognized CB meets the personnel criteria specified for each component.

Upon receipt of such BRC approval of the qualifications/work experience of the CB body and auditors, ANSI will do the following:

1. Verify that the ANSI-accredited certification body has a valid agreement with BRC that covers the applicable components.

2. Use the following criteria to assess the CB:

• ISO/IEC 17065:2012, Conformity assessment - Requirements for bodies certifying products, processes, and services
• BRC 004: Requirements for Certification Bodies Offering Certification Against the Criteria of the BRC Global Standards
• BRC Global Standard for Consumer Products Issue 4
• Applicable ANSI requirements

To obtain an application for the new Pilot Accreditation Program, please contact Reinaldo Figueiredo (rfigueir@ansi.org; 202.331.3611), ANSI senior program director for product and process accreditation, or Elizabeth Okutuga (EOkutuga@ansi.org; 202.331.3627), program coordinator for ANSI's product certification accreditation program.

About ANSI

The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) is a private non-profit organization whose mission is to enhance U.S. global competitiveness and the American quality of life by promoting, facilitating, and safeguarding the integrity of the voluntary standardization and conformity assessment system. Its membership is comprised of businesses, professional societies and trade associations, standards developers, government agencies, and consumer and labor organizations. The Institute represents the diverse interests of more than 125,000 companies and organizations and 3.5 million professionals worldwide.

The Institute is the official U.S. representative to the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and, via the U.S. National Committee, the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC).

For more on ANSI accreditation, visit www.ansiaccreditation.org.

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SOURCE American National Standards Institute