Have you ever wondered how ANAB accreditation is seen in the eyes of consumers? More than likely, consumers may not be aware of how accreditation interacts with their everyday products and services. For the average consumer, accreditation is thought to be a niche area or something that only applies to hospitals and colleges, but it’s accreditation that helps keep our food products safe, environments protected, and ensures the overall quality of many goods and services we as consumers use every day.
Management Systems
Well-known international hotel chain Hilton boasts an ANAB-accredited certificate on their wall by DEKRA Certification, Inc (DEKRA). DEKRA, accredited by ANAB since 1994 to ISO/IEC 17021-1, Conformity assessment – Requirements for bodies providing audit and certification of management systems, provides certification to Hilton for ISO 50001 – Energy Management System (EnMS), as well as other voluntary ISO management system standards such as ISO 9001 and ISO 14001. While ISO 50001 certification is voluntary, it offers a variety of benefits to an organization such as reduced energy costs, improved energy efficiency, and healthier environments.
Hilton’s ISO 50001 certification ensures all hospitality-related services and activities of owned, managed, and franchised properties under Hilton’s canopy are meeting the requirements of the EnMS. According to Energystar.gov, energy represents the single fastest-growing operating cost in the lodging industry. Efforts like ISO 50001 certification to conserve resources and address energy impact have a direct effect on hotel guests, including improved overall experience, potential cost-savings, healthier environment (cleaner air, cleaner water, fewer chemicals, etc.), and more.
Personnel Credentialing
ANAB’s personnel certification accreditation program assesses an organization’s personnel certification program to ensure that it meets the requirements of ISO/IEC 17024:2012 – General requirements for bodies operating certification of persons. ANAB’s personnel certification accreditation program accredits CrossFit, LLC for their Certified CrossFit Trainer program (CCFT) under ISO/IEC 17024:2012. The CCFT credential is for CrossFit coaches who want to demonstrate their commitment to their profession and their ability to provide the highest quality of coaching. ANAB accreditation under ISO/IEC 17024:2012 requires a certification body to demonstrate that their certification examination is based on a job analysis and is fair, valid, and reliable. The standard also requires the certification body to be structured in a manner that assures impartiality, independence, transparency, accountability, and a balanced representation of stakeholders, among other requirements.
CrossFit’s CCFT exam tests candidates on a variety of topics, such as programming, educating, training, lifestyle education, and more. Having a competent CrossFit trainer is important to ensure safety, achieve effectiveness, and teach fitness principles that will help a consumer make informed decisions about their health. As an accredited certification body by ANAB, CrossFit is signaling to the world their commitment to quality and reliability in their program.
Testing
Companies across the world use ANAB accreditation to ISO/IEC 17025 – General Requirements For The Competence Of Testing And Calibration Laboratories to support many products we use every day, such as the tires on our cars. Bridgestone America’s Tire Operations LLC – Texas Proving Grounds is accredited by ANAB to ISO/IEC 17025 in the field of testing. Bridgestone’s accredited testing includes wet grip and coast by sound for passenger car tires, light truck tires, truck and bus tires.
Considering the predominant mode of transportation in the US is automobiles and light trucks, having safe tires is a major concern to tire manufacturers. Bridgestone tests their tires’ quality in many scenarios we see every day on the road, such as potholes, wet roads, gravel roads, and more.
Product Certification
ANAB’s Product Certification Accreditation creates trust and confidence in the food supply chain and in the products used by consumers daily. ANAB accredits organizations to ISO/IEC 17065:2012 Conformity Assessment – Requirements for bodies certifying products, processes, and services in a variety of certification schemes. One of those schemes is the Safe Quality Food (SQF) Program, a global food safety standard that is recognized by retailers, consumers, and governments around the world. The code covers all aspects of food safety, from farm to fork. ANAB accreditation to SQF and food safety means that ANAB has assessed a certification body to ensure that it meets the requirements of the SQF Food Safety Code and the ANAB accreditation standards.
ANAB ISO/IEC 17065 accredited certification body NSF Certification, LLC certifies Ventura Foods, a privately held food manufacturing and distribution company. Ventura Foods is a leading manufacturer and supplier of dressings, sauces, and oils, such as mayonnaise, mustard, ketchup, and other condiments. One of Ventura’s most popular products is Hidden Valley Ranch. Ventura Foods is committed to making safe and quality products and shows their commitment by achieving SQF level 2 certification, certified by ANAB-accredited organization, NSF.
How Does Accreditation Help the End Consumer?
At the bottom of the supply chain, a finished product or service is delivered to the end consumer, but how does it get there? In terms of quality, it starts with accreditation of conformity assessment bodies (CABs). As the largest multi-disciplinary accreditation body in the western hemisphere, ANAB plays a large role in assurance of quality in the supply chain. From management systems to personnel credentialing, ANAB provides the confidence and trust in the quality and safety of the products and services used in the marketplace.
