Certification Regulations

1. Scope
These Regulations govern the IATSR certification scheme for confirming that a product, component, process or service meets the standards of a specific toxic or hazardous substance and/or conforms to applicable standards in the relevant region of the world.

2. Definitions

• Applicable Requirements: the laws, standards and limits listed in the Scheme Annex (kept current on our website).

• Client: applicant organisation seeking certification.

• Nonconformity: failure to meet Applicable Requirements or Scheme criteria.

• Certificate: a time-limited attestation issued under these Regulations.

3. Impartiality & confidentiality
IATSR operates independently and manages conflicts of interest; personnel and external labs sign confidentiality and impartiality commitments. Decision-makers are separate from evaluators.

4. Normative references
This will be applied to the region of the world where testing is required to meet independent and/or industry best standards.

5. Scheme ownership & changes
We may revise these Regulations and the Annex to reflect legal updates; reasonable transition periods will be defined (typically 3–12 months, unless immediate safety/legal changes require faster action).

6. Eligibility & application
The Client submits an application, disclosure of all relevant materials/chemicals, process descriptions, and any prior test data. We provide a proposal based on independent required and/or industry approved testing.

7. Evaluation process
a) Planning – defines products/sites, substances of concern, and Applicable Requirements.
b) Sampling – representative independent 3rd party sampling.
c) Testing – accredited independent 3rd party lab testing to clients required standards.
d) Documentation audit – to ensure processes and records are maintained to a reasonable standard.
e) On-site audit (if required) – to ensure processes are maintained to a reasonable standard.
f) Evaluation report – summarises findings of independent testing, as meets the standard for the region being tested or required by the client.

8. Certification decision
A competent, independent decision that grants, withholds, or requests corrective action, which would be clearly explained.

9. Certificate, scope & validity
Certificates state Client name, and /or certified products/services, sites, standards/limits applied, certificate ID, issue/expiry dates.

10. Surveillance & changes
Surveillance as required dependant upon the size and volume of the clients business and requirements they may have to meet within the regions they operate.

11. Nonconformities & corrective action
Deadlines set proportionate to risk. Major NCs may trigger suspension; unresolved NCs lead to withdrawal of certification. At this point all certification will be removed from our approved companies list on our website.

12. Use of the IATSR mark
Clients may use the IATSR certification mark only for certified products/services and only while the certificate is valid. Misuse must be corrected immediately; otherwise suspension and/or withdrawal may follow. If this does happen a company must stop using the mark immediately upon request.

13. Complaints & appeals
Our complaints procedure is reviewed and audited by a senior member and/or independent reviewer. For appeals a final written outcome is issued.

14. Fees
Agreed fees apply, any extra work from scope changes, additional testing, or auditing would occur additional charges to be agreed with the client.

15. Directory
We maintain a public directory of valid certificates holders (minimum fields: client name and certification status).