In accordance with the requirements of International Accreditation Standards and by Resolution of the QAIC Governing Board, the Company hereby confirms implementation and adherence to the following policies:

1. The Company will ensure that the value of certification is upheld, the services of the Company shall be available to all users of Certification and such services shall be applied in a manner necessary to preserve impartiality, objectivity, independence, freedom from conflict of interest, freedom from bias, lack of prejudice, neutrality, fairness, open-mindedness, even-handedness, detachment and balance.

2. The Company (including its licensees, subsidiaries and auditors) shall not participate in the designing, implementation or maintenance (including Internal Audit) of the management systems of its Certification customers and shall not have been engaged in such activities in the two years prior to the customers receipt of the Company’s Certification services.

3. The Company (including its licensees, subsidiaries and auditors) may arrange training and participate as a trainer provided that, where the course relates to management systems or auditing, it is confined to the provision of generic information (i.e. not tailored to a particular Company or its Management System).

4. The Company undertakes to instil confidence in the delivery of its Certification services to customers and parties that have an interest in Certification. This shall be achieved by upholding the principles of impartiality (including taking action against threats i.e. from self interest, self review, familiarity, intimidation), competence, responsibility, openness, confidentiality and responsiveness to complaints.

5. In the management of impartiality the Company recognises the possibilities for conflicts of interests arising from relationships of those persons or organisations having an interface with the Company. This includes staff, sub contractors and licensees. The Company undertakes to complete a thorough assessment of the risks to impartiality and to determine the action to be taken to eliminate or minimise those risks. The risk assessment process will be ongoing and will be maintained through the Company's Governing Board and associated Management Review process.

6. The services of the Company are administered from an International Head Office, which is based in the United Kingdom. Local audit and marketing activities are arranged through branches in the relevant Country or operating territory. Such branches work to a License Agreement, which stipulates adherence to QAIC operating procedures and regulations. The Company shall maintain up to date operating procedures and regulations and shall ensure the comprehensive risk assessment of those operating under License.

7. QAICL has undertaken a review with its various Insurance Brokers, regarding the insurance cover that the Company may require in the conduct of its business as a UKAS accredited certification body operating domestic and overseas certification. The Directors of QAICL have accepted that the following Insurance provision is necessary to maintain the Company with proper insurance cover; Office Equipment, Loss of Data, Employers Liability, Key Man Insurance, Professional Indemnity Insurance to £5 Million. Such insurance cover requirements will continue to be reviewed on an ongoing basis by the Company and adjusted accordingly.

8. From time to time the Company is required to evaluate its systems and procedures and practices, to ensure that impartiality in its certification is maintained. Parties with an interest in the certification services of the Company are invited, by virtue of this policy, to submit any proposals, comments or relevant observations on the services of QAICL, such that these may be considered by the Company as part of its evaluation process for continual improvement.

Parties with an interest in certification include:
- Applicants to the Scheme
- Client Companies<
- Customers of certified companies
- Governmental Authorities
- Non Governmental organisations and trade bodies
- Consumers and members of the public

All comments may be addressed to Alan Carter, Scheme Manager, Head Office - QAICL (UK), Cleveland Hall, Darlington. DL1 2PE.

9. Consultancy organisations are an established part of the implementation process of product assurance and management systems. QAICL will co-operate with outside organisations for the benefit of the client but will have no direct affiliation with management/product system consultancy organisations. QAICL will take action to correct inappropriate claims of affiliation (stated or implied) by any consultancy or other organisation that suggests directly, or indirectly, that certification would be simpler, easier, faster or less expensive by virtue of their co-operation with QAICL.