ES Digital Global Assessment Guide - Flipbook - Page 4
INTRODUCTION
In today’s world it is often necessary to objectively state the conformity of products, processes, and
services to specified requirements. Consumers now demand products to perform as promised. They
insist on product compliance to codes to ensure safety and prevent catastrophic building failures.
Conformity assessment is critical to safety for residents around the world. Consumers have long
been demanding safer building products globally. They require characteristics such as quality, safety,
economy, reliability, compatibility, efficiency and effectiveness to be examined through conformity
assessment.
Conformity Assessment Bodies (CABs) can objectively state such conformity. CABs perform
conformity assessment activities that include review, inspection, testing, and evaluation. Product
certification/evaluation is conducted to a variety of codes and standards internationally, as well as to
specific normative documents (acceptance and listing criteria) created for innovative products.
Certification bodies use a variety of schemes, which are defined as a set of rules and procedures
that describe the object of conformity assessment. There any many scheme operators and many
conformity assessment bodies; scheme operators may have similar schemes, but the conformity
assessment quality resulting from the scheme operators (CABs) is not the same.
The International Code Council (ICC) family of solutions embodies all the elements required to foster
confidence in the building community so that all involved in the global community can sleep well at night,
knowing the products, processes and services they come in touch with meet the highest global standards.
WHY CONFORMITY ASSESSMENT MATTERS
What is Conformity Assessment
Conformity assessment is defined by ISO/IEC 17000-2020 as a demonstration that specified
requirements are fulfilled. Conformity assessment includes activities such as, but not limited to,
testing, inspection, certification, and accreditation.
Product certification is a review of products against a standard, a criteria, or a code to ensure
continuous compliance of products. Certification steps include review of products, periodic inspection
of plants (by an ISO/IEC 17020 accredited inspection agency) and periodic review of submitted
information against new or revised standards. The value of product certification is a degree of
confidence and trust that is established by an impartial and competent demonstration of fulfillment of
specified requirements by a third party (Annex A1.1 17065).
What does all this mean? Why should people care? Because when it comes to building products,
conformity assessment helps saves lives.
History of Conformity Assessment and Standards
Conformity assessment has evolved and improved throughout the years. In 1993, the American
National Standards Institute released ANSI Z34.1. This was one of the first of its kind standards used
BUILDING SAFETY, BUILDING CONFIDENCE WORLDWIDE