Application for Certification and Examination
CATG welcomes all applications.
CATG operates in an impartial, open, fair, non-discriminatory manner and welcomes application from individuals and companies throughout the UK and the world regardless of their:
Type of business
Size of business
Number of current or past certificates they hold
Location
Membership of other certification schemes
We will respect and maintain your confidentiality and personal details.
Before applying for certification or an examination, you should have obtained a copy of the relevant standard/s in order to:
Ensure you have the right standard for you
Prepare your application to CATG
Determine your scope
And have reviewed:
Your processes and controls
Products, goods and services you wish to offer
Your reliance on subcontractors
Who will undertake the management of the scheme for you
For examination you should have completed a training programme or confident of your or your staff’s competence.
If you are unsure, please do not hesitate to contact CATG on 0044 (0)1524 400632 or 0044 (0)7941 536543.
To apply for certification, please complete our application form or email CATG or call on the telephone numbers above.
Our application form and contract lists in detail what you are required to submit with your application in order for it to be processed without delay.
Upon receipt of your application, our certification manager will allocate an auditor or examiner to you.
Our certification manager will contact you after studying your application form and we will send you an estimate for the certification work.
If you need any guidance or not happy with our service, please contact our team.
For an audit
Pre-assessment visit
For audits CATG normally recommends a pre-assessment, scoping or stage one visit by your auditor.
This visit addresses the scope of certification you have requested and will normally last between 1 to 4 days depending on your organisation’s size and the complexity of your processes.
It is designed to confirm your readiness for full, main or stage two assessment. Through the assessment the auditor will tour your operations and review your:
Site or sites
Process/es
Process/es controls
Policy
Scheme objectives
Top management commitment
Scheme documents
Scheme records
Staff competence and understanding of their roles and responsibilities
Calibration of measuring and testing equipment
Release of products and services to your customers
Understanding of the scheme
Internal audits and management review
You will receive a full report following this assessment outlining the areas to be developed.
Main assessment visit
Following your pre-assessment audit and when you feel ready, the main or stage two audit will be conducted by your auditor. Payment for the stage one must have been received by CATG.
Through the main assessment the auditor will tour your operations and review your:
Process/es
Process/es controls
Conformity of your scheme against the standards
Success towards scheme objectives
Performance monitoring and measuring
Meeting of scheme, regulatory and compliance obligations
Scheme documents
Scheme records
Staff competence and understanding of their roles and responsibilities
Internal audits and management review
The length of the main assessment or stage two will depend upon the scope of certification requested. Again, the certification manager or your auditor will provide you with a quotation for the work involved.
Prior to the visit, you will receive an audit plan, which provides a proposed timetable for the work and areas to be assessed.
Following your audit, you will receive a written report. If successful, certification will be awarded.
Possible outcomes of a certification decision, depending on the scheme, include:
Unconditional certification or certification – the audit found no discrepancies
Reduced certification and/or scope – changes in production or products
Conditional certification – the evaluation found discrepancies which do not prevent the issue of a certificate, but which do need to be rectified prior to the first surveillance audit
Pre-conditional certification – the evaluation found major discrepancies under which a certificate cannot be issued without substantial remedial actions and an overall re-evaluation of the applicant’s procedures and activities
Mandatory findings – findings must be corrected for certification to be given or continued
Qualified approval for ISPM15 - 3 months to correct the findings
Unsatisfactory – a complete main audit within one month
Generally satisfactory – given 2 weeks to correct the issues
Any improvement actions identified against certification requirements will be notified to you in writing during or immediately following the assessment visit.
You will then be asked to advise CATG on how you intend to address them. Once the improvement actions have been implemented to the satisfaction of CATG and full payment, you will be granted certification.
For examination
For an examination for:
Water sampling
Softwood grading
Temperate hardwood grading
Tropical hardwood grading
Tile batten grading
Scaffold board grading
CATG recommends that you or your staff complete a training programme or fully assess your competence.
The examination objectives are to assess:
Competence
Skills
Knowledge
Candidates for their examination will normally have :
Completed a formal training course
Been fully trained by in-company processors
The examination can range between 4 hours and one day depending on the scheme.
Following the examination, you will review your examination results.
Your company and staff will need to register with CATG or another certification/notified body to run the chosen scheme.
Maintenance of certification
Your certification or staff competence will be confirmed on a six-monthly, annual or 18 month basis by surveillance audits, with a full re-assessment or re-certification every three, four of five years depending on your certification scheme.
When certificated you are required to:
Comply with the scheme requirements
Inform CATG of any changes that can affect your certification
Make all necessary arrangements for CATG to conduct your audits, including provision for examining documentation and access to all processes and areas, records and personnel for the purposes of initial certification, surveillance, recertification and resolution of complaints
Make provisions, where applicable, to accommodate the presence of observers
CATG will inform you of any changes to the scheme/s.
Your surveillance audits will review your:
Internal audits
Management reviews
Complaints from others
Non-conformities identified at previous audits
Effectiveness of your scheme and objectives and controls
Changes
Use of the scheme marks, logos, trademarks and reference to certification
Your re-certification audits will review your:
Past performance and audits
Internal audits
Management reviews
Complaints from others
Non-conformities identified at previous audits
Effectiveness of your scheme and objectives and controls and your commitment to developing your scheme
Changes
Use of the scheme marks, logos, trademarks and reference to certification
Extending your scope of certification
You may extend your scope of certification at any time, but costs can be minimised if
extensions are assessed as part of the on-going surveillance programme. You are advised to submit any application for extension to scope at least three months before your annual visit is due to ensure it can be included in the assessment (where on site assessment is required).
An additional fee for an extension to scope will be charged where extra assessor or
administration time is involved.
To submit a request for an extension to scope please contact CATG or call on the numbers above.
Suspension and withdrawing or reducing your certification
You can leave your CATG scheme at any time. We require a written confirmation that you wish to leave the scheme certification.
We will also require you to confirm that you will cease to make any certification claims and cease to use the scheme logos, marks, trademarks, stamps and remove any products that make certification claims.
What is the cost of certification?
Please contact CATG for our current fees. Along with details of the documents, standards and publications we offer.
Our fees include all costs – travel, accommodation and certification. There are no extras.
Some scheme owners - FSC®, PEFC, GiB, Timcon – will levy you a fee for participation in their scheme.
Some scheme owners - FSC®, PEFC, GiB, Timcon – require you to make formal claims on the products you sell and have strict rules on the use of their name, trademark and logos. CATG is required to check these before you use them.
Some scheme owners - FSC®, GiB, Timcon – will, when full payment has been received, issue you with a certificate.
For grading operations, a stamp, mark or end band will be needed to demonstrate the product conformity. CATG is required to check these before you use them.
Not happy with our approach?
If at any time, you are not happy with our approach please contact our team. We will respond positively.
CATG operates with a Board of Governors and you may, at any time, contact them.
