When will a major non-conformity be awarded against clause 1.11 – maintenance of certification?
A major non-conformity will be awarded where the company has not undertaken an audit within the audit due date (as indicated on the certificate). It is recognised that there may be specific circumstances where audits cannot occur within the certification cycle for instance packing of seasonal product, or access restrictions to the site and these exceptions are outlined within the Standard protocol Section III paragraph 12. Moving the audit date to a more ‘acceptable’ date for reasons of combining audits, lack of personnel or undertaking building work is not an acceptable reason for missing the due date. It is not a justifiable reason to delay audits where sites are not in full production, since there is a 28 day window in which the audit can occur and it is presumed that there will be occasions within that period where production is planned. Audits must however be undertaken whilst there are products being manufactured. Justified reasons should be agreed with your Certification Body pr
