Accreditation Services

Hong Kong Certification Body Accreditation Scheme (HKCAS)

HKCASHKCAS is operated under the auspices of the Hong Kong Accreditation Service (HKAS) which also administers the operation of the well established Hong Kong Laboratory Accreditation Scheme (HOKLAS) and the Hong Kong Inspection Body Accreditation Scheme (HKIAS). HKAS offers accreditation to certification bodies for quality management system (QMS) certification, environmental management system (EMS) certification, product certification, food safety management system (FSMS) certification, occupational health and safety management system (OH&SMS) certification, information security management system (ISMS) certification, energy management system (EnMS) certification and residential care homes (elderly persons) service providers' management system certification. HKAS also offers accreditation to validation and verification bodies for greenhouse gas (GHG) validation and verification.

Quality Management System and Environmental Management System Certification

The accreditation criteria are ISO / IEC 17021-1:2015, HKAS 002, ISO / IEC TS 17021-2:2012 or ISO / IEC 17021-2: 2016 (for EMS Certification), ISO / IEC TS 17021-3:2013 or ISO / IEC 17021-3: 2017 (for QMS Certification) and relevant HKAS and HKCAS supplementary criteria.

HKAS accreditation for QMS and EMS is available in the following 34 areas:

Area No. Description NACE (Rev. 2)
1 Agriculture, forestry and fishing
  • Support services to forestry
02.4
2 Mining and quarrying 05, 06, 07, 08, 09
3 Food products, beverages and tobacco 10, 11, 12
4 Textiles and textile products 13, 14
5 Leather and leather products
  • Manufacture of luggage, handbags and the like, saddler and harness
15.12
6 Wood and wood products 16
7 Pulp, paper and paper products
  • Manufacture of other articles of paper and paperboard
17.29
8 Publishing companies 58.1, 59.2
9 Printing companies 18
12 Chemicals, chemical products and fibres 20
13 Pharmaceuticals 21
14 Rubber and plastic products 22
15 Non-metallic mineral products
  • Manufacture of other technical ceramic products
23.44
16 Concrete, cement, lime, plaster etc. 23.5, 23.6
17 Basic metals and fabricated metal products 24 except 24.46, 25 except 25.4, 33.11
18 Machinery and equipment 25.4, 28, 30.4, 33.12, 33.2
19 Electrical and optical equipment 26, 27, 33.13, 33.14, 95.1
22 Other transport equipment
  • Manufacture of bicycles and invalid carriages
30.92
23 Manufacturing not elsewhere classified 31, 32, 33.19
24 Recycling 38.3
25 Electricity supply 35.1
27 Water Supply 35.3, 36
28 Construction 41, 42, 43
29 Wholesale and retail trade;
Repair of motor vehicles, motorcycles and personal and household goods
45, 46, 47, 95.2
30 Hotels and restaurants 55, 56
31 Transport, storage and communication 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 61
32 Financial intermediation; real estate; renting 64, 65, 66, 68, 77
33 Information technology 58.2, 62, 63.1
34 Engineering services 71, 72, 74 except 74.2 and 74.3
35 Other services 69, 70, 73, 74.2, 74.3, 78, 80, 81, 82
36 Public Administration 84
37 Education 85
38 Health and social work 75, 86, 87, 88
39 Other social services 37, 38.1, 38.2, 39, 59.1, 60, 63.9, 79, 90,91, 92, 93, 94, 96

Applicant certification bodies should submit a completed application form HKCAS 005 and a completed HKCAS 007 application questionnaire together with the required application fee as listed in HKCAS 006 to HKAS Executive for processing. Certification bodies interested in seeking accreditation for QMS and EMS certifications may contact Mr Tim Y T WONG, for further details.

 

Product Certification

Application for accreditation is open to any certification body which provides a third-party product certification services for specific types of product in the following product groups :-

  1. Construction materials and products
  2. Consumer products
  3. Food
  4. Chinese medicine

HKAS Executive may consider accepting applications for accreditation of certification bodies for product certification of other product types when the need arises.

Applicant certification body shall submit the duly completed application forms (HKCAS 005 and HKCAS 013), together with the required application fee as listed in HKCAS 006 to HKAS Executive for processing.

Certification bodies interested in seeking accreditation may contact the responsible officer for further information.

Product type Responsible officer
Consumer products Ir Wilfred C H Sin
Construction materials and products Mr Jeffrey T T Leung
Food Dr C W Ho
Chinese medicine Dr C W Ho

 

Food Safety Management System Certification

The accreditation criteria are HKAS 002, ISO / IEC 17021-1:2015, ISO / TS 22003:2013, and relevant HKAS and HKCAS supplementary criteria. For accreditation of FSMS certification, the scope of accreditation service is given in HKCAS Supplementary Criteria No. 6.

Applicant certification bodies should submit a completed application form HKCAS 005 and a completed HKCAS 007 application questionnaire together with the required application fee as listed in HKCAS 006 to HKAS Executive for processing. Certification bodies interested in seeking accreditation for FSMS certification may contact Ms Rebecca W H Wong for further details.

 

Occupational Health and Safety Management System Certification

The accreditation criteria are HKAS 002, ISO / IEC 17021-1:2015, ISO / IEC TS 17021-10:2018 and relevant HKAS and HKCAS supplementary criteria. For accreditation of OH&SMS certification, the scope of accreditation service is given in HKCAS Supplementary Criteria No. 7.

Applicant certification bodies should submit a completed application form HKCAS 005 and a completed HKCAS 007 application questionnaire together with the required application fee as listed in HKCAS 006 to HKAS Executive for processing. Certification bodies interested in seeking accreditation for OH&SMS certification may contact Mr Tim Y T WONG for further details.

 

Information Security Management System Certification

Application for HKAS accreditation is open to any information security management system (ISMS) certification body which complies with HKAS 002, ISO / IEC 17021-1:2015, ISO / IEC 27006:2011, HKCAS Supplementary Criteria No. 8, and all applicable HKAS and HKCAS supplementary criteria.

To apply for the accreditation, certification bodies should submit a duly completed application form HKCAS 005, application questionnaire HKCAS 007, the required supporting documents, and the appropriate application fee as listed in HKCAS 006 to HKAS Executive.

Certification bodies interested in seeking accreditation for ISMS certification may contact Mr Nick C C Leung for further information.

 

Energy Management System Certification

Application for HKAS accreditation is open to any energy management system (EnMS) certification body which complies with HKAS 002, ISO / IEC 17021-1:2015, ISO 50003:2014, HKCAS Supplementary Criteria No. 10, and all applicable HKAS and HKCAS supplementary criteria.

To apply for the accreditation, certification bodies should submit a duly completed application form HKCAS 005, application questionnaire HKCAS 022, the required supporting documents, and the appropriate application fee as listed in HKCAS 006 to HKAS Executive.

Certification bodies interested in seeking accreditation for EnMS certification may contact Mr Nick C C Leung for further information.

 

Residential Care Homes (Elderly Persons) Service Providers' Management System Certification

Application for HKAS accreditation is open to any certification body offering certification of management system of residential care homes (elderly persons) service providers which complies with HKAS 002, ISO / IEC 17021-1:2015, HKCAS Supplementary Criteria No. 12, and all applicable HKAS and HKCAS supplementary criteria.

To apply for the accreditation, certification bodies should submit a duly completed application form HKCAS 005, application questionnaire HKCAS 007, the required supporting documents, and the appropriate application fee as listed in HKCAS 006 to HKAS Executive.

Certification bodies interested in seeking accreditation for certification of management system of residential care homes (elderly persons) service providers may contact Ms Rebecca W H Wong for further details.

 

Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Validation and Verification

For verification of GHG assertions at organisation level, and validation and / or verification of GHG assertions at project level, the accreditation criteria are HKAS 002, HKCAS 020 Parts 1, 2 and 3, HKCAS Supplementary Criteria No. 9, and all applicable HKAS and HKCAS supplementary criteria.

For verification of GHG assertions at product level, the accreditation criteria are HKAS 002, HKCAS 020 Parts 1, 2 and 3, HKCAS Supplementary Criteria No. 13, and all applicable HKAS and HKCAS supplementary criteria.

Applicant validation / verification bodies (V / VBs) should submit a completed application form HKCAS 005 and a completed HKCAS 021 application questionnaire together with the required application fee as listed in HKCAS 006 to HKAS Executive for processing. V / VBs interested in seeking accreditation for GHG validation / verification may contact Ms Rebecca W H Wong for further details.

 

Policy statement for handling allegation of fraudulent behaviour

Hong Kong Accreditation Service (HKAS) treats any instance of fraudulent behaviour with utmost seriousness. Fraudulent behaviour is considered to be ‘any intentional misrepresentation, concealment of information or provision of false information to a relevant interested party, resulting in the deliberate violation of accreditation, certification, validation or verification rules’. Accredited certification, validation and verification bodies and their clients holding valid accredited certificates, validation and verification statements (opinions) shall maintain complete integrity at all times.

HKAS will deal with any confirmed allegations of fraudulent behaviour by its accredited certification, validation and verification bodies and their clients, as well as by applicants for accreditation. Depending of the severity and nature of the confirmed fraudulent behaviour, HKAS may suspend or withdraw accreditation of the certification, validation and verification bodies, or request the accredited certification, validation and verification bodies to suspend or withdraw certification/statement for their concerned clients, or terminate the accreditation process for applicant organisation.

HKAS also demands accredited certification, validation and verification bodies to have in place the processes and policies that will enable them to manage fraudulent behaviour by its clients.