Standards Updates & Changes
For additional information on these standards, their changes and impacts on you as an LRQA Client, please contact us at operations-usa@lrqa.com.
This page contains information on changes and updates to:
ISO/TS 16949
AS9100- Revision C
ISO 9001:2008
ISO/IEC 17021
TL 9000
Transition to ISO/TS 16949:2009 – Requirements Version 3 Release
What does it mean for our clients?
As a valued client to LRQA, we wish to inform you of the pending release of the new ISO/TS 16949:2009 Requirements Version 3, including LRQA’s processes for transition and how this will affect you as an ISO/TS 16949 certified client.
ISO/TS 16949 Requirements Version 3 is the requirements manual for ISO/TS 16949 certification. With the 2009 version, there are no additional automotive requirements, and the only changes are the incorporation of ISO 9001:2008.
Similar to the transition to ISO 9001:2008, there is no additional assessment time required to transition to ISO/TS 16949:2009.
As determined by the IATF, please note the following:
Certification status to ISO/TS 16949:2002 remains in effect for the life of the certificate
Certification to ISO/TS 16949:2009 is recognized with the effective date of the release of ISO/TS 16949:2009
Certification to ISO/TS 16949:2009 is not an upgrade and its terms is the same as the current ISO/TS 16949:2002 certificate
In addition, as determined by the IATF, certificates to ISO/TS 16949 may be requested after the new requirements are released after a regularly scheduled surveillance audit, but are not required until the next recertification audit. Therefore, once the release has been published, LRQA will conduct regular certification activities at your next scheduled surveillance visit and will not issue certification to ISO/TS 16949:2009 until your next planned Certificate Renewal visit.
If your organization would like to request certification to ISO/TS 16949:2009 in advance of that date, please contact your Client Services Representative.
Download the IATF’s Communiqué on ISO/TS 16949:2009
AS9100 – Revision C
The American division of the International Aerospace Quality Group, AAQG, has released Rev. C of AS9100 for publication; however, the corresponding European and Asian/Pacific divisions have not released their versions yet.
Following these releases, along with details of revisions to AS9101 and AS9104, LRQA will offer our AS9100 clients:
For specific technical questions on the new standard, contact us at operations-usa@lrqa.com.
ISO 9001:2008
The International Standards Organisation (ISO) published ISO 9001:2008, the latest edition of the International Standard used by organizations in 175 countries as the framework for their quality management systems (QMS).
To learn more, click here.
ISO/IEC 17021
The International Accreditation Forum (IAF), in consultation with the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), set Sept. 15, 2008 as the deadline for all accredited certification bodies, including LRQA, to be in full compliance to ISO/IEC 17021.
LRQA is pleased to announce that it fully met this compliance deadline and has achieved ISO/IEC 17021 Certification across North America – from ANAB (USA), SCC (Canada) and ema (Mexico).
LRQA globally holds accreditation from the world’s leading accreditation bodies. Accreditation places rigorous requirements for competence and impartiality on the bodies that offer assessments and certification to management system standards like ISO 9001:2008 (quality management), OHSAS 18001: 2007 (health + safety management) and ISO 14001:2004 (environmental management). The standard that the accreditation bodies use to assess LRQA is now ISO/IEC 17021: 2006, which replaces ISO/IEC Guide 62:1996 and ISO/IEC Guide 66:1999.
The new standard requires changes to the ways in which assessments are to be performed by all certification bodies, including LRQA. The majority of these changes will have minimal or no impact upon you as a client of LRQA; however, there are two changes in particular that will impact the way LRQA delivers its service to you beginning at your next visit:
ISO/IEC 17021: 2006 strengthens the requirement on LRQA (and other certification bodies) for a three year certification cycle with a recertification audit; and it has added the requirement that this recertification audit and the decision to issue the new certificate must be performed prior to the expiry of the existing certificate. Additionally, certificate extensions will no longer be permitted under the new guidelines. LRQA is putting measures in place to ensure your recertification visit will be performed in time to meet these requirements.
ISO/IEC 17021: 2006 has introduced a new requirement regarding the way in which Minor Nonconformities raised on Stage 2, Change to Approval or Recertification assessments must be addressed. Under this new requirement LRQA is not allowed to issue a certificate to a company where Minor Nonconformities have been raised until LRQA has reviewed and accepted the company’s corrective action plan to correct the issue(s) identified.
This means that at the end of an assessment you will be required to provide the assessor with a plan of the action(s) you propose to take to address the issues identified within the Minor Nonconformities.
If you are unable to do this by the end of the assessment, you will be requested to provide LRQA with your plan of proposed actions within 60 days to ensure we are able to review and approve it within the required 90 day time limit. We will not be able to issue your new certificate until we have received and accepted this plan. Your assessor will discuss and agree the process for managing this with you at the end of the assessment.
To learn more, visit the Client Extranet to download the letter issued to ALL LRQA clients in April 2008 or contact LRQA's Operations Technical Helpdesk.
TL9000
On November 14, 2009, TL Requirements Handbook 5.0 was released which contains all of ISO 9001:2008 plus 92 additional requirements specifically addressing the needs of quality management system in telecommunication organization. Read more about the requirements.
The TL9000 Requirements Handbook Release 4.0 becomes obsolete November 14, 2010, and all TL9000 certified companies are required to transition to 5.0 by November 14, 2010. Read more about the changes.
The TL9000 Measurements Handbook Release 4.0 will become obsolete June 30, 2011, and all TL9000 certified companies are required to transition to 4.5 by that date. Read more about the changes to the Measurements Handbook.
For questions or additional guidance, please feel free to contact the LRQA Operations Technical Helpdesk at operations-usa@lrqa.com.
Next steps...
Choose one of the actions below.