IMQ UK has a documented process to handle any appeals from Customers against decisions on activities as Approved Body and Certification Body.
IMQ UK will take care to treat each appeal in an objective and timely way, in compliance with confidentiality requirements, and to provide adequate answers to the subject who has submitted an appeal.
Each Customer is allowed to submit an appeal against a decision taken by IMQ UK on the result of the conformity assessment of their interest, within thirty (30) days from receipt of the related communication.
The appeal may concern any decision taken by IMQ UK (for example, the non-granting of the certification / extension / maintenance / renewal, including the adoption of sanctions), both for procedural and technical reasons. The submission of an appeal does not stop the execution of the measures taken by IMQ UK, at least until a possible different decision by the Committee / employee in charge.
The appeal has to be addressed to IMQ UK by e-Mail, registered mail with return receipt or other valid ways of legal effect, signed by the legal representative of the Organization submitting the appeal and must contain a specific indication of the decision to which the appeal is related; reasons for disagreement shall be detailed and justified; all the necessary documentation deemed useful to support the request shall be attached.
All appeals received by IMQ UK are managed according to a documented internal procedure, uniquely codified and recorded. Following the receipt of an appeal, IMQ UK provides a reply to the Customer to:
If the appeal is justified and related to activities under the responsibility of IMQ UK, the subject of the appeal is analysed to collect and verify all the information needed to understand the reasons and, if necessary, to request additional evidence and / or information in addition to what was received, in order to be able to accept or reject the appeal received.
All information regarding the decision subject to appeal and regarding the appeal itself are transmitted to the Certification Manager and the IMQ UK Managing Director; IMQ UK Managing Director may apoint a committee or an employee (members of this Committee or the assigned employee are not involved in the activities of conformity assessment subject to appeal), to safeguard the independence of judgment, and operates according to a documented procedure. The assignee(s), may request IMQ UK to acquire further information from the Customer, in order to make its own decision.
Their decision is formally taken, duly recorded by IMQ UK and transmitted to the IMQ UK competent Area for the necessary actions to solve the appeal.
IMQ UK competent Area informs the Customer of the decision about the appeal by e-Mail, registered mail with return receipt, or other valid way of legal effect; such information - with a content complying to the decisions of the Committee or the assigned employee - is given within four (4) months from the date of receipt of the appeal. If the management of a specific appeal requires a longer time, IMQ UK provides the Customer with information about the progress of the decision, communicating the time-schedule for the resolution.