Do you have to follow ISO standards?

No. There is no legal requirement to have an ISO certification. That said, in some industries, customers may not work with a supplier that does not hold a certification. For instance, if you supply medical devices, you may be expect to hold ISO 13485.

Are ISO requirements enforceable by law?

These standards are not enforceable laws, but companies who choose to follow them stand to gain international credibility from their compliance. “Adhering to ISO standards does not guarantee EPA compliance.”

What happens if a company fails an ISO audit?

After failing an ISO audit, a business will be given detailed information about the reasons for failure and actions required to address these reasons. This information identifies areas of nonconformity and should be used a guide for areas address before a follow-up or fresh audit.

How are ISO standards enforced?

ISO standards are voluntary. As a non-governmental organization, ISO has no legal authority to enforce the implementation of its standards. ISO does not regulate or legislate.

Who needs to be ISO certified?

For companies in some industries, ISO certification may be required by law or contractually. Even if that’s not the case, conforming to ISO standards has many benefits for businesses: Saving time and money by identifying and solving recurring problems. Improving system and process efficiency.

What happens if you don’t pass an audit?

Failing a compliance audit signifies that the security protocols you use are lacking in some key areas and need to be immediately addressed. Having these gaps or holes in your IT security system could lead to a variety of very expensive consequences. It could even end up putting you out of business!

Can you lose ISO accreditation?

The only way that you will loose certification is if you decide not to continue with it. All nonconformances can be overcome unless you don’t want to.

Who benefits from ISO standards?

ISO Standards help businesses of any size and sector reduce costs, increase productivity and access new markets.

Are all ISO standards voluntary?

All ISO Standards are voluntary. The ISO International Standards Organisation is a non-governmental organisation that’s main interest is the design and implementation of standards however it has no power to enforce these standards. The main reason for implementing ISO standards is to improve quality and standard best practices into industries.

What are the consequences of non-compliance with the requirements of standards?

When it comes to noncompliance with the requirements of the standard, the consequences don’t have to be severe, as they would be in a case when the organization is not compliant with legal requirements. As a result of certification audit, you will get the audit report that will list all minor and major nonconformities found during the audit.

What are the risks of nonconformance to ISO certification?

You could potentially slide through until your surveillance audit if the nonconformance is minor, but uncorrected issues will eventually act as a barrier to ISO certification. Certification challenges aren’t the only risk, though. Major nonconformances can result in a host of issues, including:

What is ISO standardisation?

After reading it, you will understand the basics of this powerful international concept for standardisation. What are ISO standards? ISO is the International Organisation for Standardisation, founded in 1947, that establishes standards for businesses and organisations in 163 countries worldwide.