Policy of Complaints/Appeals

Processing of complaints/appeals

Policy: In order to ensure impartiality and avoid discrimination in complaints and any appeal cases, Dovre Sertifising AS must ensure that personnel who are to make decisions in complaints and appeals act impartially in accordance with the requirements given in the standards and in accordance with Dovre Sertifising's guidelines and policy for impartiality. ISO/IEC 17065: clauses 5.2 and 7.1.3, ISO/IEC 17021‑1: clauses 4.2 and 5.2 and
ISO/IEC 17020: clauses 4.1 and 7.6

Description:

Upon receiving a written complaint or appeal, Dovre Sertifisering AS shall provide written confirmation of receipt to the complainant/appellant. At the same time, it shall be clarified:

Which certification(s) the complaint/appeal concerns
Whether it relates to a certification decision or other matters connected to ISO MSYS 003, INSP 054, or PROD 025
Whether the complaint originates from a third party (e.g., a complaint against a certified client)
The complaint/appeal shall be registered in the nonconformity system in Landax by the person receiving it. It shall then be decided who will handle the case.

IF THE COMPLAINT/APPEAL CONCERNS A CERTIFICATION DECISION

The case shall be handled impartially in accordance with the requirements of the relevant accreditation standards.

Complaints/appeals concerning certification decisions shall be handled by personnel not employed by Dovre Sertifisering AS. This process is managed by two committees:

One committee for complaints/appeals related to management system certification (MSYS 003)
One committee for complaints/appeals related to PROD 025 and INSP 054
The Managing Director shall participate in the committee only as an observer. Decisions shall be made solely by the committee’s independent members.

Committee members shall be selected based on their experience, competence, and knowledge of the relevant areas addressed in the complaint/appeal. Members are appointed for a period of three years and must sign a confidentiality agreement and a declaration confirming that they understand their mandate.

If the complainant/appellant does not accept the outcome of the complaint/appeal process, the case shall be forwarded to the appropriate authority in accordance with the Public Administration Act. For product and inspection certifications, this authority is DSB.

IF THE COMPLAINT CONCERNS OTHER MATTERS

The case shall be handled by at least two individuals who are impartial with respect to the matter. This means they must not have participated in or made decisions related to the issue being appealed.

The group may consist of:

A designated employee of Dovre Sertifisering AS who has no involvement in the case (MSYS 003, PROD 025 & INSP 054)
The Managing Director (provided he has not been previously involved)
The ISO complaint/appeal committee or the PED Impartiality Committee, if needed
If the complaint concerns a third party (e.g., a complaint against a certified client), the handling may include:

A visit/audit at the client’s premises to verify that the management system meets the relevant requirements of the applicable standard (ISO 9001 / ISO 14001 / ISO 45001), or
An interview with the lead auditor responsible for the certification activities carried out by Dovre Sertifisering AS
 

COMMON REQUIREMENTS FOR ALL CASES:

The complainant/appellant shall be kept continuously informed, and notified as soon as a conclusion is reached.

The conclusion shall always include a justification explaining why the complaint/appeal has been accepted or rejected.

Dovre Sertifisering AS and the client/complainant/appellant shall jointly decide whether the handling of the case and its outcome shall be made public.

Contact

If you have questions or comments about the policy, contact us at Dovre Sertifisering through this form.