What Is UKAS
UKAS (United Kingdom Accreditation Service) is the national accreditation body of the United Kingdom, appointed by the government, to assess organizations providing certification, testing, inspection and calibration services.
UKAS is designated as a national accreditation body by Accreditation Regulation 2009 (SI No 3155/2009) and EU Regulation (EC) 765/2008. UKAS operates under a Memorandum of Understanding with the Government, through the Secretary of State for the Department of Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy. It is the policy of BEIS to recommend the use of a UKAS accredited conformity assessment service whenever this is an option.
Accreditation defines the technical competence and integrity of organizations that offer testing, inspection, calibration, verification and certification services (collectively known as conformity assessment). In short, UKAS ‘check checker’.
Accreditation is increasingly recognized as a valuable tool in various areas of Government policy including better regulation, good governance, fair markets and public trust. It is already being used by the Government as an effective market-led tool to deliver more efficient policies and to help meet its obligations in areas such as health care, food production, energy supply, climate change and personal safety.
UKAS is a signatory to an international accreditation agreement that provides mutual recognition. This reduces the need for multiple supplier assessments, and consequently helps reduce trade barriers for organizations that are UKAS accredited.