ISO 17021 9.5 Special audits
9.5.1 Extensions to scope
The certification body shall, in response to an application for extension to the scope of a certification already granted, undertake a review of the application and determine any audit activities necessary to decide whether or not the extension may be granted. This may be conducted in conjunction with a surveillance audit.
9.5.2 Short-notice audits
It may be necessary for the certification body to conduct audits of certified clients at short notice to investigate complaints (see 9.8), or in response to changes (see 8.6.3), or as follow up on suspended clients (see 9.6). In such cases a) the certification body shall describe and make known in advance to the certified clients (e.g. in documents as described in 8.6.1) the conditions under which these short notice visits are to be conducted, and
b) the certification body shall exercise additional care in the assignment of the audit team because of the lack of opportunity for the client to object to audit team members.
9.6 Suspending, withdrawing or reducing the scope of certification
9.6.1 The certification body shall have a policy and documented procedure(s) for suspension, withdrawal or reduction of the scope of certification, and shall specify the subsequent actions by the certification body.
9.6.2 The certification body shall suspend certification in cases when, for example, the client's certified management system has persistently or seriously failed to meet certification requirements, including requirements for the effectiveness of the management system, the certified client does not allow surveillance or recertification audits to be conducted at the required frequencies, or the certified client has voluntarily requested a suspension.
9.6.3 Under suspension, the client's management system certification is temporarily invalid. The certification body shall have enforceable arrangements with its clients to ensure that in case of suspension the client refrains from further promotion of its certification. The certification body shall make the suspended status of the certification publicly accessible (see 8.1.3) and shall take any other measures it deems appropriate.
9.6.4 Failure to resolve the issues that have resulted in the suspension in a time established by the certification body shall result in withdrawal or reduction of the scope of certification.
NOTE In most cases the suspension would not exceed 6 months.
9.6.5 The certification body shall reduce the client's scope of certification to exclude the parts not meeting the requirements, when the client has persistently or seriously failed to meet the certification requirements for those parts of the scope of certification. Any such reduction shall be in line with the requirements of the standard used for certification.
9.6.6 The certification body shall have enforceable arrangements with the certified client concerning conditions of withdrawal [see 8.4.3.d)] ensuring upon notice of withdrawal of certification that the client discontinues its use of all advertising matter that contains any reference to a certified status.
9.6.7 Upon request by any party, the certification body shall correctly state the status of certification of a client's management system as being suspended, withdrawn or reduced.