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reports do not imply that all the same / similar products also comply or would pass the testing requirements .
Conformity assessment testing assists manufacturers during their product development phases to ensure that relevant modifications or enhancements can be made to meet specified criteria as well as to boost the quality of the product . Retailers and consumers are more likely to sell and buy goods and services that have been tested and have successfully passed testing to SANS or specific requirements .
Why does testing not provide the same assurance as certification ? There are a number of reasons , and include :
• A golden sample scenario , wherein a manufacturer produces a high-quality product with the intent of passing required testing and once a test report is obtained then produces inferior products or changes the ingredients of the product to make the products cheaper to manufacture .
• Poor manufacturing conditions , while a product may be successfully tested for performance it can be produced in unhygienic conditions that may result in contamination of products or the ingredients used . There is also no assurance that the quality of future products will be the same as that of the sample submitted for testing .
• Partial testing , especially with large products / equipment . It is not feasible to subject large products or products that are customised to full performance testing such as mining equipment , cars , or transformers or in instances where the manufacturer is developing a product and is interested in a specific parameter , they would normally approach the SABS laboratories for testing of only the parameters of interest .
• Insufficient testing such as with fast moving consumer goods , where several batches of products are manufactured . Given the nature of the industry , once-off testing is insufficient to provide the relevant assurance that all the products in the batch or subsequent batches are made to the same quality as the samples that successfully passed a test .
“ An SABS test report reflects the results of specific conditions for a particular sample only and it is irresponsible for a manufacturer to claim that an SABS test report is an endorsement of the quality of the product . In cases where retailers only require test reports to sell products , this is usually accompanied by frequent testing and surveillance requests . Testing is required ; however , certification of products and management systems is a more reliable and comprehensive measure of quality ,” explains Scholtz .
SABS recommends certification “ The SABS Mark Scheme , commonly referred to as ‘ SABS Approved ,’ is a certification scheme that provides confidence in the quality of the products and the production processes to manufacture the product . Samples are collected from a production facility and retail outlets ( where relevant ), over different periods in a three-year cycle by the SABS to ensure that quality products are produced all the time . Samples are collected independently and unscheduled inspections at facilities are done to add to the assurance of quality products being produced ,” says Scholtz .
Clients need to specifically apply for certification at the SABS . Should a client be successful in obtaining a permit to apply the ‘ SABS Approved ’ trademark to their products , the assessment of the production facilities will be done in accordance with the requirements of SANS / ISO 9001 : quality management systems .
SAMPLE – SABS – test report
In cases where products are considered a considerable risk , for example where raw materials used in the production process are unstable or where there is a high consumer danger , the SABS works with the customer and regulatory authorities to impose and implement additional consumer safety measures such as :
• Batch testing of every batch of products .
• Unannounced inspection services , such as in hazardous waste disposal , number plate manufacturing .
• Additional certification of management systems such as SANS / ISO 14001 – Environmental Management System certification to ensure that all environmental aspects and impacts
www . plumbingafrica . co . za @ plumbingonline @ plumbingonline @ PlumbingAfricaOnline March 2022 Volume 28 I Number 1