FEATURES 23
Want to know if the product you are working with is coming from an accredited certification body?
It is a SANAS requirement that all of the certification bodies that they accredit are listed on the SANAS website, as well as which specifications or test methods they are accredited to. So, if you want to proof-check, simply search for the certification body on www. sanas. co. za
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This is important because certification bodies are only accredited for those specifications they applied for and does not infer that any specification they certify are‘ accredited’ – i. e. they only have accreditation for some standards.
The accreditation breakdown:
SANAS grants accreditation( competence to test and / or certify products) to:
Certification bodies( ISO / IEC 17065 requirements)
Testing laboratories( ISO 17025 requirements)
Certification Certification refers to whether a product complies to relevant SANS standards, and whether the manufacturer’ s quality management system complies to Certification Conditions defined by Certification Bodies, i. e. ISO specifications.
Currently, there are 17 accredited certification bodies in the country, the main ones of which for plumbing materials are:
• SABS – South African Bureau of Standards
• SATAS – South African Technical Auditing Services
• SABPS – South African Allbrothers Products and Systems Certification
• SAPCS – South African Product Certification Services
For a product to be certified, a test house performs certain tests on the product and issues a test report that states whether the product has passed or failed. The test report is then used by a certification body to assist in the approvals process to issue formal product certification to the specific product specification.
The product certification journey 1. Random samples selected by the certification body are sent to an accredited laboratory for full specification testing.
2. The testing laboratory provides a test report, stating whether the product passed or failed. NOTE: A passed test report does not automatically mean that the product is certified – only the certification body can certify the product.
3. If a test report passes and factory assessments are successfully conducted, the certifier may then issue a certificate that names the standard and specific range / brands that were tested( so the certificate does not automatically cover other brands, only what was tested).
4. Once certified, the manufacturer is then allowed to put a certification mark or sticker on the product, stating which certification body certified the product, as well as which standard it is certified to( for example, SATAS SANS 226).
Testing versus certification A test report: Applies only to the sample( s) tested; and does not prove ongoing process control or batch to batch consistency.
A certified product / manufacturer: Has gone through regular, rigorous testing plus factory audits; and is backed by a certification body’ s decision and mark.
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Always verify certification marks directly with the certification body.
For the product to be certified, the factory that manufactures the product must undergo regular audits to verify its production control systems and ability to consistently manufacture compliant products. For manufacturers to be and stay certified, the following happens: 1. System audit: The factory is audited on a regular basis to ensure that their documented quality system and process controls are strictly adhered to, which requires demonstration through records that product requirements are consistently achieved.
2. Product audit: The certifier of the factory performs regular random sampling of products to go for retesting. These visits happen 3 – 4 times per year, all of which are unannounced. This ensures that‘ golden samples’ aren’ t being used – product( s) of a better quality being sent for testing – i. e., the best in the batch.
The basics Simply put, what matters for a certified product is an up-todate certification from a recognised body that clearly ties:
• The standard,
• To the specific brand / range tested,
• Backed by ongoing audits and sampling of the manufacturer.
Acceptance Acceptance is done by the Joint Acceptance Scheme for Water Installation Components( JASWIC), which is dedicated to promoting the use of high-quality components in water and sanitation systems. JASWIC’ s mission centres on:
• Protection: Ensuring public health, safety and the prevention of water pollution.
• Conservation: Supporting water conservation efforts through reliable infrastructure.
• Efficiency: Fostering co-operation and information exchange between consumers, suppliers and water service providers to improve service delivery.
May 2026 Volume 32 I Number 03 www. plumbingafrica. co. za