How often does a certification body visit?

Typically once a year for a surveillance audit, with a fuller recertification audit in the third year covering the whole system. Some bodies operate six-monthly surveillance for larger or higher risk organisations.

What is the difference between surveillance and recertification?

A surveillance audit samples part of the system to confirm it is still operating. A recertification audit reviews the whole system and results in a new three-year certificate.

What happens if we miss a surveillance audit?

Certification bodies can suspend and then withdraw certification if surveillance is not completed within the required window. If a date is at risk, tell your body early rather than letting it pass.

Could we be paying for more audit days than we need?

Possibly. Audit days are calculated from the employee numbers, sites and scope your certification body holds on file. If you have shrunk, consolidated or narrowed your scope and not told them, the figure may be out of date. We check this as part of the service.

Is this included in outsourced system maintenance?

Yes. If you are on a maintenance package, surveillance and recertification support is already covered. This page is for organisations who want the audit support without the full package.

Maintain and Improve

Surveillance and Recertification Audit Support

Pass every certification body visit with ease

In short

Surveillance and recertification audit support prepares you for the annual and three-yearly visits that keep your certificate valid. Equas handles liaison with your certification body, reviews your evidence in advance, attends the audit and manages any findings raised, so the visits stop being an event.

What a surveillance and recertification audit support involves

Certification is not a one-off. Your certification body visits annually for a surveillance audit and carries out a fuller recertification audit roughly every three years. Miss them, or fail them badly, and the certificate is at risk.

For organisations without dedicated compliance resource, these visits generate a disproportionate amount of stress. The audit is booked months in advance, forgotten about, and then remembered a fortnight beforehand, at which point somebody discovers that the internal audits are behind and the management review never happened.

This service turns that into a managed process.

Ahead of the visit we handle the liaison with your certification body, confirm the data they hold about your organisation is still accurate, which matters because audit days and fees are calculated from it, and review their quotation. We check the evidence they will ask for is in place and complete, and we deal with anything missing while there is still time.

On the day we are with you, on site or remotely, for the duration.

Afterwards we manage the response to any findings, within their deadline.

The point at which most clients notice the difference is the second year. The first visit after taking this on is usually about catching up. From then on, surveillance audits become routine.

One thing worth checking: the data your certification body holds about employee numbers, sites and scope drives what you are charged. Organisations that have shrunk, consolidated sites or narrowed their scope are frequently paying for audit days they no longer need.

Who it is for

Working towards certification

Worth understanding before you certify: the annual cycle is the long-term commitment, and it is what most of the ongoing cost of certification consists of.

Already certified

The core service for this group. It suits any organisation where the annual audit currently triggers a fortnight of preparation and a set of avoidable findings.

What is included

Liaison with your certification body

Scheduling, correspondence and queries handled on your behalf.

Data confirmation

Checking the employee numbers, sites and scope they hold are still accurate, since these drive your audit days and fees.

Audit planning and scheduling

Visits planned around your operation rather than dropped into your busiest week.

Quotation review

A check that what you are being charged reflects your current size and scope.

Pre-audit evidence review

The records the auditor will ask for, checked and completed before they arrive.

On-site support during the audit

We are with you for the visit, on site or remotely.

Finding response and closure

Root cause, corrective action and evidence submitted within the deadline.

How it works

1
Annual planning
We map your certification cycle so surveillance and recertification dates are known well in advance.
2
Certification body liaison
Scheduling, data confirmation and quotation review handled on your behalf.
3
Evidence review
A check that internal audits, management reviews, actions and records are complete, with time to fix anything that is not.
4
Pre-audit briefing
The people being interviewed know what to expect.
5
Audit attendance
We are present throughout the visit.
6
Findings and closure
Any findings are responded to and closed within the certification body's deadline.