Appeals and complaints settlement procedure

Appeal proceedings

Appeal - disagrement (protest) of the customer with audit team decision.

1. The procedure for obtaining, assessment and making decision on appealing is open to interested parties.

2. Company QM-managers shall participate in the process of appeal proceedings. Herewith, none of them should participate in relevant audit and making decision on it, otherwise the person shall be suspended from appeal proceedings; consideration of appeal shall be done by employee of certification body authorized to approve the procedure.

3. Submission, investigation of appeals and making decision on it may not result to any discriminatory actions against appealing organization.

4. The company has established the following procedures for taking, assessment and making decision on appeals:

4.1 In case of the customer’s disagreement with the opinion of audit team, the Customer’s representative shall not sign the statement of rejection/remarks and shall notify the company about the cause of disagreement in writing.

4.2 This letter shall be registered in incoming correspondence log and shall be passed to QM-managers.

4.3 The customer shall be informed in writing on receipt of his appeal and planned terms for decision making as well as status of appeal. If previously announced terms for appeal consideration are violated, appeal organization shall be informed in writing about new terms of appeal consideration.

4.4 QM-managers shall analyze the appeal and make agreed decision. If it is not possible to make an agreed decision, representative of certification body authorized to approve the procedure shall be engaged in appeal proceedings. In this case, the decision shall be made by representative of certification body.

4.5 If decision is made in favor of appealing organization, the company informs the customer in official letter and develops and implements correction and corrective actions in accordance with paragraph 10.3.5 of this document.

4.6 If decision is made not in favor of appealing organization, the company informs the customer in official letter.

Complaints procedure

Complaint is a claim towards certified organization from interested parties.

1. Complaints handling procedure is open to interested parties.

2. Upon complaint receipt, QM-manager must determine whether the complaint is related to certification activities, for which the company is responsible. If so, the complaint should be considered by the company. If complaint relates to certified client, effectiveness of certified management system of the customer shall be taken into consideration.

3. If complaint is directed towards certified client, the company must forward complaint text to the client.

4. The company has established the following procedure for receipt and assessment of complaints as well as making decision on complaints:

4.1 The Company accepts only documented complaint.

4.2 Recieved complaint shall be registered in incoming correspondence log and be passed to General Director and QM-managers.

4.3 General Director and QM-managers shall jointly make analysis of complaint validity.

4.4 Complaint together with conclusions of the company shall be sent to certification body that makes a decision on its validity.

4.5 In case if complaint is considered as valid, the company together with certification body shall develop and implement correction and corrective action in accordance with paragraph 10.3.5 of this manual.

5. The company shall bear responsibility for collection and verification of information necessary to assess the validity of complaint.

6. In all cases where possible, the company shall confirm receipt of complaint in writing and provide to appealant reports on the status of complaint as well as results.

7. Decision on complaints shall be made by individuals not related to the subject of complaint in the past, otherwise the person shall be suspended from decision making process.

8. In all cases, where possible, the company shall officially notify the appellant about completion of complaint review.

9. The company, together with certified customer and appealant should make a decision on making a subject of complaint as well as decision made to be publicly available as well as availability extent. This decision will be documented by official correspondence.