Inspection bodies conduct assessments on behalf of private clients, their parent organizations or the authorities, for the purpose of providing them with information on compliance with legislation, standards, specifications, contractual commitments, etc.
This information can include very diverse parameters relative to security, health, and the environment, and can affect the various stages of the life cycle of products, equipment and installations – from their design to their withdrawal from service – and working methods, processes or services.
Accredited inspection is now used in a variety of sectors: industry, agriculture and livestock, energy, environment, transport, health, construction, telecommunications, etc.
ISO/IEC 17020 is the internationally recognized standard for assessing the technical competence of inspection bodies and the standard that uses to accredit them.