SA8000® is a voluntary social compliance standard that demonstrates your commitment to a humane working environment throughout your supply chain. An SA8000® audit from TÜV SÜD helps companies demonstrate their compliance with this standard, which helps companies preserve their reputations in a competitive marketplace.
Around the world today, there is a growing interest in the working conditions involved in manufacturing products, as this is an important part of a company’s image and brand. The lack of a process for managing ethical breaches and risks can lead to tarnished brand reputations and poor financial results.
Adhering to SA8000® social accountability certification standards will help reduce risks, enhance the reputation of your factory and brand, meet customer requirements, improve supplier relationships, create better labour conditions and a safer work environment, and provide clear and credible assurance for ethical purchasing decisions.
To prepare for the standard, your company has to be aware of its requirements. This includes taking control of legal requirements and comparing current practices to the SA8000® standard requirements. Once the comparison has been made, your company can close the gap and implement the standard’s requirements. Compulsory procedures should be issued and integrated into the existing company management system. After you have applied/completed the internal monitoring process, the certification process can begin.
TÜV SÜD conducts SA8000® audits on companies in three stages: the readiness review, the certification audit and the surveillance audits during the period of validity of the certificate. Renewal audits may take place once every three years.
TÜV SÜD’s global network provides multidisciplinary expertise for a wide range of auditing and certification services in key markets. We operate worldwide with competent local auditors recognised by the Social Accountability International (SAI).
We act as a holistic service provider for companies requiring social compliance programmes and management systems standards. We integrate SA8000® with other management systems such as ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and ISO 45001 as well as other social compliance initiatives such as WRAP, ETI and BSCI.
As part of our commitment to unparalleled service quality, our inspectors and auditors are required to adhere to our strict Code of Conduct. This ensures that the expert opinions they provide are professional, independent and impartial.
