Conformity assessment
Conformity assessment is the set of activities used to demonstrate that a product, service, system, person or organization meets the requirements specified in standards, technical regulations or other normative documents. It is a fundamental pillar of the national quality infrastructure, and contributes to protecting consumers, facilitating international trade and strengthening the competitiveness of Haitian companies.
Home ‘ Services ‘ Compliance Assessment
Our areas of expertise
Four Key Areas
The Bureau Haïtien de Normalisation (BHN) operates in four main areas of conformity assessment. Certification,inspection and testing are active services offered by BHN to companies and economic operators. The recognition of accreditation, meanwhile, is presented here for information purposes, to guide stakeholders towards the competent bodies.
01
Certification
Certification is the process by which an independent third-party body attests, on the basis of an audit or inspection, that a product, service, process or management system complies with the requirements of a specified standard or reference.
As part of its mandate, BHN is involved in issuing certifications designed to guarantee the quality, safety and conformity of products placed on the Haitian market. Certification is a confidence-building tool for consumers, public purchasers and trading partners.
- Product certification to national and international standards
- Issuance of marks of conformity
- Continuous monitoring of certified products
- Supporting companies in their certification process
02
Inspection
Inspection is the examination of a product, process, service or facility, or the verification of its design, to determine compliance with specific requirements or, based on professional judgment, with general requirements.
Unlike certification, which results in a formal attestation, inspection is a one-off or regular monitoring and verification activity. It plays an essential preventive role in the quality control chain, helping to protect the Haitian market from non-compliant or unsafe products.
- Import and export inspection of goods
- Checking the conformity of products circulating on the market
- Control of production facilities and processes
- Official inspection reports recognized by the relevant authorities
03
Testing
Testing refers to the technical operations involved in determining one or more characteristics of a product, material, equipment or system according to a specified procedure. Tests are generally carried out in the laboratory to establish whether a product meets the performance, safety and quality requirements defined by the applicable standards.
Test results are recorded in test reports which can be used as a basis for certification, regulatory approval or commercial decision-making. BHN supports the development of testing capabilities in Haiti in order to reduce dependence on foreign laboratories and strengthen the country’s quality sovereignty.
- Physical, chemical and microbiological testing
- Product performance and durability testing
- Test reports recognized in trade
- Support for the development of national testing laboratories
04
Accreditation
Note: Accreditation is not a service offered by BHN. This section is for information purposes only, to help stakeholders understand the mechanism and identify the appropriate bodies.
Accreditation is the procedure by which an authoritative body – called an accreditation body – formally recognizes the competence of a laboratory, certification body or inspection body to carry out specific conformity assessment activities. It is governed at international level by the ISO/CEI 17011 standard.
Accreditation represents the highest level in the conformity assessment hierarchy. It confers official recognition of the technical competence of bodies which themselves assess other entities. In the Caribbean region, accreditation is carried out by specialized bodies belonging to the International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC) and the International Accreditation Forum (IAF).
- Recognizes the competence of testing and calibration laboratories
- Recognizes the competence of certification and inspection bodies
- Based on international standards (ISO/CEI 17000 family)
- Condition often required for mutual recognition of results in international trade
Need a conformity assessment service?
Contact the Bureau Haïtien de Normalisation for information on our certification, inspection and testing services.
