The Do’s And Don’ts Of ISO Certification Publishing

The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) is known throughout the world as a network of the national standards institutes of about 157 countries that are working in partnership with the governments, business and consumer representatives, industry, and the organizations operating internationally. It has been acting as the primary source of the ISO 9000 and ISO 1400 families of quality and environmental management standards where most of the certification programs are based.

The ISO certifications are generally specific. There are about two main types of it: the ISO 9001:2000 and the ISO 14001:2004. Under these certifications, it is maintained that when companies and organizations ask for it, they should conform to the standards issued by the ISO certification body which basically states the extent of activity for which the certificate is made and issued.

Such follows that when it comes to publishing the ISO certifications through press releases, the organization’s scope of activities covered by the certification must be specified. This is regardless of the type of press release you are considering, whether through marketing brochures or websites. It is for this reason that the ISO itself highly advised organizations not to misrepresent the extent of the ISO certification as far as activity and the location is concerned.

There are a lot more do’s and don’ts regarding the ISO certification publishing. One of the most strongly maintained rules has something to do with the use of the ISO logo. It has been maintained that organizations asking for certifications must not use the ISO logo. Modifications and adoptions of it are not permitted for your own use. But if you want it, ask for permission first from the certification body directly.

In relation, the ISO certification body has maintained that if for instance your organization is certified by the ISO 9001:2000, it is important to use the full designation, not just ISO 9001. This also holds true when your organization receives the certification ISO 14001:2004. So it follows that if your organization wants to include certain specific terms to it, the published certification should not look like this: “ISO 9001 certification” or “ISO 14001 certification”. It must be “ISO 9001:2000 certification and ISO 14001:2004 certification.

It is further held that when publishing the ISO certification, it should not be published or displayed on the products, product labels, or product packaging. The reason behind this is that there are some instances that this publication may denote product conformity. Similarly, the ISO certifications must not be given with the impression that the certifications are product guarantees.

To put it simply, the ISO certifications mandate that the scope of the certifications of your own organizations should conform to the standards maintained by the ISO and the activities covered by the certifications. These guidelines are strongly maintained to help organizations avoid any misleading, confusing, or false statements in the organization’s communications about the certification. This will also help protect the credibility of the organization.