According to OASIS data, the accreditation of AS9100 registrars Intertek, Lloyds Register QA (LRQA) and SGS were suspended.
In the cases of Intertek, SGS and LRQA’s UK operations, the suspension was cited as due to “nonpayment of invoices.” The suspensions of SGS and LRQA UK were lifted a day later, presumably after the registrars paid their bills. Intertek remains suspended as of this report, even as their AS9100 website continues to market accredited AS9100 certification services.
A suspension remains in effect for LRQA’s Japan operations, based on a suspension originally handed down in October of 2017. The reasons for that suspension are not clear.
The suspensions raise the question of whether certification clients of such registrars can hold them accountable for a failure to provide reliable, ongoing accreditation; if not, legal remedies may be available to clients of suspended registrars. Clients often have to incur costs and reputational damage when their certification is withdrawn due to the registrar’s errors or omissions; a loss of accreditation may also be viewed as a breach of contract. ISO 17021 requires accredited registrars to have sufficient financial resources in place to ensure such disruptions do not happen, meaning such lapses are also a violation of overall accreditation rules.
Even a 24-hour suspension means, effectively, the AS9100 clients of the registrars were in possession of an unaccredited certificate for that time period.
Status of accreditated AS9100 registrars may be verified at this official IAQG link (free signup required.)
