In a manifesto appearing on the site for his unaccredited ISO 9001 certificate mill G-PMC, owner Daryl Guberman accuses accredited registrars of violating rules he doesn’t adhere to himself. Specifically, he calls out certification bodies, including DNV, for failing to comply with ISO 17021 rules on logo usage, even though G-PMC has refused to become accredited to ISO 17021.
In the piece “The ISO Certification Process is Fundamentally Flawed,” Guberman attempts to prove that accredited registrars are improperly allowing their logos to be placed on products, in a manner “in [sic] correct with ISO/registrars [sic] own check sheet.” To provide evidence, he includes a photo of a box of DeCecco pasta, which includes a DNV logo on the back.
What Guberman doesn’t know, despite announcing himself as the “#1 ISO consultant in the nation,” is that the logo is not for ISO 9001 certification, but for a European technical product specification regarding food safety, known as STP-CE-PC-AGRO 38. We know this because the logo Guberman shot includes the words “STP-CE-PC-AGRO 38” right on it. It even includes the DNV certificate number, which matches that on the DeCecco website (here) and clearly denotes it as a “product certification” … not a quality system certification.
Elsewhere in the document, Guberman includes other photos of products featuring the ISO 9001 mark, including one from Kenwood electronics and Versaflex. In these cases, the marks clearly indicate the quality system is ISO 9001 certified, and most include a certificate number.
ISO 17021 rules prohibit registrars from allowing the ISO 9001 mark to be used on product when the usage would “be interpreted as denoting product conformity.” It is understood that the marks, and registrar logos, may be used on product when it clearly states the quality system is certified, as in the cases illustrated in Guberman’s document.
The document presents a few other problems for Guberman and his certificate mill. First, it claims it is a “FACT” (emphasis his) that accreditation bodies, such as ANAB, are “a non-governmental scheme to extract more money in a swindle-like fashion from companies.” Opinions such as this cannot be presented as facts unless they are true, or the claim can be legally deemed libel.
The erroneous claim that the DNV logo was used incorrectly on pasta, is also potentially libelous, as the logo was used within the proper context and in compliance with all regulations and laws.
Finally, the piece includes a photo taken from Oxebridge’s own site, used without permission, featuring ham from Peru… a photo I took personally in a Peruvian supermarket, for the article “What Developing Nations Can Teach Us About ISO 9001.” Guberman has been notified to add a photo credit, with link to this site, or have it removed.
Christopher Paris is the founder and VP Operations of Oxebridge. He has over 35 years’ experience implementing ISO 9001 and AS9100 systems, and helps establish certification and accreditation bodies with the ISO 17000 series. He is a vocal advocate for the development and use of standards from the point of view of actual users. He is the writer and artist of THE AUDITOR comic strip, and is currently writing the DR. CUBA pulp novel series. Visit www.drcuba.world
