How to gain BRC - just in case you didn't know...

How To Gain BRC Certification

The first step for organisations wanting to gain BRCcertification is to determine why they need the certification and understand that they will need to be prepared for the audit processes ahead.  The best way of doing this is to order a copy of the BRC Global Standard and assess the organisation’s competence against the criteria that are laid out in the Standard.  There are also best practice guidance documents available which may help organisations in the preparation process.

Before going down the certification route it is important to self-assess your organisation to identify any areas that may require work prior to the audit commencing.  It is far better to address these issues beforehand than enter into an audit and fail against certain criteria and thus not be recommended for certification as then you would need to address the issues and be re-audited.

Organisations will then need to find an accredited certification body to carry out the audit – only those bodies registered with BRC will be able to carry out audits to recommend organisations for the BRC certificate.  Before the audit can be undertaken the certification body will need to know where the site is and what the operation is so that they can provide an accurate quotation for carrying out the audit on the premises.

To ensure that the organisation is properly prepared for the audit, the certification body will provide an outline of the process.  If it appears that staff are unprepared and that the correct documentation cannot be provided then the audit may be prolonged or delayed which may then result in a delay in the certification process.

Once the audit is complete a list of any areas that need to be addressed before recommendation for BRC certification is issued will be given to the organisation.  Any non-conformances identified will need to be addressed and evidence provided to the certification body within 28 days – in some cases the auditor may need to return to examine this evidence in more detail.

The audit report and BRC certificate, when applicable, will be issued to the organisation within 42 days of the original audit and this certificate will then demonstrate that the company fully complies with the criteria listed in the BRC Global Standard.