Certification Conditions

General conditions for the certification of social management systems to PAS 24000:2022 by Awareness Certification. English translation for information; the German version is legally binding. Last updated: October 2026.

§ 1 Scope and contractual basis

(1) These Certification Conditions apply to all contracts between Awareness Certification, proprietor Harald Ilisch, Haakengraben 34, 23730 Neustadt in Holstein, Germany (the "Certification Body"), and organisations (the "Organisation") for the auditing and certification of social management systems to PAS 24000:2022.

(2) The contractual basis consists, in this order of precedence, of: the certification agreement with the quotation, these Certification Conditions including the Rules for Use of the Certification Mark (Annex 1), and the published document "Audit Procedure and Criteria" in the version valid at the time of contract.

(3) The Certification Body operates a documented certification system whose structure and procedures follow ISO/IEC 17021-1. Conflicting terms of the Organisation do not become part of the contract.

(4) The Certification Body may amend these Conditions and the procedure where standards, legal provisions or its certification system so require. Amendments are notified to the Organisation in text form and take effect after a transition period of three months unless the notification states a longer period. If the Organisation objects within that period, either party may terminate the contract at the end of the transition period.

§ 2 Application, quotation and conclusion of contract

(1) The Organisation submits an application for certification containing the information required by the application form, in particular: name and address, sites, number of workers including agency workers, shift patterns, languages spoken at the site, intended scope, existing certifications, and details of any management system consultancy received within the previous two years, naming the consultants.

(2) The Certification Body reviews the application to establish whether the scope is certifiable, whether it has the necessary competence and capacity and whether conflicts of interest exist. It determines the audit time on the basis of the information provided. The Certification Body may decline an application without stating reasons; it declines it where a conflict of interest cannot be resolved.

(3) The quotation states scope, sites, audit time for stage 1, stage 2, surveillance and recertification audits, the fees and the payment terms. The contract is concluded upon acceptance of the quotation in text form.

(4) Incorrect or incomplete information in the application entitles the Certification Body to adjust audit time and fees or to withdraw from the contract.

(5) The Organisation notifies without delay any changes affecting scope, sites, workforce, legal form or ownership. The Certification Body decides whether an additional audit is required.

§ 3 Obligations of the Organisation

(1) The Organisation fulfils the requirements of PAS 24000:2022 within the certified scope on an ongoing basis and implements the changes the Certification Body notifies as a result of amended requirements.

(2) The Organisation makes all arrangements necessary for the conduct of audits. These include access to all areas of the certified sites, to documents and records including payroll, working-time and personnel records, and the opportunity to interview workers at all levels, agency workers and worker representatives without supervisors present.

(3) The Organisation ensures that workers suffer no detriment on account of statements made to auditors. Breaches of this obligation constitute a major nonconformity.

(4) The Organisation permits the attendance of observers of the Certification Body, for example for auditor monitoring or training, and of persons acting in the course of an evaluation of the Certification Body. Attendance is announced in advance.

(5) The Organisation keeps records of all complaints received concerning the certified management system, of the actions taken and their effectiveness, and makes them available on request.

(6) The Organisation uses the certificate and the certification mark only in accordance with § 8 and Annex 1 and makes no statements about its certification that are misleading or exceed the scope.

(7) The Organisation informs the Certification Body without delay of circumstances that may affect the conformity of the management system, in particular regulatory proceedings, serious occupational accidents, industrial action, third-party reports of labour or human rights violations, and material changes under § 2 (5).

§ 4 Conduct of audits

(1) The Certification Body establishes an audit programme for the three-year certification cycle and communicates it to the Organisation. Before each audit it provides an audit plan and names the audit team. The Organisation may raise reasoned objections to the appointment of individual auditors within ten working days, in particular on grounds of possible conflicts of interest.

(2) The initial certification audit consists of stage 1 and stage 2. Stage 1 reviews the management system documentation and readiness for stage 2; it may be conducted on site or as a document review. Stage 2 assesses implementation and effectiveness on site and normally takes place within six months of completion of stage 1. If this period is exceeded, the Certification Body may require stage 1 to be repeated.

(3) Audits cover all clauses of PAS 24000:2022 including all topics of Annex A. Exclusion of individual requirements is not permitted. All areas of the sites named in the scope and all persons working there, irrespective of contractual form, are audited.

(4) Audits are announced. The Certification Body may conduct audits at short notice where complaints, changes or indications of serious violations so require (§ 7 (4)).

(5) The Certification Body may deploy interpreters, technical experts or auditors in training; they are bound to confidentiality and have no decision-making authority.

(6) Each audit concludes with a closing meeting at which the findings are explained. The audit report is provided to the Organisation within ten working days of the last audit day. It contains the findings on each requirement, the nonconformities with their grading and the recommendation of the audit team. The recommendation does not bind the certification decision.

§ 5 Nonconformities and corrective action

(1) A major nonconformity exists where a requirement of PAS 24000:2022 is not implemented or not implemented effectively, where a systematic failure of the management system is evident, or where labour or human rights of workers are violated. A minor nonconformity exists where a requirement is not met in individual cases without calling the effectiveness of the system into question.

(2) For each nonconformity the Organisation analyses the causes and submits corrections and corrective actions with deadlines to the Certification Body within 30 days of receipt of the audit report.

(3) Major nonconformities must be demonstrably closed before the certification decision. The Certification Body verifies effectiveness by document review or on-site follow-up audit; it determines the form. If major nonconformities are not closed within six months of the last day of stage 2, stage 2 must be repeated.

(4) For minor nonconformities an action plan accepted by the Certification Body suffices before the decision; implementation is verified at the latest at the next audit. A minor nonconformity not closed at the following audit is regraded as major.

(5) Paragraphs 2 to 4 apply accordingly to surveillance and recertification audits; major nonconformities lead to suspension under § 9 if not closed within the deadline set.

(6) Where the audit team identifies circumstances that pose an immediate danger to the life or health of workers or constitute forced or child labour, it informs the Organisation's management immediately. The Certification Body may suspend certification in such cases without prior deadline.

§ 6 Certification decision, certificate and register

(1) The certification decision is taken by a person not involved in the audit, solely on the basis of the audit report, the nonconformities and the evidence of correction. That person may grant, refuse or defer certification or require additional evidence or a follow-up audit. The decision is communicated to the Organisation in text form with reasons.

(2) The certificate states the Organisation, the sites, the scope, the standard PAS 24000:2022, the certificate number, the date of initial certification and the start and end of validity. It is valid for three years from the date of the certification decision, subject to surveillance under § 7 and measures under § 9.

(3) The certificate remains the property of the Certification Body. It is issued as a PDF; the Organisation may reproduce and distribute it unaltered and in full.

(4) The Certification Body maintains a public register of the certificates it has granted. It contains certificate number, Organisation, sites, scope, validity and status (valid, suspended, withdrawn, expired). The entry is made on the day of the decision; status changes are entered on the day of the decision. The Organisation consents to the publication of this information.

(5) On request from third parties the Certification Body confirms the validity, scope and status of a certificate. Further information, in particular audit reports, is released only with the consent of the Organisation or where required by law.

§ 7 Surveillance, recertification and special audits

(1) The Certification Body conducts one on-site surveillance audit in each of the first and second years after the certification decision. The first surveillance audit takes place no later than twelve months after the date of the decision. Surveillance audits verify continued conformity, the effectiveness of corrective actions, internal audits and management review, the handling of complaints, changes to the system or the site, and the use of the certificate and the mark.

(2) If a surveillance audit cannot be conducted on time for reasons attributable to the Organisation, certification is suspended under § 9.

(3) Before validity expires, the Certification Body conducts a recertification audit reassessing the whole management system. The Organisation applies for recertification no later than six months before expiry. Audit, corrective actions and decision must be completed before the expiry date; otherwise the certificate lapses. Certification within six months after expiry requires at least an audit equivalent to stage 2; thereafter a full initial certification audit is required. On a positive decision a new cycle begins; the certificate number remains.

(4) The Certification Body may conduct special audits with at least five working days' notice where third-party complaints, reports of labour or human rights violations, material changes under § 2 (5) or the review of a suspension so require. The Organisation grants access under § 3 (2). If it refuses a special audit, certification is suspended.

(5) Extensions of scope are assessed on application in the course of a surveillance audit or a separate audit.

§ 8 Use of the certificate and the certification mark

(1) During validity the Organisation may refer to its certification using the wording "certified to PAS 24000:2022, certificate issued by Awareness Certification" or equivalent wording, in each case stating the certificate number. The reference may relate only to the certified sites and the certified scope.

(2) The Certification Body grants the Organisation, for the period of validity, a simple, non-transferable right to use the certification mark in accordance with Annex 1. Use is permitted towards customers and business partners: on the website, in tender and quotation documents, supplier questionnaires, business stationery, presentations and trade fair material, always together with the certificate number.

(3) Use of the mark or the certificate is not permitted on products, product packaging, in advertising or communication directed at consumers, on test reports or certificates issued by the Organisation to third parties, or in any manner suggesting that a product, a service or a non-certified entity is certified. The mark may not be altered, incorporated into the Organisation's logo or displayed larger than it.

(4) The Organisation makes no statements presenting the certification as an award, endorsement or quality seal, or claiming or implying accreditation.

(5) Upon suspension, withdrawal, reduction or expiry, the Organisation ceases without delay all use of the mark and all reference to the certification, in the case of reduction with respect to the removed part, and amends advertising material, website and documents. The Certification Body may require the return or destruction of copies of the certificate.

(6) In the event of improper use the Certification Body may require corrective action, suspend or withdraw certification, publicly correct the use and take legal action.

§ 9 Suspension, withdrawal and reduction

(1) The Certification Body suspends certification where the management system persistently or seriously fails to meet the requirements, major nonconformities are not closed on time, a surveillance or special audit cannot be conducted on time, the certificate or mark is used improperly, notification duties under § 2 (5) or § 3 (7) are breached, fees remain unpaid despite reminder, or the Organisation requests suspension.

(2) Suspension is notified in text form with reasons, conditions for reinstatement and a deadline; the deadline is at most six months. During suspension the certification is temporarily invalid; § 8 (5) applies. The status is entered in the register on the day of the decision.

(3) If the conditions are met within the deadline and confirmed by document review or audit, the suspension is lifted. Otherwise certification is withdrawn or, where only parts of the scope are affected, reduced.

(4) The Certification Body withdraws certification without prior suspension where forced or child labour is identified, where workers suffer detriment on account of statements made to auditors, where the Organisation falsifies evidence or deceives auditors, or where the contract is terminated.

(5) Withdrawal and reduction are notified in text form with reasons and entered in the register. The Organisation may appeal against suspension, withdrawal and reduction under § 10; the appeal has no suspensive effect.

(6) After withdrawal, renewed certification is possible only through a full initial certification audit.

§ 10 Complaints and appeals

(1) The Organisation may appeal against decisions of the Certification Body, in particular refusal, suspension, withdrawal and reduction of certification and the grading of nonconformities, in writing and with reasons within 30 days of receipt of the decision.

(2) The Certification Body acknowledges receipt, investigates the appeal and decides within 60 days. Neither the audit team nor the person who took the contested decision takes part in the decision on the appeal. If the Certification Body cannot provide an uninvolved person, it engages an external competent person. The decision is communicated to the Organisation with reasons; it concludes the appeals procedure.

(3) Complaints about the Certification Body, its auditors or a certified organisation may be submitted by anyone in text form. The Certification Body acknowledges receipt, establishes whether the complaint relates to certification activities, investigates it through a person not involved in the matter and informs the complainant of the outcome and closure. Complaints about a certified organisation are submitted to it for comment; they may trigger a special audit under § 7 (4).

(4) The Certification Body decides together with the Organisation and the complainant whether and to what extent the subject and outcome of a complaint are made public. Complaints, appeals and the actions taken are recorded.

(5) Appeals and complaints procedures are free of charge for the Organisation and the complainant. Recourse to the courts remains unaffected.

§ 11 Impartiality and confidentiality

(1) The Certification Body provides no management system consultancy to the Organisation and conducts no internal audits for it. Organisations that received such consultancy within the previous two years from a person related to the Certification Body are not certified. The audit team identifies nonconformities and evaluates corrections; it develops no solutions and makes no recommendations on the design of the system.

(2) The fees of the Certification Body and of the persons deployed are independent of the result of the audits and of the certification decision.

(3) The Certification Body treats all information it obtains about the Organisation in connection with certification as confidential. This also applies to information from sources other than the Organisation, such as complaints. All persons deployed are bound to confidentiality in writing. Excepted are the information in the public register under § 6 (4) and information the Certification Body must disclose by law or official order; the Organisation is informed of this where legally permitted.

(4) The Organisation ensures that auditors can interview workers in confidence. Statements of individual workers are not reproduced in the audit report in a way that would allow them to be attributed to the person.

(5) The Organisation undertakes not to make any payments or gifts to auditors or other persons acting for the Certification Body and not to influence findings or decisions. Breaches lead to termination of the contract and withdrawal of certification.

§ 11a Whistleblowing channel and compliance

(1) The Certification Body operates a reporting channel through which workers of certified organisations, business partners and third parties may report violations of the requirements of PAS 24000:2022, misconduct by auditors or other persons acting for the Certification Body, and breaches of these Conditions. The channel is accessible via the Certification Body's website (form) and via compliance@awareness-certification.com. Reports may be made anonymously.

(2) The Certification Body treats the identity of reporting persons as confidential and does not disclose it to the organisation concerned without their consent, unless disclosure is required by law. Receipt and outcome are communicated to the reporting person where a means of contact has been provided; handling follows § 10 (3).

(3) The Organisation makes the Certification Body's reporting channel accessible to the workers of the certified sites, for example by notice board or intranet, and refrains from any measure that disadvantages a person on account of a report. A breach constitutes a major nonconformity and entitles the Certification Body to withdrawal under § 9 (4).

(4) The Certification Body and the persons acting for it accept no gifts, invitations or other benefits from organisations they audit or whose certification they decide on, with the exception of low-value courtesies within customary hospitality. They observe the applicable provisions on anti-corruption, data protection and confidentiality. The Organisation undertakes accordingly (§ 11 (5)).

§ 12 Fees, liability, term and final provisions

(1) Fees. Fees are as stated in the quotation and are based on audit time, travel costs and expenses. Follow-up audits, special audits and additional verification of corrective actions are charged on a time basis at the daily rates stated in the quotation. Invoices are payable within 14 days without deduction. If the Organisation cancels an agreed audit date less than ten working days in advance, the Certification Body may charge 50 per cent of the fee for that audit and non-refundable travel costs.

(2) Liability. The Certification Body is liable without limitation for intent and gross negligence. For ordinary negligence it is liable only for breach of material contractual obligations, limited to the foreseeable damage typical of the contract and at most to the sum insured under its professional indemnity insurance. Liability for injury to life, body or health remains unaffected. Certification is a sample-based assessment at a point in time; it does not relieve the Organisation of its responsibility for the conformity of its management system and of its products and services. The Certification Body is not liable to third parties for decisions they base on the certificate.

(3) Term and termination. The contract runs for the three-year certification cycle and is extended by three years upon each recertification. Either party may terminate with three months' notice to the end of the cycle. The right to terminate for good cause remains unaffected; for the Certification Body good cause exists in particular in the cases of § 9 (4). Certification lapses upon termination of the contract; § 8 (5) applies.

(4) Records. The Certification Body retains applications, audit reports, evidence of correction, decisions, complaints and appeals at least for the duration of the current and the preceding certification cycle, and no longer than legal provisions require.

(5) Final provisions. The law of the Federal Republic of Germany applies. The place of jurisdiction, where permissible, is Lübeck, Germany. Amendments and additions to the contract require text form. Should any provision be invalid, the validity of the remaining provisions remains unaffected; the statutory provision takes the place of the invalid one. In the event of discrepancies between the German and the English version, the German version prevails.

Annex 1: Rules for Use of the Certification Mark

(1) The certification mark consists of the Awareness Certification symbol with the circumferential text "PAS 24000" and "ZERTIFIZIERT" (English version: "CERTIFIED"). The Certification Body provides it in four colour versions: standard for white and light backgrounds, reversed for dark blue backgrounds, mono dark blue for single-colour print, mono white for mid-tone backgrounds. It is used only in these versions and without alteration.

(2) Minimum size: 20 mm in print, 76 px on screen. Clear space around the mark is at least one quarter of its diameter; no other elements are placed within this space.

(3) The mark is always used together with the certificate number, directly below or beside it, in the form "Certificate AC-24000-YYYY-NNNN".

(4) The mark is never larger than the Organisation's logo on the same surface and is not incorporated into it. It is not rotated, distorted, given effects or reproduced in other colours.

(5) Permitted and prohibited carriers are governed by § 8 (2) and (3). Upon suspension, withdrawal, reduction or expiry of certification the right of use ends in accordance with § 8 (5).