To become a member of the FIA, companies must meet a certain eligibility criterion. Only companies that have achieved Third Party Certification (TPC) or are in the process of receiving their Third-Party Certificate are eligible. It is important to note that, Probationary membership is available for up to a year for an organisation which is on its way to achieving certification.  

Third Party Certification serves as a consumer protection scheme that allows companies to prove their competence. The on-going certification process involves an annual independent audit by a UKAS-accredited certification body who verifies that the company meets specific British Standards and best practices from a business management perspective. 

As the Fire Industry Association, we frequently hear confusion about these two terms, and some businesses are unaware of which applies to them. Please see below for the definitions of each term. 

Certification and Accreditation 

Certification - is the process through which an organisation has its systems assessed to a specific standard (such as the BAFE Schemes), by a company “accredited” to carry out the 3rd party assessment, (or audit). For example, if your company has a BAFE certification and/or ISO Management System or is looking to achieve this, and you pass your auditing process, you are certified. 

Accreditation - is the process by which an organisation that wishes to assess quality management systems must go through. For example, a 3rd party auditing company, who is registered with UKAS or IAF. 

For further information, contact Kevin Stearns (Compliance Manager) at [email protected]