Complaints against Organic BC
Complaints against Organic BC, including staff, contracted personnel, evaluators and Accreditation Board members with respect to their duties, will be directed to either the Organic BC president or Accreditation Board director, depending on the nature of the complaint.
Complaints regarding a certification body or an operator certified by an accredited certification body
- Complaints regarding a certification body (CB) or an operator certified by an accredited CB should initially be directed to the relevant CB.
- If a complaint is not satisfactorily handled by the CB, or referral to the CB is not considered appropriate, it will be directed to the Accreditation Board director.
- Complaints regarding COR certified operators of CBs accredited by other conformity verification bodies, other than Organic BC, should be directed to the CFIA unless the complaint is related to the BCCOP.
- See AB-POL-800 Complaints Against CBs & Operators and AB-PRO-800 Complaints Against CBs & Operators
Appeals
- Appeals can be submitted by the certification body against accreditation decisions as well as challenges to decisions by third parties.
- All appeals should be sent to the Organic BC office via accreditation@organicbc.org, and must be received within 30 working days from notification of the decision.
- See AB-POL-801 Appeals and AB-PRO-801 Appeals, which outline the two-step appeal process.
Impartiality
- Organic BC is organized and operates so as to safeguard the objectivity and impartiality of its activities.
- The Impartiality Committee’s function is to ensure that the Accreditation Board conducts its activities in an impartial manner.
- See AB-POL-100 Impartiality & Conflict of Interest
