NCSI Recognition Booklet Addendum Plumbing Product Certification WaterMark Level 2 1. General In Australia most of the plumbing and drainage products and materials are required to be certified under the WaterMark certification program before they can legally be used in installations connected to the public infrastructure. Whilst the Plumbing Code of Australia (PCA) nationally sets out the general objectives procedures and processes for the certification and authorization of these products further and more specific requirements are set up and supported by the AS5200.000 and also the miscellaneous publication MP52, both published by the relevant committees of s Australia. This addendum to the NCSI Recognition Booklet is intend to be the company s certification program that ensures coverage of the extra specific requirements for WaterMark Level 2 as set by AS5200.000 and MP52. Products certified under the WaterMark Level 2 certification program must have achieved compliance with a specific Australia or International product standard or other suitable published document and be certified under the principles of a System 1b of ISO/IEC Guide 67 Conformity Assessment Fundamentals of Product Certification. For the purposes of the WaterMark Level 2 certification, unlike for WaterMark Level 1, the implementation of a quality management system at the manufacturing site is not a requirement and therefore auditing it is not required. As per the WaterMark requirements, before a WaterMark certificate can be issued NCSI must ensure that the applicant has signed the WaterMark Approved User Agreement as required by the WaterMark administrator. 2. Definitions For the purpose of this document the definitions used on PCA, AS5200.000, MP52 and AS/NZS ISO9000 apply. 3. Main steps of certification Note: Prior to the application for WaterMark certification the applicant is advised to conduct a preliminary review of the product to ensure that it will fall within the scope of the applicable standard, as listed in AS5200.000 and/or MP52 - Section 5 Schedule of specifications, and that it will comply with the requirements there set. The applicant lodges a WaterMark certification application. Page 1 of 5
The WaterMark application shall list each product, its model and catalogue identification, proposed applications and methods of operation. Upon receipt of the complete application file, the assigned Client Manager (CM) at NCSI will send to the applicant the relevant product schedule template for completion and return to NCSI and also requests the client to submit a preliminary technical file relevant to the product to which certification is required e.g. drawings, bill of materials, technical characteristics, installation instructions, etc. Notes: 1) The completed product schedule together with the product s technical file will help the CM, in coordination with the applicant, preparing a type test program based on the representative worst case scenario samples. 2) The technical file should enable product design freeze. NCSI discusses with the client the requirements for the marking of the product, as set on AS5200.000 and the MP52, and also on the standard applicable to the product, and invite the client to submit a preliminary marking proposal for review by NCSI. Except for prototypes that will be discussed in a dedicated clause the product samples that make up the type testing program, prepared as discussed in Note immediately above, are sent out to a recognised laboratory for type testing. Note: As defined by the WaterMark rules a recognised laboratory is for example a laboratory accredited under the umbrella of ILAC (International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation) having a scope of accreditation covering the tests required by the applicable product standard e.g. in Australia NATA is the laboratory accreditation organization that operates under the ILAC umbrella. The WaterMark applicant must inform NCSI of the laboratory chosen to carry out the type testing program and guaranty NCSI direct contact with it for discussions related to the test program. NSCI performs a review of the received product type test reports and decides if they are acceptable for certification or if further action is required. Upon final acceptance of the test reports a design freese obligation will apply to the all family of products that the reports represent. Note: 1) The design freeze obligation is extensive to the marking of the product as per the marking proposal approved by NCSI. 2) After being approved by NCSI for certification these test reports will be valid for 5 years and can be later used for recertification, when the original certification expires after 3 years, if the WaterMark user wishes to follow that course of action. The CM assigned to the project conducts a final review to the client s file to ensure that any technical outstanding maters have been resolved e.g. test reports approved, marking proposal accepted, technical file complete, final product schedule agreed and WaterMark Approved User Agreement signed. Page 2 of 5
Having the above review been completed to the certification requirements NCSI will issue the relevant WaterMark Level 2 certificate that, as previously discussed in Note immediately above will be valid for the following 3 years. If the WaterMark user decides to recertify the product previously certified a new cycle of certification will need to be initiated e.g. lodge new application, submit valid type test reports, etc. The certification steps indicated above are not exhaustive and the sequence indicated can be changed if, for practical reasons, the circumstances of the project so require. 4. Use of prototypes for type testing For the purpose of certification NCSI will provisionally accept prototype testing results provided that the following conditions are met: Representative samples of product are selected, as agreed by NCSI, from a batch of product resulting from a normal production process, for correlation testing of critical features by a recognised laboratory in accordance with the product testing program previously agreed and pass the tests. It can be verified by NCSI that the design features of the product tested do not significantly differ from the design of the prototype initially submitted. NCSI will at is discretion set the timing and extent for the correlation testing required. 5. Product Marking and Warranty As per the WaterMark rules licensing/certification can not take place until a marking proposal has been accepted by NCSI. In addition to the WaterMark marking the certified product must also satisfy any extra requirements of the relevant product standard that do not contravene the WaterMark marking requirements. The WaterMark mark must be applied to the product prior to dispatch from the manufacturing site in a position and manner accorded in the Marking Proposal approved by NCSI. The certification marks should be clear durable and incorporated in such a way as to reveal clear evidence of tampering. Note: After the approval of the marking proposal the marking of the product will also be under the obligation of product design freeze as previously discussed. In fulfilling the WaterMark requirements NCSI must ensure that any product or material that it has certified is appropriately marked with the WaterMark as approved. Page 3 of 5
The WaterMark rules also require the supplier of a WaterMarked product or material to ensure that the product or material offered for sale is accompanied by a statement of warranty indicating their suitability and limitations. 6. Variations to Certification Variations to certification may originate from: variations to the scope of certified product major nonconformities voluntary withdrawals withdrawal of certification by NCS International change of certification scope change of ownership change of management change of company name change of ABN, etc. During the validity of the certification any intended changes to the certified product that are likely to affect its critical features must be submitted to NCSI for review and final decision on further action to be taken. 7. Acknowledgement and control of non-conforming product The WaterMark approved user must ensure that WaterMarked product found non-compliant prior to releasing is prevented from being released and that effective actions are taken to correct the discrepancies observed. When the non-conformances of a WaterMarked product could not be resolved the product involved cannot be offered for sale unless its WaterMark is obliterated and any WaterMark logos or references are removed from any material accompanying the product. In the event of product recalling the WaterMark approved user must immediately advise NCSI with full details including extension of the occurrence. All products already released must be immediately recalled and quarantined. Follow up actions to effectively correct the non-conformance must be taken in permanent consultation with NCSI until it acknowledges that in its view the problem has been satisfactorily resolved. It is the responsibility of NCSI to notify the WaterMark administrator in case of any product recall, suspension or cancellation of certification happening to one of its certified companies, within 7days of the occurrence. 8. Transfer of existing WaterMark certifications to NCSI For practical reasons, e.g. payment with the application of the fees covering the 3 years duration of the certification, straight transfers of current WaterMark Level 2 certifications granted by other JAS-ANZ accredited certifiers are not considered by NCSI. Page 4 of 5
9. Specific conditions In case of dispute NCSI reserves the right to select samples from the point of sales and have them independently tested by an approved laboratory. If the testing results prove that the product is not compliant with the relevant requirements all costs involved will be charged to the certified WaterMark user. In no circumstances will NCSI accept to certify to WaterMark Level 2 any product that by requirement of the WaterMark rules would require WaterMark Level1. 10. Related publications and forms Reference Type Title G014 NCSI Booklet Recognition Booklet PCA AS5200.000 MP52 AS/NZS ISO9001 ISO/IEC Guide 7 International Contract Plumbing Code of Australia Technical specifications for plumbing and drainage product Part 000: Procedures for certification of plumbing and drainage products Miscellaneous publications Manual of authorization procedures for plumbing and drainage products Quality management systems - Requirements Conformity Assessment Fundamentals of Product Certification WaterMark Approved User Agreement Page 5 of 5