Burgess COMMENTARY

Peter Burgess

What Is Certification - The Certification Process - Accredited Certification Bodies and Course Providers - Certified Facilities List SA8000 Standard SAAS-accredited independent certification bodies certify facilities that conform to the requirements of SA8000. SA8000, created in 1997 by Social Accountability International, is an international standardized code of conduct for improving working conditions around the world. Based on the principles of thirteen international human rights conventions and developed through a multi-stakeholder process, SA8000 is a tool to help apply these norms to practical work-life situations. SA8000 contains eight core elements including health and safety, working hours, child labor, forced labor, discrimination, freedom of association and collective bargaining, wages, and discipline. The management system requirements of SA8000 move beyond a checklist approach, encouraging managers to make sustainable systemic changes in how they run their businesses. SA8000 certification provides a public report of good practice to consumers, buyers, and other companies and is intended to be a significant milestone in improving workplace conditions. Maintaining and improving the systems put in place to achieve SA8000 certification is an ongoing process and substantive worker participation can be the best means to ensuring systemic change. The benefits of adopting SA8000 are significant and may include improved staff morale, more reliable business partnerships, enhanced competitiveness, less staff turnover and better worker-manager communication. To learn more about SA8000, visit Social Accountability International’s website.