CIP maintains a documented procedure for dealing with the suspension, withdrawal or reduction of the scope of certification and dealing with the consequences thereof. This event may occur anytime during the 3-year certification period of surveillances or recertification.

A client's certificate is suspended, after due notice, if audits reveal the client's serious and repeated failure to maintain its certified management system/s. Grounds for suspension include non-submission of correction and corrective actions on nonconformity reports. Non-agreement to undergo scheduled surveillance audits, as notified to the client's representative and also as specified in the client's surveillance program, can lead to suspension.

It may also happen that a client formally notifies CIP of its desire to terminate its certified status anytime before the end of the 3-year period of certification. Non-intention to undergo recertification will result in non-scheduling of the audit and the eventual expiration or non-renewal of certificate/s. Non-payment of audit fees leads to suspension or cancellation of certification, depending on the situation.

CIP's suspension period is 6 months in duration. If no developments continue after this period, the client is notified that the certificate is eventually withdrawn.

When issued a written suspension notice, which includes the grounds for such CIP's decision, the client is advised not to make any public references to its certified status, being suspended and therefore not valid. The suspension of the validity of the client/s certificate/s is lifted upon notification to CIP by the client and a subsequent recommendation from a CIP audit, and is approved by CIP decision-making authority, for the restoration of certificate/s validity based on the client's satisfactory completion of CIP's required audits.

A withdrawal of certificate/s is notified in writing to the client with a justification of CIP's action. The client is instructed to return the certificate/s to CIP, for safekeeping, and to cease any public references to its certified status.

The scope of a client's certification may be reduced upon confirmation by CIP's audit that requirements or processes applicable to the scope statement and its covered sites no longer fall within the certified management system/s or have not maintained conformity to management system standard/s. A certification decision upholding the recommendation of a CIP audit report for the reduction of the scope of certification results in the revision of the certificate/s.