Delivering assurance for social accountability across your operations and supply chains
At Intertek our focus is on providing robust and credible assurance solutions that support your commitment to human rights, labour standards and sustainable business practices. Through our certification offering for the SA8000 Standard, we help organisations establish, maintain and demonstrate performance in social accountability across global operations.
What is SA8000®
The SA8000 Standard is the world-leading social certification programme. It provides organisations of all types, in any industry and in any country, with a framework to conduct business in a manner that is fair and decent for workers and to demonstrate adherence to the highest social standards. The Standard is based on internationally recognised conventions such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and fundamental ILO conventions and integrates a management-systems approach to social performance.
The Standard sets out requirements across nine core elements:
- Child labour
- Forced or compulsory labour
- Health and safety
- Freedom of association and right to collective bargaining
- Discrimination
- Disciplinary practices
- Working hours
- Remuneration
- Management system
By meeting these requirements organisations reinforce their commitment to responsible work-place practices and a culture of continual improvement.
Why SA8000® Matters for Your Business
Implementing SA8000 certification offers strategic value for your enterprise, your workforce and your brand. Key benefits include:
- Stronger relationships with workers, management and external stakeholders through clearer and more transparent workplace practices.
- A formal management-system approach that drives performance improvements, risk controls and operational resilience across the value chain.
- Enhanced reputation and credibility with customers, retailers and business partners who prioritise social compliance and ethical sourcing.
- Improved employee engagement, retention and productivity through safer, fairer and well-managed workplaces.
- For brands and retailers the programme provides a credible third-party verification of social accountability, reducing duplication of audits and strengthening supply-chain assurance.
At Intertek we help you translate these benefits into measurable results and help you integrate SA8000 certification into your broader sustainability and operational excellence agenda.
Intertek’s SA8000 Certification Services
Intertek offers a comprehensive, end-to-end SA8000 certification solution that supports your organisation from readiness assessment through audit and surveillance. Our offering includes:
- Global audit team with local-presence expertise across more than 100 countries and deep knowledge of labour issues, workplace safety and regulatory frameworks.
- Third-party certification with a three-year certificate validity period; during that period Intertek conducts surveillance audits to ensure sustained compliance.
- Supportive services, including gap-analysis, corrective-action planning, stakeholder engagement guidance and supply-chain integration.
- Access to our global resource library and best-practice insight, helping you embed the Standard into your systems, culture and value chain.
Whether your operations are local, regional or global, Intertek is positioned to support you in achieving SA8000 certification with credibility, efficiency and minimum disruption.
Who Should Consider SA8000® Certification
SA8000 certification is relevant for organisations of any size, in any sector and in any location that are looking to demonstrate leadership in labour standards and social responsibility. Key audiences include:
- Manufacturers, suppliers and contract-factories with global or regional supply chains.
- Brands and retailers seeking to strengthen supplier assurance frameworks.
- Organisations that integrate social accountability into broader ESG, procurement and risk-management strategies.
- Organisations that wish to align workforce and operational practices with recognised human-rights-based certification programmes.
Getting Started with Intertek
To explore SA8000 certification with Intertek please connect with one of our specialists. We will conduct an initial consultation to assess your readiness, scope your certification activity and propose a tailored pathway that aligns with your business objectives and supply-chain context.
Technical Documentation
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GOP 216-INFO SA 8000 - Information on Complaint Handling Process
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GOP 216 - SA8000 - Complaint Handling Process
Why Choose Intertek
Intertek has built decades of global experience providing assurance, certification and auditing services that support social responsibility, compliance, and commercial performance. Our global network, technical expertise, and tailored approach enable you to integrate SA8000 certification into your business with confidence. Choose Intertek and advance your commitment to social accountability.
Frequently Asked Questions
The SA8000 Standard is a globally recognised social accountability framework developed by Social Accountability International. It sets clear requirements for labour practices, worker rights and management systems to help organisations improve workplace conditions and demonstrate responsible business conduct.
Any organisation, regardless of size, sector or location, can pursue SA8000 certification. The Standard is widely used by manufacturers, suppliers, brands and retailers that need credible verification of social accountability performance.
An SA8000 certificate is valid for three years. During this period Intertek conducts surveillance audits to verify ongoing compliance and to ensure that the organisation continues to meet the requirements of the Standard.
SA8000 covers nine core areas: child labour, forced labour, health and safety, freedom of association, discrimination, disciplinary practices, working hours, remuneration and the management system needed to support these commitments.
SA8000 provides a credible third-party verification that a facility meets international expectations for worker protection and ethical practices. Brands and retailers often use SA8000 certified suppliers to strengthen their responsible sourcing programmes and reduce repetitive or redundant social compliance audits.
Intertek conducts independent audits against the SA8000 Standard and issues certificates to organisations that meet the requirements. Our teams also perform surveillance audits and offer supportive services such as gap analysis and corrective-action guidance.
Organisations can start by contacting Intertek for an initial discussion. We help define the certification scope, assess readiness and outline a clear path forward based on your operational needs and supply chain structure.
