Certification

The word Certification is likely to have stemmed from the idea of making something certain or witnessing the truth (French 1200's phrase certefier) to then a demonstration of proof or a notification (Medieval Latin certificationem / certificatio) used from the 1500's, through to more specifically, providing a legal certificate, to vouch for or to confirm an activity from around the 1800's.

In the same light, today the word refers to the act or process of certification, as well as the actual document, proof or certified statement, that evidences or attests that an object, body or person has performed to or reached a certain agreed level, normally through some means of formal assessment by a third party body.

In construction the term certification is used to cover a wide variety of themes and for many different purposes from details to buildings and cities, from materials to products and components and from students to professionals and whole organisations. The themes also vary dramatically such as safety, energy, sustainability, technological development, knowledge uptake, skills development, management processes, professional experience and so on.

Terms related to certification might be ; certifying body, which is the organisation making the assessment and issuing the certification, certification standard or requirement, the level required for a certain purpose, certified assessor, may refer to the person who makes assessments and awards certifications, who in turn will most likely have a certification to do so.

[edit] Person specific certification examples

• Certified Construction Manager (CCM)
• Associate Constructor (AC)
• Certified Professional Constructor (CPC)
• Certified LEED Assessor (LEED)
• Certified European Passivhaus Design (CEPD)
• Project Management Professional (PMP)
• Certified Safety Manager (CSM)
• Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)

[edit] Building specific certification Examples

• PassivHaus
• LEED
• BREAM
• Planet Mark
• Certified details
• Robust details
• British standards.
• CE marking.

[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings

• Certificates in the construction industry.
• CIOB accepted onto register of end-point assessment organisations.
• Competent persons scheme.
• Construction contract certificates, notices and instructions.
• How to check certification.
• Notice.
• Permit.
• Self certification.
• Sign off.
• Third party accreditation.
• Third party certification.
• Water Industry Approved Plumbers Scheme WIAPS.