Overall, the scope of certification for the SITMA Scheme focuses on the individual certification holders having the necessary knowledge, skills and abilities to perform their job competently with emphasis on adherence to recognised standards and procedures.
SITMA certifies individuals and not companies though those individuals may be associated to a company for the purposes of administration and communication, but the certification remains solely with the tester and not any associated company.
Certification is available for individuals conducting airborne wall and floor testing (Part 1) and for individuals conducting impact floor testing (Part 2) within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland*
*Note: the geographical scope of the SITMA Certification Scheme does not cover Crown Dominions
The purpose of the SITMA Certification Scheme is to:
The aims of SITMA are to provide scheme member testers with:
SITMA operates a Registered Testers Scheme in accordance with ISO/IEC 17024:2012 for individuals conducting sound insulation testing for building regulations compliance in accordance with the following test standards:
SITMA operates a Registered Testers Scheme in accordance with ISO/IEC 17024:2012 for individuals conducting sound insulation testing for building regulations compliance in accordance with the following test standards:
BS EN ISO 140-4:1998 – Airborne Wall/ Floor Testing
BS EN ISO 140-4:1998 – Impact Floor Testing
To show compliance in accordance with The Building Regulations:
England – Approved Document E 2003 edition (inc. 2004, 2010, 2013 & 2015 amendments)
Scotland – Building Standards Technical Handbook 5: 2024: Domestic
Wales – Approved Document E 2003 edition (inc 2004 & 2010 amendments)
Northern Ireland – Technical Booklet G 2012 edition
Calculations for the testing standards are conducted in accordance with:
BS EN ISO 717-1:1997 – Airborne Wall/Floor Testing
BS EN ISO 717-2:1997 – Impact Floor Testing
The following documents
BS EN ISO 140-14:2004 – Guidelines for Special Situations in the Field
BS EN ISO 354:2003 – Measurements of Sound Absorption in a reverberation room
which are referenced in the scheme as documents that are required to be followed as normative references. The auditor will check that the tester has access to these documents are part of the audit.
SITMA operates a Personnel Certification Scheme with two parts in accordance with ISO/IEC 17024:2012.
The Scheme certifies individuals who are conducting sound insulation testing for the purposes of Building Regulation compliance in accordance with the following Standards (A), Building Regulations (B) and Mandatory Standards (C).
| Scheme Level | Test Type | Test Standard |
|---|---|---|
|
Part 1 |
Airborne Wall / Floor Testing Calculations in accordance with |
BS EN ISO 140-4:1998 BS EN ISO 717-1:1997 |
|
Part 2 |
Impact Floor Testing Calculation in accordance with |
BS EN ISO 140-7:1998 BS EN ISO 717-2:1997 |
| Scheme Level | Test Type | Test Standard |
|---|---|---|
|
Part 1 and Part 2 |
Guidelines for Special Situations in the Field |
BS EN ISO 140-14:2004 |
|
Measurement of Sound Absorption in a reverberation room |
BS EN ISO 354:2003 |
| Scheme Level | Country | Building Regulation |
|---|---|---|
|
Part 1 and Part 2 |
England |
Approved Document E 2003 edition (inc. 2004, 2010 2013 & 2015 amendments) |
|
Wales |
Approved Document E 2003 edition (inc. 2004 & 2010 amendments) |
|
|
Northern Ireland |
Technical Booklet G 2012 edition |
|
|
Scotland |
Building Standards Technical Handbook 5: 2024: Domestic |
Where the Building Regulations require amendments or adaptations to the testing standards, these overrule the requirements of the testing standards.
SITMA has developed and maintains a document gap analysis which identifies the differences the standards and the building regulators requirements and explains how the Scheme handles these differences.
SITMA acknowledges that newer versions of several standards have been issued, specifically ISO 16283-1, ISO 16283-2, ISO 717-1, and ISO 717-2, however as these standards are not called up in the current building regulations they are not used in the Scheme.
If the Building Regulations are updated, the Scheme will be updated accordingly as will and its scope to reflect the new standards.
SITMA is currently holds UKAS accreditation for ISO/IEC 17024:2012 and as such follows the operational requirements as defined within the standard. ISO/IEC 17024:2012 establishes the criteria for the operation of a certification program, including the requirements for the competence of personnel involved in the certification process, the management of certification activities, and ongoing maintenance of certification.
The standard aims to ensure that individuals who are certified by a certification body have the necessary knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform their job competently. It also aims to provide confidence to employers, consumers, and other stakeholders that certified individuals have met the rigorous and international recognised standards.
In order to ensure the Scheme requirements are fully met, and that all applicants are treated fairly and objectively, SITMA utilises a singular four stage assessment process.
For the purposes of this webpage a simplified process is shown below for entry into the SITMA Certification Scheme for Sound Insulation Testers
1. Theory Examination
2. Application (Initial Review)
3. Initial Review
4. On-Site Audit
This four step process is used to ensure that the scheme requirements have been met and that all applicants are treated fairly and objectively. SITMA requires that all applications have to successfully complete this process regardless of experience or qualifications.
The full entry process is provided in scheme document ‘PUS004 – Methods & Routes of Entry’ which can be found on the website here too
Once certified by and registered SITMA members certification is maintained through a process of continual witnessed surveillance auditing. Every successfully completed witnessed surveillance audit is considered by SITMA to be the re-certification of that individual. Failing to demonstrate the required level of competence as defined by the Scheme will result in a failed audit and that individual’s suspension from the Scheme.
Ref: PUS000 – Issue 3.8
SITMA are committed to running impartial schemes. Our impartiality statement, GDPR data management, data, whistleblowing policies can be accessed using the links above. This also include SITMA’s full complaints procedure if you are not happy with SITMA’s service.
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