Overview
OQA „Austrian Society for the Promotion of Quality“
OQA is the only organization in Austria that awards the Austria Quality Seal for products of Austrian origin as well as the International Quality Seal for products from any country of origin. The Quality Seal is also awarded to services (Austrian Model Company "Österreichischer Musterbetrieb").
Together with its member organisations, OQA, an organisation with decades of experience, sees its mission in promoting quality and strengthening competitiveness of Austrian trade and industry. At the moment about 500 registered companies are multiple users of the Austria Quality Seal. This is clear evidence for intensive commitment. The certificate is a confirmation of tested quality - for more than 70 years - and it is still up to date!
OQA Zertifizierungs-GmbH (Certification Ltd.) (100% subsidiary of OQA – Austrian Society for the Promotion of Quality) was established in December 2007.
The OQA Zertifizierungs-GmbH (Certification Ltd.) is license-partner of VDA QMC and offers VDA-trainings since October 2017 in Austria.
Up to now the legal basis for granting Austria Quality Seals for Products has been the Austria Quality Seal Regulation dated 1942. On December 31, 2009, this regulation became ineffective (§ 4 al. 2, Annex Index Number 95.08.02, of the First BRBG (“Bundesrechtsbereinigungsgesetz” – Act to Abolish Obsolete Legislation), BGBl. (“Bundesgesetzblatt” – Federal Law Gazette) I No. 191/1999).
OQA Zertifizierungs-GmbH (Certification Ltd.) (100% subsidiary of OQA „Österreichische Arbeitsgemeinschaft zur Förderung der Qualität“ (Austrian Society for the Promotion of Quality)) was established in December 2007. Accreditation existing since November 26, 2004 (Austrian Accreditation Act, BGBl. (“Bundesgesetzblatt” – Law Gazette) No. 448/2004) as a Certification Body acc. to ÖNORM EN 45011, which had been granted by the Federal Ministry for Digital and Economic Affairs, was transferred to OQA Zertifizierungs-GmbH (Certification Ltd.) in June 2008.
OQA Zertifizierungs-GmbH (Certification Ltd.) is a hundred percent subsidiary company of the OQA „Österreichische Arbeitsgemeinschaft zur Förderung der Qualität“ (Austrian Society for the Promotion of Quality) and accredited as a body certifying services acc. to ISO/IEC 17065 with the identification number PSID 0934.
With the edict BGBl.154 vom 10. May 2011 the accreditation has been expanded from the Federal Ministry of Digital, Business and Enterprise.
Accreditation includes the Quality Guidelines (GRL – Güterichtlinien):
GRL01 “Austria Quality Seal Care Facilities For elderly People (residential and in-patient)”
GRL03 “Austria Quality Seal Health Tourism - Best Health Austria”
GRL04: Austria Quality Seal for Fire Protection Management”
GRL07 "Austria Quality Seal Property Management"
GRL08 "Austria Quality Seal Fitter"
GRL09 "Austria Quality Seal Manpower Providers"
GRL10 "Austria Quality Seal At-Home Nursing Care" and
GRL11 "Austria Quality Seal House caretakers"
Not included in the scope of accreditation of OQA:
GRL06 “Austria Quality Seal for Doctor's Offices”
OQA awards the right to use the Austria Quality Seal. As opposed to a trademark, it is non-transferable and non-divestible. OQA documents the issuance, loss and denial of the quality seal. OQA has the right to inspect all parties following a warrant of legal interest.
The conditions governing the conferment and usage of the Austria Quality Seal are stated in the general terms and conditions (in german, valid for the accredited division) of the OQA.
The OQA Zertifizierungs-GmbH (Certification Ltd.) is license-partner of VDA-QMC and offers VDA-trainings since October 2017 in Austria.
OQA is independent in economic terms and from any political party and uses the resources it gains itself as an NPO to strengthen its own efficiency in the service of society.
OQA is an independent and neutral organisation offering its services – marking quality by using suitable means and granting the right to hold the registered quality labels and association brands – to companies, organisations and businesspersons of any sector and size to the benefit of overall economy and society.
For OQA, products, services, methods and procedures deserve their quality is marked if it is evidenced and ensured that the average quality level of comparable product, services, methods and procedures is exceeded and the relevant Quality Guidelines are fulfilled.
OQA initiates, develops and provides its services alone or in co-operation with domestic or foreign legal entities in the field of product, service and system quality, carries out all the activities of a Certification Body in conformity to legal and other requirements and does not perform any consulting activities.
All the internal and external employees of OQA are obliged to carry out their activities with utmost care and due diligence and to the customers’ satisfaction while complying with the legal requirements (above all Accreditation Act) and relevant standards (e.g. EN ISO/IEC 17065) and the rules of OQA’s QM system.
- WKO Chamber of Commerce Austria
- Presidential Conference of the Chamber of Agriculture
- Federal Chamber of Labor
- OVQ Austrian Association for Quality Assurance
- VKI Verein für Konsumenteninformation
- Austria Quality Seal Users
- OQA Zertifizierungs-GmbH is a license partner of VDA QMC.