DPI Plastics, a leading manufacturer of PVC and HDPE water reticulation and drainage pipe and fitting systems, has received certification for some of its products from the South African Technical Auditing Service (SATAS).
SATAS is a regulatory body, accredited by South African National Accreditation Systems (SANAS), to certify manufacturers in accordance with ISO 17065.
“The SATAS mark will appear on our products shortly after the certification has been completed,” DPI Plastics technical and product manager, Renier Snyman said.
SATAS conducts independent audits and selects products for testing at an independent test laboratory. Certification is issued once SATAS is satisfied that the products comply with the relevant SANS standard. This is the same procedure used by the SABS for certification.
“SATAS is highly respected as a mark of quality, and is well accepted and used by municipalities,” Snyman said. DPI Plastics will apply the SATAS mark concurrently for a limited time, after which it will eventually replace the SABS mark. This is because certification to the relevant SANS standard is issued by SATAS, instead of SABS.
“It is important to note that our products are still manufactured and tested to the same SANS standard as before. The only change is that the certification will be issued by a different regulatory body,” Snyman added.
DPI Plastics has applied for a total of four SATAS marks for its Roodekop factory, and at present has been awarded three. Snyman reveals that the aim is to achieve a total of seven SATAS marks at Roodekop, and elsewhere in the group, including its Belville factory in the Western Cape, and sister companies Sangio Pipe and NPC Namibia Plastic Converters.
Snyman said that DPI Plastics has a number of expired SANS certificates, which could not be renewed by SABS for some time. “SABS reported that it was experiencing problems, leading to inability to test and certify products. This placed us, as a responsible manufacturer of quality products, in a difficult position.
“SATAS is a viable alternative to SABS, as it is able to certify products to the same SANS standards as SABS. It is business as usual. Our quality and manufacturing operations remain unchanged, and we still aim to provide the best quality pipes and fittings to our clients,” Snyman added.