Kitemark
Encyclopedia
The Kitemark is a UK product and service quality
certification mark which is owned and operated by The British Standards Institution (BSI Group
).
The Kitemark is most frequently used to identify products where safety is paramount, such as crash helmets, smoke alarms and flood defences. In recent years the Kitemark has also been applied to a range of services, such as electrical installations; car servicing and accident repair; and window installations.
' specifications. ‘Kitemark’ came from the kite shape of the graphic device which was drawn up – an uppercase B (for British) on its back, over an S (for standard), enclosed by two lines.
The Kitemark was subsequently registered as a trademark on 12 June 1903 and as such is likely to be among the oldest product marks in the world still in regular use.
For the next few decades, the use of Kitemark was largely limited to technical and engineering applications up until the 1950s when the boom in consumer products led to increased concern about product safety. By the 1960s the Kitemark was being utilized to identify safe products in areas such as nightwear, domestic furniture, pressure cookers and motorcycle helmets.
With the introduction of quality management systems standards in the 1970s Kitemark schemes were developed in areas such as double glazing and fire safety. Today there are more than 450 individual Kitemark schemes covering everything from printed circuit boards to cattle tags.
. To obtain Kitemark certification, products and services are assessed by BSI Product Services to ensure that they meet the requirements of the relevant British, European, trade association or international specification or standard. In addition, delivery of the product or service is audited against an accredited quality management system. Once a Kitemark licence is issued, licensees are regularly audited and are subject to surveillance visits to ensure continuing compliance.
A 2006 survey demonstrated that the Kitemark is recognized by 82 per cent of the UK population, 88 per cent of whom trust the Kitemark, 93 per cent of whom believe that Kitemark products are safer, and 91 per cent of whom believe the product is of a better quality than similar products without the Kitemark. A 2008 YouGov
poll showed that almost half (49 per cent) of UK consumers look for a Kitemark when making a purchase.
In 2008 and 2009 the Kitemark was independently voted a Superbrand in the Top 500 Business Superbrands in the UK.
Service quality
Service quality involves a comparison of expectations with performance.According to Lewis and Booms service quality is a measure of how well a delivered service matches the customers expectations....
certification mark which is owned and operated by The British Standards Institution (BSI Group
BSI Group
BSI Group, also known in its home market as the British Standards Institution , is a multinational business services provider whose principal activity is the production of standards and the supply of standards-related services.- History :...
).
The Kitemark is most frequently used to identify products where safety is paramount, such as crash helmets, smoke alarms and flood defences. In recent years the Kitemark has also been applied to a range of services, such as electrical installations; car servicing and accident repair; and window installations.
Origins of the Kitemark
The Kitemark was originally conceived in 1903 as a symbol to identify products manufactured to meet British StandardsBritish Standards
British Standards are the standards produced by BSI Group which is incorporated under a Royal Charter...
' specifications. ‘Kitemark’ came from the kite shape of the graphic device which was drawn up – an uppercase B (for British) on its back, over an S (for standard), enclosed by two lines.
The Kitemark was subsequently registered as a trademark on 12 June 1903 and as such is likely to be among the oldest product marks in the world still in regular use.
History
The Kitemark was initially used as a trademark on tramway rails in 1903 and was instrumental in reducing the number of specifications for rails from 75 to 5. The first full Kitemark scheme – equivalent to today’s Kitemark – came into being in 1926, when the General Electric Company was awarded a Kitemark for light fittings.For the next few decades, the use of Kitemark was largely limited to technical and engineering applications up until the 1950s when the boom in consumer products led to increased concern about product safety. By the 1960s the Kitemark was being utilized to identify safe products in areas such as nightwear, domestic furniture, pressure cookers and motorcycle helmets.
With the introduction of quality management systems standards in the 1970s Kitemark schemes were developed in areas such as double glazing and fire safety. Today there are more than 450 individual Kitemark schemes covering everything from printed circuit boards to cattle tags.
Availability
The Kitemark is only available from BSI GroupBSI Group
BSI Group, also known in its home market as the British Standards Institution , is a multinational business services provider whose principal activity is the production of standards and the supply of standards-related services.- History :...
. To obtain Kitemark certification, products and services are assessed by BSI Product Services to ensure that they meet the requirements of the relevant British, European, trade association or international specification or standard. In addition, delivery of the product or service is audited against an accredited quality management system. Once a Kitemark licence is issued, licensees are regularly audited and are subject to surveillance visits to ensure continuing compliance.
Market acceptance
The Kitemark is not a legal requirement, but is often used as a point of differentiation in competitive markets and is widely trusted.A 2006 survey demonstrated that the Kitemark is recognized by 82 per cent of the UK population, 88 per cent of whom trust the Kitemark, 93 per cent of whom believe that Kitemark products are safer, and 91 per cent of whom believe the product is of a better quality than similar products without the Kitemark. A 2008 YouGov
YouGov
YouGov, formerly known as PollingPoint in the United States, is an international internet-based market research firm launched in the UK in May 2000 by Stephan Shakespeare, now Chief Executive Officer, and Nadhim Zahawi...
poll showed that almost half (49 per cent) of UK consumers look for a Kitemark when making a purchase.
In 2008 and 2009 the Kitemark was independently voted a Superbrand in the Top 500 Business Superbrands in the UK.
Examples of Kitemark schemes
- Car accident repair
- Car servicing
- Carbon Monoxide detectors
- Fire extinguishers
- Windows and doors
- Glass
- Plugs and sockets
- Motorcycle helmets
- Horse riding helmets
- Ladders
Misuse of ‘Kitemark’
The word ‘Kitemark’ is a registered trademark of The British Standards Institution and the logo is also a certification mark. BSI, owner of the name and trademark, takes protection of the mark extremely seriously and action is taken where misuse or infringement occurs.See also
- BSI GroupBSI GroupBSI Group, also known in its home market as the British Standards Institution , is a multinational business services provider whose principal activity is the production of standards and the supply of standards-related services.- History :...
- British StandardsBritish StandardsBritish Standards are the standards produced by BSI Group which is incorporated under a Royal Charter...
- Product certificationProduct certificationProduct certification or product qualification is the process of verifying that a certain product has passed performance tests and quality assurance tests or qualification requirements stipulated in contracts, regulations, or specifications...
- Certification markCertification markA certification mark on a commercial product indicates five things:* The existence of a legal follow-up or product certification agreement between the manufacturer of a product and an organization with national accreditation for both testing and certification,* Legal evidence that the product was...
- www.guardian.co.uk/money/2009/feb/27/condom-testing-kitemark
- www.which.co.uk/news/2005/09/car-servicing-kitemark-55728.jsp