But five months earlier, in August 1991, the Bahamas' inspecting agency certified the Ocean Princess met international requirements.

If the agency does not certify an emergency plan because of resistance from the state, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission could shut down a plant, at least temporarily.

Manufacturers pay supervisory agencies between $1,000 and $5,000 a year to inspect their plants and certify a product.

This agency also certifies a professional known as a "Certified Food Protection Professional".

Most agencies will certify children between the ages of 10 and 14 as junior-open water divers and only children over 15 can be adult open-water certified.

Uncontrolled rudder swings are not supposed to happen, said Mr. Berven, whose agency certifies aircraft designs.

That is, rather than licensing individual reactors, the regulatory agency certified a particular design and its construction process to produce safe reactors.

The agency also licenses asbestos contractors and certifies asbestos workers.

But once that's clear, the agency should swiftly certify a home-use test.

Because no commercial organization or agency certifies compliance, commercial vendors can create the test methods or approaches to fit their product.