ACLASS gains recognition as laboratory accreditation body.
Press Release Summary:
ANSI-ASQ National Accreditation Board/ACLASS has announced its recognition by NIST as U.S. laboratory accreditation body under EMC/Telecommunications Mutual Recognition Agreements. The EMC/Telecom MRA assures that accreditations issued by NIST-recognized U.S. laboratory accreditation bodies are in turn recognized by peer organizations around the globe, eliminating need for individual laboratories to pursue costly multiple assessments and reducing technical barriers to trade.
Original Press Release:
ACLASS Gains Recognition by NIST as Laboratory Accreditation Body
The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) - American Society for Quality (ASQ) National Accreditation Board/ACLASS is pleased to announce its recognition by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) as a U.S. laboratory accreditation body under Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC)/Telecommunications Mutual Recognition Agreements (MRAs).
Once a laboratory is accredited by ACLASS for the specific test methods and standards specified by an MRA partner, the laboratory can apply to NIST for designation. The EMC/Telecom MRA assures that accreditations issued by NIST-recognized U.S. laboratory accreditation bodies are in turn recognized by peer organizations around the globe, thus eliminating the need for individual laboratories to pursue costly multiple assessments and reducing technical barriers to trade.
"ACLASS is pleased that NIST has recognized the high quality of our accreditation services and added us to the list of U.S. laboratory accreditation bodies acceptable for use under the MRA," said Keith Greenaway, vice president of ACLASS. "This distinction adds significant value for our customers engaged in the EMC and telecom arenas."
The decision was made following NIST's participation in an Asia Pacific Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (APLAC) re-evaluation process, which verified that the ACLASS accreditation program is in full compliance with two key International Standards:
ISO/IEC 17011, Conformity assessment - General requirements for accreditation bodies accrediting conformity assessment bodies, and
ISO/IEC 17025, General requirements for the competence of testing and calibration laboratories.
Before joining the list of recognized bodies, ACLASS also completed a witness audit by NIST technical experts to verify that the technical requirements of the foreign economics included in the MRA are being properly assessed. Recognition by NIST under the EMC/Telecom MRAs builds upon last year's agreement between ACLASS and the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) to conduct joint assessments to promote the global recognition of services provided by product certification bodies, inspection bodies, and testing and calibration laboratories.
"The recognition of ANSI and ACLASS in both regional and global markets delivers a powerful layer of credibility to organizations seeking conformity assessment oversight," said Lane Hallenbeck, ANSI vice president of accreditation services. "We are pleased to offer this cost-effective, value-added resource to those organizations that are conducting multiple conformity assessment activities."
The ANSI-ASQ National Accreditation Board provides accreditation services under the ACLASS and ANAB brands.
Under the ACLASS brand, the organization accredits ISO/IEC 17025 testing and calibration laboratories, ISO/IEC 17020 inspection bodies, ISO Guide 34 reference material producers, and ISO Guide 43/ILAC G13 proficiency testing providers.
Under the ANAB brand, the organization is the U.S. accreditation body for management systems and accredits certification bodies for ISO 9001 quality management systems; ISO 14001 environmental management systems; ISO 22000 food safety management systems; ISO 28000 supply chain security management systems; ISO/IEC 20000-1 information technology service management systems; ISO 27001 information security management systems; ANSI/AIHA Z10, CSA Z1000, and BS?OHSAS 18001 occupational health and safety management systems, and numerous industry-specific requirements.
The ANSI-ASQ National Accreditation Board is a member of the International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC) and the International Accreditation Forum (IAF), and is a signatory of the ILAC and IAF multilateral recognition arrangements. Through these arrangements, the ANSI-ASQ National Accreditation Board cooperates with other accreditation bodies around the world to provide value to the organization it has accredited and their clients, ensuring that accredited certificates are recognized nationally and internationally. The global conformity assessment system ensures confidence and reduces risk for customers engaging in trade worldwide.
For more information about ACLASS, visit www.aclasscorp.com.
For more information about ANAB, visit www.anab.org.
