Requirements for Laboratory Accreditation Bodies

The Laboratory Accreditation Body (AB) shall:

1. be physically located in the United States unless otherwise negotiated between government trade partners,

2. be a signatory, in good standing, to a mutual recognition arrangementof a laboratory accreditation cooperation (i.e. APLAC, NACLA, etc.) that verifies, by evaluation and peer assessment, that its signatory members are in full compliance with ISO/IEC 17011 and that their accredited laboratories comply with ISO/IEC 17025,

3. offer accreditation services that meet the specific technical and administrative requirements of foreign governments under government-to-government the trade agreements/arrangements. The specific requirements for each country/economy can be found on NIST’s web site,

4. inform NIST, in writing, at least 6 months prior to its MRA cooperation’s evaluation and invites NIST, and/or its designated representatives, to participate in the evaluations. (Note: Evaluations of the AB shall include an audit of the AB’scompetence to carry out the specific requirement of the trade agreements/arrangements, as well as onsite witness audits of its laboratories,)

5. undergo witness audits at one or more appropriate laboratoriesa minimum of every 2 years, (if deemed necessary by NIST, additional witness audits may be required)

6. provide copies, to NIST, of all documentation related to the AB’s evaluation within 30 days of receipt,

7. provide copies, to NIST, of all documentation related to the AB’s witness audits within 30 days of receipt,

8. inform NIST, in writing within 30 days, of any change of signatory status in the laboratory accreditation cooperation MRA,

9. pay all applicable fees, to include NIST staff and technical expert expenses, and

10. sign and complete an annual application upon request.
    
    

NOTE: NIST reserves the right to remove listed ABs at any time if found to be unacceptable.

Contact:  ramona.saar@nist.gov

Date created: October 7, 2006
Last updated: July 17, 2009