Requirements for Laboratory Accreditation Bodies

The Laboratory Accreditation Body (AB) shall:

1. be physically located in the United States, 
2. be a signatory, in good standing, to a mutual recognition arrangement of a laboratory accreditation cooperation (i.e. APLAC, 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 laboratories on a periodic basis and as deemed necessary by NIST/NVCASE.   For newly listed ABs, the frequency of witness audits is normally once every two years. 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, and
9. pay all applicable fees, to include NIST staff and technical expert expenses.

 

NOTE: NIST reserves the right to deny, suspend, or withdraw listing to any AB deemed unacceptable.