January 2014

January 2014
APLAC is an organization of accreditation bodies in the Asia Pacific area that
have expressed a desire to cooperate
in fostering the development of competent laboratories, inspection bodies, and
reference material producers in member
economies.
APLAC News Notes
Issue No. 117
In This Issue
Cooperation is to include:
• Exchange of information
• Joint training programs
• Proficiency testing
• Harmonisation of requirements
• Mutual recognition of systems meeting
harmonised requirements
From the Secretariat..................................................................... 2
APLAC NEWS NOTES is published
four times a year to facilitate the exchange of information among members and interested parties. It is not
copyrighted and may be reproduced in
full. Excerpts should reference APLAC
News Notes specifically. Wide copying
and distribution are encouraged.
SAC Launches Two New Accreditation Schemes..........................6
APLAC also maintains a website at
www.aplac.org.
Secretariat for APLAC:
APLAC Reference Material Producer Accreditation Workshop....4
Testing Supports Wastewater Recycling.......................................5
HKAS Speaks at Centenary Conference of Hong Kong Government Laboratory........................................................................... 6
Quality Control for 3 Million Cases of Wine Per Year...................7
PT Programme for the Determination of Marker Compounds in
National Association of Testing Authorities (NATA)
Level 1
675 Victoria Street
Abbotsford VIC 3067
Australia
Telephone: +61 3 9274 8200
Fax: +61 3 9421 0887
Email: [email protected]
Chinese Herbal Medicines............................................................ 8
This issue is published by
BAB and NA Co-Sponsor Assessor Training Courses...................10
TAF Collaborates with Local University to Offer First Accreditation Introduction Course in Taiwan Higher Ed System.................8
Students Introduced to DNA Barcoding.......................................9
Joint Accreditation to NML-BSTI.................................................11
DC Forensic Science Lab Earns Accreditation.............................11
ANSI-ASQ National Accreditation
Board d.b.a ACLASS and FQS
ACLASS: www.anab-aclass.org
FQS: www.fqsforensics.org
The next issue will be published in
March 2014 by HKAS.
Accreditation is a Trend for U.S. Food Labs................................12
World Accreditation Day 2014 Announced................................12
From the Secretariat
Elections were held for two positions on the Board
of Management and we congratulate Mr. Yoshinobu Uematsu of JAB, Japan, and Mr. Yannapat
Uthongsap of NSC-ONAC on their election, commencing 1 January 2014, for a two year term.
APLAC 2013 GA Week
We would like to thank our hosts, BoA, Vietnam,
for organising a most successful and enjoyable
General Assembly and associated meetings in
Da Nang, from 1 -7 September 2013. We express
our thanks to Vu Xuan Thuy and his staff for their
fine efforts in ensuring the week of meetings and
enjoyable social events ran very smoothly.
Mrs. Chomchailai Sinthusarn of BLQS-DMSc,
Thailand, retired from the Board of Management
at the end of 2013 and we thank her for her fine
efforts during her term of office.
It was pleasing to again have Ms. Belinda Mort,
the PAC Secretary, in attendance for the meetings.
The APLAC MRA Council met on 11-12 September
and we are pleased to advise that NABCB (India)
was accepted into the APLAC MRA for ISO/IEC
17020.
We are pleased to advise that the scopes of recognition of the following members were extended to
include RMP:
• TAF (Chinese Taipei)
• Perry Johnson Laboratory Accreditation, Inc. (USA)
Congratulations also go the following members on
the continuation of their scopes of recognition in
the APLAC MRA:
• NSC-ONAC (Thailand) for testing, calibration and
inspection
• PNAC (Pakistan) for testing and calibration
• EMA (Mexico) for testing, calibration, ISO 15189,
and inspection
• AIHA Laboratory Accreditation Programs, LLC
(USA) for testing
APLAC Membership
APLAC has recently welcomed three new members:
Full membership
• GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) Accreditation
Center, (GAC), Gulf Region
• Accreditation of Vietnam Joint Stock Company
(AoV), Vietnam
Associate membership
• Korea Testing Certification (KTC), Republic of
Korea
APLAC now has 40 Full members and 10 Associate members. Full details of our members can be
found on the APLAC website: www.aplac.org.
APLAC Training Courses
A successful Workshop on Reference Material Producer Accreditation was held in Tokyo from 18-20
November 2013, co-hosted by IAJapan and JAB.
We thank our presenters and facilitators for their
time and efforts in assisting with Workshop:
• Dr. Wolfram Bremser, BAM, Germany
• TAF (Chinese Taipei) for testing, calibration, ISO
15189 and inspection
• Dr. Takeshi Saito, NMIJ/AIST, Japan
• Perry Johnson Laboratory Accreditation, Inc.
(USA) for testing and calibration
• Dr. Katuo Seta, IAJapan, Japan
There are now 36 signatories from 22 economies
to the APLAC MRA, including 33 for testing, 26 for
calibration, 16 for inspection, 16 for ISO 15189,
and nine for RMP
• Mr. He Ping, CNAS, People’s Republic of China
• Dr. Hidetaka Imai, IAJapan, Japan
Full details of the scopes of recognition for each of
the APLAC MRA signatories can be found on the
APLAC website: www.aplac.org.
• Mr. Wong Wang Wah, HKAS, Hong Kong China
We also thank Ms Tadako Yamamoto of IAJapan
for her fine efforts in organising and assistance to
participants in the Workshop.
The APLAC Training Committee is planning to hold
two workshops in 2014:
Page 2
(continued on page 3)
From the Secretariat
(continued from page 2)
• Workshop on the best practice of implementing
ISO/IEC 17011 hosted by SAC, Singapore
• Workshop on medical laboratory accreditation
against ISO 15189 hosted by HKAS, Hong Kong
In early January 2015 it is planned to hold a lead
evaluator training course, in conjunction with
the mid-term meetings, to train lead evaluators
on changes to ILAC documents and accreditation
standards.
Five trainers from APLAC and one trainer from PAC
co-hosted. There were 12 participants from Bhutan,
Cambodia, Laos, Maldives, Myanmar, and Nepal and
two APLAC Associate Member participants.
Phase II is to work on developing an accreditation
scheme in the country based on the guidelines
provided in Phase I and provide regional training
courses on important standards. The Phase II
training course is an introduction to ISO/IEC 17025
and was to take place in Colombo, Sri Lanka from
13-17 January 2014.
Phase III is to review the work done by each
participant in Phase II and develop the systems
to meet the national and international needs of
conformity assessment and accreditation. The
organisation of this training is ongoing.
APLAC Cooperation with APMP
Future APLAC Events
A Joint APLAC General Assembly/PAC Plenary will
be held in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico from 21-27
June 2014. It is hoped that registration for these
meetings will be opening soon.
There will be no mid-term meeting held in 2014.
The next mid-term meeting will be held in early
January 2015. The timing of the meeting will be
decided at the MRA Council meeting in Mexico.
- Michael Fraser, APLAC Secretary
At the 29th APMP General Assembly held in Taipei, Chinese Taipei on 28-29 November 2013 the
revised Memorandum of Understanding between
APLAC and APMP was re-signed by Dr. Peter Fisk
and Mr. Nigel Jou. The annual meeting of the
Chairs and Secretaries was also held on 26 November 2013.
APLAC Cooperation with PAC and PTB
APLAC continues to work with PAC and PTB in delivering the “PTB-PAC-APLAC Training Programme
for New Members” to help emerging economies
to establish accreditation systems and conformity
assessment procedures in their own nations. The
training programme includes three phases.
Phase I training on ISO/IEC 17011 was conducted
on 11-12 September 2013 in Da Nang, Vietnam, in
conjunction with the APLAC 19th General Assembly.
Page 3
The Role of APLAC
APLAC is a regional cooperation among accreditation bodies in the Asia Pacific region. Initially
these accreditation bodies accredited testing
and calibration laboratories. Increasingly, they
now also accredit inspection bodies, reference
material producers, and other related services.
APLAC undertakes various activities to support
its member accreditation bodies, including:
• Organisation of proficiency testing and measurement audit activities in the region
• Conduct of workshops and training courses
on various accreditation issue
• Preparation of appropriate promotional
material
• Development of technical guidance documents
APLAC Reference
Material Producer
Accreditation Workshop
accreditation bodies as well as experts in reference material (RM) production and RM producers. APLAC General Assembly 2012 approved the
resolution to sponsor the workshop.
The workshop sponsored by APLAC on Reference
Material Producer Accreditation was held 18-20
November 2013 in Tokyo, hosted by International
Accreditation Japan (IAJapan) and Japan Accreditation Board (JAB).
IAJapan and JAB are two of nine signatories to the
APLAC Mutual Recognition Arrangement (MRA)
for reference material producer accreditation
(RMP) since its establishment in 2007. APLAC is
the only regional accreditation body with established MRA for RMP. Since 2005, a total of six
workshops and training courses on RMP has been
organised and offered by the APLAC and it is the
third time to be held in Japan.
The urgent need to hold the workshop was recognised and organized with an aim to resolve an
issue relating to the presentation of the scope
of accreditation for RMP accreditation identified
during an evaluation of a signatory for APLAC
RMPs in 2012. The APLAC MRA Council held in
Sydney 2012 acknowledged the issue to require
interpretation by the APLAC Technical Committee which in its further discussion recognised the
need to hold a workshop with the participation of
While the workshop was open to all APLAC members interested in the RMP accreditation, the RM
producers and its experts in APLAC region, accreditation bodies representing IAAC, EA and ILAC
were also invited to participate the workshop. The
total of 43 participants from 19 economies representing 23 accreditation bodies, five accredited
RM producers, two research institutes, and one
user of RMs attended the three-day workshop
which provided a global opportunity and platform to discuss and identify issues in applying the
accreditation criteria as well as harmonise the
interpretation of the requirements.
As Convener of APLAC Reference Material
Sub-Committee, Mr. Wang Wah Wong of Hong
Kong Accreditation Service (HKAS) developed the
workshop programme and also delivered sessions
together with following outstanding presenters
invited by the APLAC:
• Dr. Wolfram Bremser, Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing (BAM), Convener of
ISO Committee on Reference Materials (REMCO)
WG 15 Metrological Traceability
(continued on page 5)
Above: Presenters, facilitators and participants at the APLAC Workshop on Reference Material Producer Accreditation on Day 2.
Page 4
APLAC RMP Workshop
(continued from page 4)
• Dr. Takeshi Saito, National Metrology Institute of
Japan (NMIJ), National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Convener
of ISO/REMCO WG14 Revision of ISO Guide 31
• Dr. Hidetaka Imai, IAJapan, Member of Joint
Committee for Guides in Metrology (JCGM)
Working Group on the Expression of Uncertainty
in Measurement (GUM) and Working Group on
International Vocabulary of Basic and General
Terms in Metrology (VIM) representing ILAC
At the workshop, the presenters introduced the
overview and recent development of relevant
international standards and technical guidelines
issued by ISO, ILAC and APLAC followed by experience sharing sessions provided by the participating accreditation bodies and RMPs to introduce
the latest status of the accreditation or RM production activities and issue to be discussed at the
workshop. Facilitated by two of the prominent
APLAC Evaluators for RMP accreditation, Dr. SETA
Katuo of IAJapan and Mr. HE Ping of China National Accreditation Service for Conformity Assessment (CNAS), the participants engaged in an
active discussion about what should be confirmed
during the assessment for the accreditation, items
to be described on the accreditation certificate
and about the level of description on the scope of
accreditation for RMP accreditation.
As a result, the participants discussed, developed
and reached a certain direction for common
understanding on the scope of accreditation for
the RMP accreditation. The workshop also provided a valuable opportunity to confirm the revised
definitions for the RMs and discuss classification
for the RMs and certified RMs specifically in the
biology field. It was an important opportunity for
accreditation bodies providing RMP accreditation
and RMPs as well as its user to participate, as the
outcome will serve as reference to the new revision of APLAC TC 008 titled “APLAC Requirements
and Guidance on the Accreditation of a Reference
Material Producer” which may affect their current
activities.
Testing Supports
Wastewater Recycling
With a rapidly increasing population and a scarcity
of clean water, there is growing pressure on water
utilities in the Australian city of Perth, Western
Australia, to ensure water security and the purity
of the city’s water supply. A successful trial of new
wastewater treatment technology has now shown
that up to 20% of Perth’s water supply has the
potential to come from recycled waste water.
The first stage of the full scheme, due for completion in mid-2016 has the potential to supply up to
seven billion litres of water every year. During the
three-year Ground Water Recharge Trials (GWRT)
62,300 water samples were tested and found to
meet strict health and environmental guidelines.
The extensive testing of GWRT samples was
carried out by NATA member ChemCentre who
provide a range of water testing services for the
Water Corporation of Western Australia.
The scheme involves taking treated wastewater and
subjecting it to a multi-stage process of further purification that leaves it just as clean as drinking water.
After undergoing the normal secondary wastewater treatment process, water destined for recycling is then “ultrafiltered” to remove anything
larger than one-three hundredth the width of a
human hair.
It then undergoes a process of reverse osmosis in
which water is forced through a membrane with
pore 100 times smaller than those in ultra filtration.
The water is then disinfected with ultraviolet radiation, which destroys any microbes that may have
survived the process. The treated water is finally
injected into a confined aquifer beneath the city.
Page 5
SAC Launches Two New
Accreditation Schemes
More information on SAC and its schemes is available at www.sac-accreditation.gov.sg.
SAC launched two new accreditation schemes –
Personnel Certification and Proficiency Testing
Providers – at its annual Accreditation and Conformance event held in August 2013.
The accreditation scheme for personnel certification, based on ISO/IEC 17024:2012, aims to achieve
and promote a globally accepted benchmark for
personnel certification bodies. The scheme provides a more robust certification framework for a
wide range of occupations, ranging from financial
planners, medical technologists, non-destructive
testing personnel, welders to business consultants.
“Having a skilled workforce is critical to maintaining Singapore’s competitiveness and economic
growth. To recognise the competence of individuals in their respective fields, certification programmes are already in place for a wide range of
professions. With the new Accreditation Scheme
for Personnel Certification, there will be greater
assurance of the credibility of the certifications
given by personnel certification bodies,” said Mr
Renny Yeo, Chairman of the Singapore Accreditation Council.
To achieve accreditation by SAC, a personnel
certification body needs to satisfy various criteria
that address the structure and governance of the
certification body, its quality management system,
as well as the characteristics of the certification
programme it operates. Compliance with ISO/IEC
17024 is testament to a personnel certification
body’s ability and willingness to conduct fair and
systematic evaluations in determining the competence of individuals.
The Accreditation Scheme for Proficiency Testing
Providers (PTPs), based on ISO/IEC 17043:2012,
seeks to ensure the competency of proficiency
testing providers. Through the scheme, local accredited PTPs will be able to market their services
with confidence within Singapore, and also in the
region. The Health Sciences Authority of Singapore (HSA) is the first organisation to be accredited by SAC under this new accreditation scheme.
Above: Representatives from Health Sciences Authority
of Singapore (HSA) received their certificate as first
accredited PTP.
HKAS Speaks at
Centenary Conference
of Hong Kong
Government Laboratory
The Government Laboratory to the Hong Kong
Community celebrated 100 years of service in
2013. A Centenary Conference was held on 2-5
December 2013 to celebrate its 100th anniversary.
The theme of the Conference is “The Government
Laboratory’s 100 years of Analytical and Forensic
Scientific Services.”
The opening ceremony was officiated by Dr. Ko
Wing Man, Secretary for Food and Health. Dr.
Lau Chau Ming, Government Chemist, delivered
the welcome speech. The guest speakers of the
Plenary Sessions included Dr. Willie May, Associate Director for Laboratory Program and Principal
Deputy of the National Institute of Standards and
Technology (NIST), USA; Dr. Max M. Houck, Director, Department of Forensic Sciences, Consolidated Forensic Laboratory, Washington DC, USA; and
Dr. Derek Craston, Government Chemist, UK.
A series of talks and scientific workshops ensued
the Plenary sessions. Participants in the conference included many distinguished world recognized directors, scientists and experts from
Page 6
(continued on page 7)
HKAS Speaks at
Centenary Conference
Quality Control for
3 Million Cases of Wine
Per Year
(continued from page 6)
An Australian wine bottling company based in
Victoria processes over three million cases of
wine each year for up to 65 contract customers.
The bottled product is shipped domestically and
internationally.
Above: Mr. Wong Wang Wah, Executive Administrator,
Hong Kong Accreditation Service, was invited to give
a presentation at the 100th anniversary of the Hong
Kong Government Laboratory.
national metrology institutes, government agencies, academia, regulatory bodies, and local and
overseas testing laboratories participated in the
conference.
Mr. Wong Wang Wah, Executive Administrator,
Hong Kong Accreditation Service was invited to give
a presentation on “Laboratory Quality Assurance
and Regional/International Collaborations.” In the
presentation, Mr. Wong highlighted the importance
of accreditation in ensuring the competence of
laboratories. He explained the roles of Asia Pacific
Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (APLAC) and
International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation
(ILAC) and how the mutual recognition arrangements assure the quality of conformity assessment
results and enhance their acceptance.
Mr. Wong further pointed out the recognition of
accreditation by other regional/international organizations like Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation
(APEC), European Commission (EU), International
Bureau of Weights and Measures (BIPM), International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) and
International Organisation for Legal Metrology
(OIML). Mr. Wong concluded the presentation
with a remark – international/regional collaborations through mutual recognition arrangements
assure laboratory quality.
The company, Ozpak, achieved NATA accreditation
for Chemical Testing in 2007. Product bottled at
the facility undergoes rigorous Quality Control
testing in the facility’s laboratory, both pre- and
post-bottling.
Upon arrival at the facility, wine is tested by the
laboratory for a variety of chemical and physical
parameters. Customers are required to approve
the analysis results for their wine before the bottling process commences.
Testing is again performed on the bottled product
to ensure product quality has been maintained
and that microbial stability has been attained.
Results of Quality Control testing are required
to conform to product specifications before the
product is
released from
the warehouse.
Results of all
quality control
testing are reviewed in detail
with customers.
The laboratory
is also a public
testing facility
that performs
a range of wine
analytical and
microbial testing.
Above: Laboratory testing is integral to the bottling
process at the Ozpak lab.
Page 7
PT Programme for the
Determination of Marker
Compounds in Chinese
Herbal Medicines
The increase in the use of herbal medicines, including Chinese herbal medicines, is a global
trend. The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, like other regulatory
authorities, is very concerned about the quality of
the Chinese herbal medicines and the safety about
their uses. For safeguarding public health, it is necessary to develop standards on the commonly used
Chinese herbal medicines.
Launched in 2002, the Hong Kong Chinese Materia Medica Standards (HKCMMS) aim to provide
standard methods for the identification as well as
safety and quality
evaluation of Chinese herbal medicines commonly
used in Hong Kong.
In November 2010,
Hong Kong Accreditation Service
(HKAS) launched
the accreditation
service for identification of Chinese
herbal medicines by
microscopic examination according to
the HKCMMS. In
March 2011, the accreditation service was extended to cover the chemical and physicochemical
testing to the same Standards. The aim of the new
accreditation services is to promote the use of the
HKCMMS by local trade and industry to ensure
the safety and quality of Chinese herbal medicines
supplied in Hong Kong.
With a view to enhancing the technical capability of local laboratories in testing Chinese herbal
medicines, the Chinese Medicine Panel of the
Hong Kong Council for Testing and Certification
(HKCTC), with the support of HKAS, organised a
proficiency testing programme for the determination of marker compounds in ten Chinese herbal
medicines according to the HKCMMS in January-August 2012.
The Chinese herbal medicines involved were Radix
Ginseng, Radix Panais Quinquefolii, Bulbus Fritillariae Thunbergii, Rhizoma Gastrodiae, Bulbus
Fritillariae Ussuriensis, Radix Polygalae, Rhizoma
Belamcandae, Radix Angelicae Sinensis, Radix
Notoginseng, and Radix Salviae Miltiorrhizae,
which are all commonly used in Hong Kong. The
programme was organized in accordance with ISO/
IEC 17043. Twelve local laboratories participated
in the programme. Among 199 returned results
from these participated laboratories, 185 results
(93%) had z-scores less than 2. This demonstrated
the general competence of local laboratories in
testing Chinese herbal medicines.
In view of the successful experience, the HKCTC,
in collaboration with HKAS, is organising another
round of proficiency testing in 2013-2014, involving a new set of Chinese herbal medicines.
TAF Collaborates with
Local University to Offer
First Accreditation
Introduction Course in
Taiwan Higher Ed System
By Wei Huang
Taiwan Accreditation Foundation (TAF) signed the
MoU with Chung Shan Medical University (CSMU)
during the World Accreditation Day Seminar in
2012. As part of the new collaboration, educational programs are being planned jointly by TAF and
CSMU with the goal of providing knowledge on
accreditation and conformity assessment in the
higher education system.
To incorporate accreditation-related courses, five
programs are now targeted, including programs
on a) Pharmaceutical Testing, b) Forensic Science,
c) Food, Drug and Cosmetics Testing, d) Food Safety, and e) Occupational Health and Safety. These
Page 8
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TAF Collaborates with
Local University
(continued from page 8)
five priority interdisciplinary programs are currently non-degree granting and are coordinated by
CSMU College of Medical Science and Technology
and College of Health Care and Management,
spanning the departments such as School of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, School of Applied Chemistry, School of Public Health, etc.
The first course planned under this initiative, Introduction to Conformity Assessment and Accreditation, was launched in fall semester 2013. This
course covers basic concepts like standards, standardization, conformity assessment and accreditation, as well as advanced topics like development
of international accreditation system. Such course
serves as the common fundamental requirements
in the programs during the first stage of implementation. In the coming second stage, more
specialized courses will be offered corresponding
to the specific programs. For example, in the Pharmaceutical Testing program, specialized courses
would individually cover introductory material of
ISO 15189, Measurement Uncertainty, Test Method Development & Validation, and Good Laboratory Practice. This design would equip college and
graduate students with not only general knowledge in accreditation, but also practical skills in
their field of expertise.
The launch of the first accreditation introduction
course in higher education system in Taiwan is
meaningful in several ways. These programs promote the concept of accreditation to a wide range
of students who will soon become professionals.
Beyond cultivation of students who may potentially work in the areas related to conformity assessment in the future, students as individuals may
also spread the concept of accreditation to various
industries. This collaboration had established a
platform for closer cooperation with the industry
and the education system, which forms a knowledge management database. There is no doubt
that this initiative contributes to the expansion of
accreditation training.
Above: Students of the first accrediation-related course
offered by Taiwan Accreditation Foundation and Chung
Shan Medical University.
Students Introduced to
DNA Barcoding
An initiative by a genomic research facility and a
provider of educational programs aims to introduce high school biology students to the contemporary technology of DNA barcoding.
The NATA-accredited Australian Genome Research
Facility (AGRF) and the Gene Technology Access
Centre (GTAC) have established a partnership
that will enable students to collect their own field
samples and conduct investigations involving DNA
extraction, PCR, sequencing and bioinformatics in
order to determine an organism’s identity by its
DNA barcode.
Students will carry out their sequencing at AGRF
and also go on a laboratory tour to see a genomics
lab in action.
AGRF is a provider of genomics services and solutions with laboratories in Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth.
GTAC was established at The University High
School in Victoria in collaboration with the Walter
and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research and
the Department of Microbiology & Immunology at
The University of Melbourne.
Page 9
BAB and NA Co-Sponsor Assessor Training Courses
Bangladesh Accreditation Board (BAB) and Norwegian Accreditation (NA) jointly organized three assessor training courses on ISO 15189:2012, ISO/IEC 17020:2012, and ISO/IEC 17021:2011 and ISO/IEC
17065:2012, respectively, in November 2013 at Hotel Ruposhi Bangla, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
The aim of the course was to train BAB personnel and participants representing different technical
areas and to enable BAB to widen its assessor pool. The training courses were organized in compliance
with ILAC G3:1994, Guidelines for Training Courses for Assessors and APLAC - TR001:2001 “Guidelines
on Training Course for Assessor” and followed by a written examination.
ISO 15189 Assessor Training Course
Nineteen participants from private and public
organizations having sufficient expertise on technical knowledge and expertise on the operation
of quality system and officials from Bangladesh
Accreditation Board attended the training course.
Ms. Anne Grændsen from Norwegian Accreditation; Mr. Peter Kunc from Slovenian Accreditation;
BAB Deputy Director Mr. Md. Mahbubur Rahman;
and BAB Assistant Director Mr. Mohammed Abbas
Alam conducted the training course. Seventeen
participants (89%) passed the course successfully.
Twenty-one participants from private and public
organizations having sufficient knowledge and
expertise on the operation of management system
and product certification activities and officials
from Bangladesh Accreditation Board attended
the training course. Ms. Anne Grændsen from
Norwegian Accreditation; Dr. Lars Johan Bjerner
(Dr Fürst Medical Laboratory & NA); BAB Deputy
Director Mr. Md. Mahbubur Rahman; and BAB
Assistant Director Mr. Monirul Hoque Pasha conducted the training course. Seventeen participants
(81%) passed the course successfully.
ISO/IEC 17021 and ISO/IEC 17065
Assessor Training Course
ISO/IEC 17020 Assessor Training
Course
Twenty participants from private and public organizations having sufficient knowledge and expertise on the operation of management system and
product certification activities and officials from
Bangladesh Accreditation Board attended the
training course. Ms. Anne Grændsen from Norwegian Accreditation; Mr. Peter Kunc from Slovenian Accreditation; BAB Deputy Director Mr. Md.
Nasirul Islam; and BAB Assistant Director Mr. Md.
Towhidur Rahman conducted the training course.
Thirteen participants (65%) passed the course
successfully.
Page 10
Joint Accreditation
to NML-BSTI
DC Forensic Science Lab
Earns Accreditation
Six laboratories of National Metrology Laboratory
of the Bangladesh Standard and Testing Institution
(BSTI) received Joint Accreditation from the Bangladesh Accreditation Board (BAB) and the Norwegian Accreditation (NA).
The ANSI-ASQ National Accreditation Board has
accredited the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL)
of the District of Columbia’s Department of Forensic Sciences (DFS) to ISO/IEC 17025.
The six laboratories are Length and Dimension
Measurement Laboratory, Mass Measurement
Laboratory, Temperature Measurement Laboratory, Volume, Density and Viscosity Measurement Laboratory, Electrical Time and Frequency
Measurement Laboratory and Force and Pressure
Measurement Laboratory.
Based in the nation’s capital, the FSL provides
firearms examination, fingerprint analysis, and
forensic biology examinations, including body
fluids and DNA. The lab intends to add additional
examinations, including materials analysis (fibers,
paint, adhesives, and glass) and digital evidence
(electronic devices).
“This validates my philosophy on
managing: Find and keep quality
people, give them resources, and
stay out of their way.”
Above: The Industries Minister Tofail Ahmed handed
over the accreditation certificate to Md Ikramul Haque,
Director General of BSTI. Industries Secretary Mohammad Moinuddin Abdullah, Anne Graendsen, Technical
Director of Norwegian Accreditation and Md Abu
Abdullah, Director General of BAB, were present on the
occasion.
BAB Accreditation to ITS Lab Test
Bangladesh Ltd
A multinational private sector testing laboratory,
ITS Lab Test Bangladesh Limited was also awarded
accreditation certificate on several test parameters of textile testing field on the same day.
BAB has so far given accreditation certificates to
11 testing and calibration laboratories in the country, while the process of accrediting another five is
under way.
“Accreditation assures industry and government
decision-makers that the organizations are competent and their results can be relied on,” said Bill Hirt
of the ANSI-ASQ National Accreditation Board.
“This great news comes just after DFS received approval to begin operating the only Biosafety Level
3 laboratory in the national capital region,” said
District of Columbia Mayor Vincent Gray. “The
District government continues to offer world-class
services to its citizens, visitors, and businesses.”
The lab achieved international accreditation in
about eight months. “That’s unheard of in this
industry,” FSL Director Max Houck said. “This validates my philosophy on managing: Find and keep
quality people, give them resources, and stay out
of their way.”
The lab staff got to this point through “tenacity,
creativity, ingenuity and sheer will, working as a
team,” according to Jason Kolowski, who heads
the FSL. “They have very few colleagues around
the world who can say they work in an accredited
and independent forensic science laboratory.”
Page 11
Accreditation Is a Trend
for U.S. Food Labs
Accreditation is a growing trend for food labs,
according to a recent article in Food Safety News.
The article reports that although estimates indicate less than five percent of U.S. food testing labs
are accredited to international standards, implementation of the 2011 Food Safety Modernization
Act (FSMA) could rise sharply. Accreditation for
more food labs may be required, depending on
the final details of the law.
According to the article, “when it comes to testing
our food, experts estimate that less than five percent of the food testing laboratories in the U.S. are
accredited according to international standards.
With implementation of the 2011 Food Safety
Modernization Act (FSMA), however, that number
may see a sharp rise as more food laboratories
may be required to seek accreditation depending
on how the final details of the law are written.”
Keith Greenaway of the ANSI-ASQ National Accreditation Board, who is quoted in the article,
believes requiring accreditation for at least some
food testing labs will be a step up.
“You want to be able to demonstrate that your results meet a minimum standard,” Greenaway said.
“Accreditation is a stamp of approval that you’re
producing competent testing results.”
World Accreditation Day
2014 Announced
World Accreditation Day will be commemorated
on 9 June 2014. This year will focus on the role
accreditation plays in providing confidence in the
provision of energy. The importance of this theme
is set out in a joint statement by Pete Unger and
Randy Dougherty, the ILAC and IAF Chairs.
A promotional brochure is also available from the
IAF website (www.iaf.nu) to support the conferences, promotional events and technical seminars
that will take place around the world. To find out
what is happening locally to you, contact your
national accreditation body for further details.
As 9 June approaches, ILAC and IAF will launch a
short video on the importance of accreditation
and its impact on everyday life.
ILAC and IAF ask that #worldaccreditationday be
used on Twitter to help share in the celebrations.
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