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	Volume 5, Issue 1	August 2009

First Lab Accredited in Dubai

The Arab Center for Engineering Studies is proud to be the first laboratory in the Emirate of Dubai specializing in testing construction materials to be accredited by the International Accreditation Service. In the Emirate of Dubai, all testing laboratories must follow the rules and regulations set and closely supervised by the Dubai Department of Municipal Affairs in accordance with ISO/IEC Standard 17025. To improve the quality of their services to the industry in Dubai and the rest of the Emirates, they decided to apply for IAS accreditation based on IAS's reputation and international recognition. more>>

A Message from IAS President
Chuck Ramani

June 9 marked International Accreditation Day—a day of "competence." Accreditation provides an independent and authoritative attestation of the competence, impartiality and integrity of conformity assessment bodies. In today’s complex and highly competitive market, a level of confidence is required when purchasing products or services. Such reassurance is the foundation of accreditation. more>>

New CPSC Lead Testing Requirements

New requirements of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act went into effect on February 10. Manufacturers, importers and retailers are expected to comply with the new Congressionally mandated laws. Children’s products cannot be sold if they contain more than 600 parts per million total lead. more>>

IAS Assesses Test Labs in China

IAS received requests for accreditation from two laboratories in Shanghai and Guangzhou, China, which are involved in the testing of building materials and products. IAS reviewed the scope of accreditation requested by the laboratories and put together an assessment team to match the laboratories’ testing disciplines. more>>

IAS Conducts ISO 9001:2008 Training

ISO 9001:2008 specifies the requirements for a quality management system where an organization needs to ensure consistent quality of products and customer satisfaction. Interactive ISO 9001:2008 training was conducted by IAS on March 9-12 in La Habra, California. The IAS training provided participants with a good understanding of these systems. The course featured brainstorming and team exercises. more>>

Roundtable Participants Fine Tune AC402 Criteria

The IAS Building Department Accreditation Program received approval at the International Code Council’s 2008 Annual Conference by the Accreditation Committee to implement its Accreditation Criteria for Third-Party Permitting, Plan Review and Inspection Service Providers (AC402). The program was spurred on by the interest voiced by several third-party service providers. more>>

Clark County School District
Earns IAS Accreditation

The Clark County School District (CCSD) became the first school district in Nevada and the second school district in the country to achieve national accreditation from IAS. Until recently, rapid population growth caused the CCSD to open a new school in the Las Vegas area on a monthly basis. more>>

Chickasaw Nation First Native American Tribe to Receive IAS Accreditation

The Chickasaw Nation Division of Housing and Tribal Development of Ada, Oklahoma, became the first Native American Tribe to receive accreditation from the IAS Building Department Accreditation program. The Chickasaw Nation faces some unique challenges due to being a sovereign nation. more>>

South Africa’s Agrément Visits
IAS in California

IAS and ICC Evaluation Service hosted representatives Joe Odhiambo and Kevin Bramwell from Agrément South Africa. The technical assessment agency is dedicated to promoting economic development and prosperity within South Africa. Their focus is on the building and engineering industry. more>>

FEMA Task Force Approves
CRS Points for BDA

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Community Rating System Task Force met to approve awarding points toward the National Flood Insurance Program’s CRS to jurisdictions that receive accreditation from the IAS Building Department Accreditation (BDA) Program. The change will take effect in the next edition of the CRS Coordinator’s Manual scheduled for January 2011. more>>

Accreditation Programs

Testing Laboratories

Calibration Laboratories

Inspection Agencies

Building Departments

Fabricator Inspection

Special Inspection Agencies

Product Certification Agencies

Field Evaluation Bodies

Training Agencies

Curriculum Development

MBMA Inspection

Building Dept. Service Providers

IAS Board of Directors

    Michael W. Bouse, Chairman
    John L. Barrios, Vice Chairman
    Majed A. Dabdoub
    Isam Hasenin
    Izz Eddin Kathuda
    Ron Lynn
    C Curtis Mann
    Guy Tomberlin
    James G. Toscas

    Get full bios here.

IAS Accreditation Committee

    William Dumbaugh, Chairman
    Robert J. Goodhue
    William Gregory
    Jonathan A. Bahr
    Thomas J. Phillips
    Alan Price
    Imad Y. Eldurubi
    Lawrence A. Rude
    Majed A. Dabdoub

    See upcoming meetings here.

Editor’s Note

We are dedicated to providing informative insight into the world of accreditation. IAS would like to encourage all of our participants in all of our programs to submit relevant articles for future publications. Your unique perspective will prove extremely valuable to our readership. Please forward your articles and photographs to: Pat McCullen

IAS BDA Hot Topic

Quality Systems for Building Departments

In part one of this series, readers were provided with information about the origin and definition of quality management. In part two, readers learned more about the purpose, necessary pieces and application of a successful internal quality audit. Readers were informed that an internal quality audit is an important tool for the assessment and management of a quality management system. This essential internal assessment tool focuses on the quality of the process used to provide department services. more>>

IAS Feature Article

The Future of Quality Accreditation in the Metal Building Industry

The American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC) and the Metal Building Manufacturers Association announced the termination of AISC’s sponsorship of the Metal Building Certification Program in mid-2007. While the discontinuation of this program was a mutually amicable decision between the organizations and industry, it has left many metal building professionals asking how to go about accrediting their manufacturing operations. more>>

IAS Feature Article

How to Develop a Quality Management System

In today’s highly competitive business environment, forward-thinking organizations are more committed than ever to continually refining their processes and procedures to improve their products and services. The development and implementation of a quality management system is perhaps the best way to demonstrate this commitment. more>>

IAS Feature Article

Calibration Labs Take on Critical Role in Emerging Wind Energy Business

Power players invested $17 billion in the wind energy business last year, leading to industry growth of 50 percent and delivery of 8,358 megawatts of new generating capacity (enough to serve more than two million homes) to the U.S. market, according to recent American Wind Energy Association reports. Capacity is expected to grow exponentially with support from the U.S. Department of Energy, which has set a goal of achieving 20 percent of the nation's energy needs from wind power by 2030. more>>

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