IAS eNews

The Vital Role of Accreditation in Public Safety

By Hershal Brewer, IAS Senior Accreditation Officer

When people think of public safety, organizations such as the Food & Drug Administration, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, and the International Code Council often come to mind. These organizations all play a vital role in ensuring that the places where we live, work and play are safe.

From automobile impact tests to childproof locks, and bomb blast resistance to seismic testing, regulatory agencies worldwide rely on laboratory testing for the development of safe products that ensure the well-being of the public.

But who evaluates the testing laboratories to make sure they are using the appropriate procedures, calibrated equipment and competent staff?

The answer is an accreditation body. Top laboratories rely on internationally recognized accreditation programs that go well beyond assessment of the actual testing of a product to include a comprehensive assessment of a laboratory's procedures, equipment, staff qualifications and overall quality management system.

One example is the International Accreditation Service (IAS), which accredits laboratories by verifying their technical competence and assessing their quality management systems for compliance with ISO/IEC Standard17025, General requirements for the competence of testing and calibration laboratories.

The process of becoming an IAS-accredited testing laboratory begins with a review of the laboratory's quality system manual and its requested "scope" of accreditation. The scope is the essence of accreditation in that it describes the capabilities and competence of the laboratory seeking accreditation. Upon review and approval of a laboratory's quality manual, IAS selects an assessment team consisting of quality system specialists and technical experts who have special knowledge of the testing and/or calibration disciplines for which the laboratory seeks accreditation. IAS assessment teams may consist of one or two individuals for a small laboratory, or six or more team members for a large laboratory with an extensive scope. These teams conduct on-site assessments of the laboratory and develop an assessment report following strict reporting guidelines required by international standards. Once a laboratory has satisfied IAS accreditation requirements and demonstrated that it has competence to conduct the testing described in its scope, an accreditation certificate is issued.

The following are just a few examples of IAS-accredited laboratories' involvement in public safety testing activities.

At Home or Work
Perhaps the most familiar link between accreditation and public safety is in the area of building materials and systems. Almost every building product used to construct a home or business is evaluated by an accredited testing laboratory to meet code criteria that might include fire and wind resistance, long-term strength and durability, seismic resistance, or even waterproofing characteristics.

One of the leading product safety testing laboratories is Underwriters Laboratories (UL). The company tests, among other products, factory-built chimneys and fireplace products, sprinkler systems, oil- and gas-burning appliances, roof coverings, and thermal insulation. According to UL, the firm evaluates more than 19,000 types of products, components, materials and systems annually, with 20 billion UL certification marks appearing on 72,000 manufacturers' products each year. UL's network includes 64 laboratory, certification and inspection facilities located in 98 countries. UL has chosen IAS for accreditation of its U.S.-based testing facilities in California, New York, North Carolina, Illinois and Texas, as well as its testing facility in Toronto, Canada.

Fire Safety
Intertek Testing Services NA, Inc. (ITS) has long been known for its leadership role in testing for fire safety. ITS is a global organization that provides testing and related services through its network of more than 1,000 laboratories and offices and more than 24,000 people in more than 100 countries around the world. In the U.S., Intertek has been at the forefront of testing for fire safety of building assemblies, fire doors and windows, floors and roof coverings, furniture, and mattresses. The next time you stay at a hotel or enter a public building, look closely at the doors or door frames as you pass through and you'll likely see the ITS label, signifying that the door has been tested, rated and labeled as required by the International Building Code. ITS chose IAS for accreditation of its U.S.-based testing laboratories in New York, Wisconsin and Texas, and abroad in Canada and China.

Another well-known and rapidly growing testing laboratory is Architectural Testing Inc. (ATI), headquartered in York, Pennsylvania. In existence since 1970, ATI is an independent testing laboratory heavily involved in research, development and testing of fenestration products. It services the architectural and design community in a wide variety of disciplines that include windows, doors, siding products and much more. ATI's diversity is evidenced by its plans to expand operations to include the testing of blast mitigation products, ballistics testing and forensics. It is well known for its training programs for the installers of windows, doors and siding through the InstallationMasters and Vinyl Siding Institute's Installer Certification Programs. ATI has chosen IAS accreditation for its laboratories in Pennsylvania, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Washington, Texas and Florida.

Similarly, the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) Research Center in Maryland performs evaluation and testing of building systems such as wood, insulation and plumbing products. The Center investigates building material durability for longevity and survival in extreme events such as natural disasters. The test lab is equipped to evaluate safety features that address the forces of wind and water, and to perform structural and impact-resistance tests on windows, doors and walls, roof trusses, and roof systems. The NAHB Research Center relies on IAS accreditation services to make sure its testing methods, equipment and staff are operating at the highest level.

There are many other IAS-accredited laboratories, including Hurricane Engineering and Testing, a structural impact and cyclic wind load testing facility; the Englekirk Structural Engineering Center, a leader in seismic testing; and SGS Consumer Testing Services, an inspection, testing and evaluation company for electrical equipment.

Yet, the connection between public safety and accreditation goes well beyond building materials—to the cars we drive, children's toys and even recreational protective gear.

On the Road
When it comes to automobile safety, most people look to leading organizations such as the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) for guidelines on car safety ratings, air bags and child protection systems. NHTSA, in turn, uses one of four government-authorized passenger vehicle testing organizations, including KARCO Engineering, LLC. KARCO Engineering is an independent testing laboratory and automotive research center based in Adelanto, California. It provides research and development, design evaluation, compliance, certification, and highway testing services, including work on accident reconstruction and testing, crash cushions, traffic barriers, support structures, traffic control devices, mechanical systems, occupant protection, and braking, handling, and durability. KARCO Engineering relies on IAS accreditation to verify its competence for conducting transportation safety testing.

Child Welfare
In 1970, the United States Congress enacted the Poison Prevention Packaging Act (PPPA) to protect small children from accidental poisoning. Enforcement of the Act falls under the responsibility of the Consumer Product Safety Commission, which created a test protocol to facilitate compliance with the PPPA. This protocol is also used by the Environmental Protection Agency to ensure child resistance for products under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act. Similar test protocols are also found in International Standard ISO 8317 and British/European Norms BS EN 862 and 14375.

Today, organizations such as Child Related Research, Inc. (CRR), an IAS-accredited independent testing laboratory with locations in California and Utah, are charged with testing child-resistant packaging. CRR provides testing for some of the largest pharmaceutical and household chemical companies in the United States. The company chose IAS accreditation to demonstrate the competence of its highly trained staff testers and test managers. During the assessment process, CRR demonstrated that its testing is conducted strictly within the parameters of the test protocols, and that procedures are precisely followed through implementation of standard operating procedures and staff training to ensure conformance with the standards.

Similarly, NSF International has expanded the scope of its IAS accreditation to include toys and consumer product testing. IAS accreditation confirms that toy testing performed by NSF laboratories is conducted in compliance with U.S. and international standards, as well as to the requirements set by the new Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act.

Recreational Safety
From bicycle riding to mountain climbing, baseball to barbecues, summer is a time of outdoor fun. Few stop to think that the equipment used in these activities is safety tested at laboratories that meet the highest accreditation standards.

For instance, ACT is an independent testing group that provides product evaluation, safety compliance testing, design work, and research and development for the bicycle, motorcycle, outdoor activities, team sports and recreational industries.

ACT uses state-of-the-art instruments that are specifically designed for testing products and addressing concerns within these core industries. The American Motorcyclist Association and the Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute chose ACT for scientific testing of helmet strength and durability. ACT is a California-based testing laboratory that is accredited for technical competence by IAS.

Canadian Standards Association (CSA) International is a provider of product testing and certification services for electrical, mechanical, plumbing, gas and a variety of other products. CSA International is a division of the CSA Group, which also includes CSA, a leading standards organization that provides standards development, training and advisory services. The CSA testing laboratories in California, Ohio and in three Canadian provinces are accredited by IAS.

Conclusion
This article only scratches the surface of the importance of accreditation in our daily lives. Whether you are a CPSC regulator, a building official or an individual responsible for ensuring food and drug safety, accreditation underpins the safety of the public. Internationally recognized accreditation bodies such as IAS work behind the scenes to "test the testers" and ensure competence and reliability. Accreditation is one of the reasons that the U.S. is the safest country in the world.

The IAS laboratory accreditation program is based on the international standard ISO/IEC Standard 17011, General Requirements for accreditation bodies accrediting conformity assessment bodies. The IAS Laboratory Accreditation program is recognized globally by the International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation and the Asia Pacific Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation.