B.N. Taranath, an IAS staff instructor and assessor, attended the Asia Pacific Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (APLAC) peer evaluator training in June in Bangkok, Thailand. Taranath is a Metrologist by training and an instructor for IAS's Uncertainty of Measurements training course. He regularly performs assessments for IAS accredited laboratories in the Middle East and Europe.

Peer evaluations are an integral part of mutual recognition arrangements (MRAs) where an accreditation body, such as IAS, is evaluated by other APLAC MRA partner representatives once every four years. These evaluations provide evidence of an accreditation body's technical competence and compliance with ISO standard 17011: Conformity assessment—General requirements for accreditation bodies accrediting conformity assessment bodies. IAS currently has three staff members that are recognized APLAC Evaluators. By undergoing this training, Taranath is now eligible to participate as a provisional evaluator of other APLAC recognized accreditation bodies.