[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 175 (Monday, September 11, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 47154-47155]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-22508]



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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Open Forum on Laboratory Accreditation

AGENCY: National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), 
Commerce.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: This notice announces an Open Forum for discussion of issues 
in laboratory accreditation. The forum is co-sponsored by ACIL 
(formerly American Council of Independent Laboratories), the American 
National Standards Institute (ANSI), and the National Institute of 
Standards and Technology (NIST). We invite all interested parties to 
attend and participate in defining needs for a more streamlined system 
to eliminate current duplication and unnecessary costs in laboratory 
accreditation. We hope to stimulate discussion on means for achieving 
greater compatibility, coordination, and mutual recognition of 
competent laboratory accreditation programs.

DATES: The forum will take place on Friday, October 13, 1995, at 9 a.m.

ADDRESSES: The forum will be held in the Red Auditorium at the National 
Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, Maryland.
    To register to attend the Open Forum and pay the $50 registration 
fee, interested parties may contact Lori Phillips, NIST, Administration 
Building, Room B-116, Gaithersburg, Maryland 20899, (301) 975-4513, 
facsimile (301) 948-2067.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Belinda Collins, Director, Office of Standards Services, NIST, (301) 
975-4000, facsimile (301) 963-2871.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background

    NIST, ACIL, and ANSI have explored issues facing both the private 
sector and government in laboratory accreditation. Multiple, duplicate 
assessments occur frequently for many laboratories, wasting resources 
for all parties. Procedures need to be developed, toward a goal of one 
assessment per laboratory, that are in accord with international 
guidelines and recognized by all who require laboratory accreditation. 
Laboratories, accreditors, industry, and federal and state governments 
must be considered, and the procedures must mesh with domestic and 
international requirements.
    Problems of multiple and/or duplicate accreditations result from 
accreditation requirements that lack assurance for reciprocity, or 
constrain acceptance from outside sectors. Challenges raised by the 
National Research Council study, Standards, Conformity, Assessment and 
Trade,'' * * * domestic policies and procedures for assessing 
conformity of products and processes to standards require urgent 
improvement'' must be addressed.
    Speakers will address accreditation issues and problems related to 
trade needs, international perspectives, and U.S. economic impacts. 
They will consider the need for joint approaches by the private sector 
and government to further opportunities for greater acceptance of and 
reciprocity in laboratory accreditation programs.

Forum Announcement

Laboratory Accreditation in the United States

    ACIL, ANSI, and NIST are cosponsoring an Open Forum for discussion 
of issues in laboratory accreditation. The forum will be an opportunity 
to define the needs for a more streamlined system to eliminate current 
duplication and unnecessary costs. There is widespread agreement 

[[Page 47155]]
that the current situation results in unnessary burdens. The forum is 
intended to stimulate discussion on means for achieving greater 
compatibility, coordination, and mutual recognition of competent 
laboratory accreditations. All interested parties are invited to attend 
and to express their views.
    To date, several task groups have assessed the problems encountered 
by their communities. The various stakeholders include laboratories and 
their customers, accreditation organizations, industry, and government 
at all levels. They report overlapping and contradictory requirements 
among regulations, contractual specifications, and other voluntary 
applications, as well as a lack of reciprocity among bodies. The 
consequent duplication of effort costs time and money and seriously 
degrades U.S. competitiveness in domestic and global markets.
    Laboratories, accreditors, manufacturers, the National 
Environmental Laboratory Accreditation Conference (NELAC), and 
government representatives, both federal and state, will present their 
views. They will discuss the cost of multiple accreditations for 
individual laboratories; conflicting requirements of those requiring 
accreditation; special programs tailored to narrow customer or supplier 
bases; non-uniformity of requirements and lack of reciprocity; 
international trade implications; and other pertinent factors.
    A panel discussion and open exchange of ideas at the October 13 
forum will explore concepts for future collaboration that will lead to 
``one-stop shopping'' in laboratory accreditation.

    Dated: September 5, 1995.
Samuel Kramer,
Associate Director.
[FR Doc. 95-22508 Filed 9-8-95; 8:45 am]
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