[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 222 (Friday, November 15, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 58533-58534]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-29378]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Institute of Standards and Technology
Public Meeting on a National Council for Laboratory Accreditation
(NACLA)
AGENCY: National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST),
Commerce.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: This notice announces a public meeting to discuss a proposal
to establish a National Council for Laboratory Accreditation (NACLA).
The ACIL (formerly American Council of Independent laboratories), the
American National Standards Institute (ANSI), and the National
Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) organized and have been
co-sponsoring an informal Laboratory Accreditation Working Group (LAWG)
with the aim of reducing inefficient duplication of accreditation
requirements. The LAWG now seeks consensus to implement a unified and
comprehensive U.S. infrastructure to meet national laboratory
accreditation needs in both the public and private sectors. All
interested parties are invited to attend this meeting and to
participate in discussions of proposed implementation plans.
The proposed organization is intended to serve as an infrastructure
with broad U.S. acceptance that provides uniform procedures for
accreditation and recognition of laboratory competence in product
testing or calibration. Meeting participants will have an opportunity
to review and discuss documents and concepts developed as a basis for
realizing and implementing a more
[[Page 58534]]
effective U.S. laboratory accreditation infrastructure. This
infrastructure will foster national and international recognition and
will effectively reduce the current duplication and unnecessary costs
of laboratory accreditation.
DATES: The meeting will take place on Tuesday, January 7, 1997, at 9:00
a.m.
ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held in the Green Auditorium at the
national Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, Maryland.
To obtain a registration form to attend the meeting, or for further
information, interested parties are requested to contact Mrs. Judith
Baker at NIST, telephone (301) 975-4000, facsimile (301) 963-2871, e-
mail [email protected]. The registration fee is expected to be $60.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
For technical content contact Belinda Collins, Director, Office of
Standard Services, telephone (301) 975-4000, facsimile (301) 963-2871,
e-mail [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
The LAWG, consisting of the three original sponsoring organizations
joined by other representatives of government and private sector users
of laboratory accreditation, accreditors and laboratories, undertook
preliminary planning for NACLA based on inputs from a variety of
sources concerned with laboratory accreditation. After evaluating
problems, surveying needs, and identifying key issues, the LAWG drafted
a ``Proposed Structure for the National Council for Laboratory
Accreditation'' which contains a plan for establishing and implementing
NACLA. It is anticipated that NACLA will be established and
incorporated by representatives of the U.S. private sector, but that
governmental agencies will subsequently participate actively to derive
benefit for themselves and for the nation's economic well-being.
The ``Proposed Structure for the National Council for Laboratory
Accreditation,'' which will be published in a later Federal Register
notice prior to the meeting, includes organizational and operational
concepts to satisfy the needs identified by public and private sector
organizations.
An earlier public forum was held in October 1995 and reported in
NIST Special Publication 902, ``Proceedings of the Open Forum on
Laboratory Accreditation at the National Institute of Standards and
Technology, October 13, 1995.'' At that meeting, representatives of
accreditors, laboratories, and users of laboratory accreditation from
industry and government agreed that a unified national system is
essential to satisfy domestic economic requirements and to facilitate
trade. It was agreed that any infrastructure, to be successful, must be
acceptable to all affected parties. It was also agreed that, for any
given product, the goal is one test by a laboratory accredited by a
competent authority, with the results accepted nationally, and even
globally. The essential concept was put forth in the challenges raised
by the National Research Council study of Standards, Conformity,
Assessment and Trade, ``* * * domestic policies and procedures for
assessing conformity of products and processes to standards require
urgent improvement.'' The National Technology Transfer and Advancement
Act of 1995 (Pub.L. 104-113), charges NIST with coordinating Federal,
state and local conformity assessment activities with those of the
private sector to eliminate unnecessary duplication and complexity. The
planned NACLA activities respond to this challenge.
ACIL, ANSI, and NIST are cosponsoring another Public Forum on
January 7, 1997, on establishing the National Council for Laboratory
Accreditation; to describe the initial plans; discuss issues for
implementing efficient and appropriate accreditation procedures; and to
provide for reciprocity in mutual recognition of laboratory competence.
NACLA aims to address the widely recognized need to eliminate
unnecessary burdens of laboratory accreditation by a streamlined system
that eliminates current duplication in laboratory accreditation and to
reduce costs. The LAWG seeks to achieve consensus on the planning
documents so that an organization which reflects national priorities
and needs can be established by the private sector parties at interest
with broad governmental participation and support. All organizations
and individuals concerned with laboratory accreditation are invited to
attend and to express their views.
On January 7, 1997, participants are encouraged to join in an open
exchange of ideas and to comment on the proposed establishment of
NACLA. Specific topics include discussion of NACLA purposes and
functions, operational procedures and processes, composition of a Board
of Directors, Stakeholder(s) Committees and their scope, Secretariat,
membership, and other issues leading to ``one-stop-shopping'' in
testing and laboratory accreditation.
Dated: November 12, 1996.
Samuel Kramer,
Associate Director.
[FR Doc. 96-29378 Filed 11-14-96; 8:45 am]
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