NVLAP Radiation Detection Instruments Program

The United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) requested that NIST establish a laboratory accreditation program for laboratories that test radiation detection instruments used in homeland security applications. In response to the request by DHS, and after consultation with interested parties through public workshops and other means, the National Voluntary Laboratory Accreditation Program (NVLAP) has agreed to establish the accreditation program.

NVLAP will accept applications from laboratories that perform testing of radiation detection instruments, such as handheld detectors, radionuclide identifiers, and portal monitors, using standards developed by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), and the DHS.

If you would like more information on the Radiation Detection Instruments program, please contact Betty Ann Sandoval at betty.sandoval@nist.gov or (301) 975-8446.

Posted March 20, 2007

  NVLAP Personal Body Armor Program

NVLAP has agreed to establish a laboratory accreditation program to support the voluntary minimum performance standard for the ballistic- and stab-resistance of personal body armor, developed for the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) by the NIST Office of Law Enforcement Standards (OLES).

The program will address ballistic- and stab-resistant body armor submitted to the NIJ/National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center (NLECTC) for testing and certification in accordance with applicable NIJ standards. Laboratory test results will be used for the purposes of preparing NIJ?s Personal Body Armor Consumer Product List. NVLAP-accredited laboratories testing the equipment for certification by NLECTC must be independent of body armor manufacturers, NIJ, NLECTC, and OLES, and be able to perform all of the selected tests as specified in the applicable NIJ standard.

If you would like more information on the Personal Body Armor Program, please contact Hazel M. Richmond at hazel.richmond@nist.gov or (301) 975-3024.

Posted February 16, 2007

  Accreditation vs. Certification

The terms "accreditation" and "certification" are sometimes used interchangeably, however, they are not synonymous.  Certification is used for verifying that personnel have adequate credentials to practice certain disciplines, as well as for verifying that products meet certain requirements.

NVLAP is a system for accrediting laboratories found competent to perform specific tests or calibrations or types of tests or calibrations.  NVLAP is not a certifier of test data, a certifier of products, or an operator of a certification program.

Accreditation is used to verify that laboratories have an appropriate quality management system and can properly perform certain test methods (e.g., ANSI, ASTM, and ISO test methods) and calibration parameters according to their scopes of accreditation.

NVLAP accreditation covers both the management system of a laboratory and the technical capabilities of a laboratory.  The assessment of laboratories is performed to check compliance with the requirements of ISO/IEC 17025, General requirements for the competence of testing and calibration laboratories.  NVLAP, as a member of the International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC) and a signatory to the ILAC Mutual Recognition Arrangement, performs the assessment and offers accreditation services in conformance with the requirements of ISO/IEC 17011, Conformity assessment - General requirements for accreditation bodies accrediting conformity assessment bodies.

Upon satisfactory assessment and successful completion of proficiency testing (where applicable), the laboratory is issued a Certificate of Accreditation along with a Scope of Accreditation listing the test methods or calibration parameters that the laboratory is accredited to perform.   The NVLAP accreditation period is one year.  To renew its accreditation, a laboratory must demonstrate that it continues to satisfy all NVLAP requirements for accreditation.

Please visit the following links for additional resources and information about these conformity assessment terms:

• John W. Locke, "Words Matter: Registration, certification or accreditation?," Quality Digest, available at <http://www.qualitydigest.com/feb03/departments/lastword.shtml>. 
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• Peter Unger, "Accreditation or Registration?," available at <http://ts.nist.gov/Standards/Accreditation/upload/Accreditation-vs-Registration.pdf>.

For more information about NVLAP accreditation, visit the NVLAP website at http://www.nist.gov/nvlap .

Posted February 5, 2007

Date created: January 02, 1999
Last updated: December 23, 2008