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The signatory status of Swiss Accreditation Service (SAS), Switzerland, to the ILAC MRA has been extended to include the accreditation of Proficiency Testing Providers (ISO/IEC 17043) and Reference Materials Producers (ISO 17034).
The full list of signatories to the ILAC MRA is available from https://ilac.org/signatory-search/ .
The signatory status of Organismo Salvadoreno de Acreditacion (OSA), El Salvador, to the ILAC MRA has been extended to include the accreditation of Medical Testing (ISO 15189).
The full list of signatories to the ILAC MRA is available from https://ilac.org/signatory-search/ .
The signatory status of Jamaica National Agency for Accreditation Global Accreditation (JANAAC), Jamaica, to the ILAC MRA has been extended to include the accreditation of Calibration (ISO/IEC 17025).
The full list of signatories to the ILAC MRA is available from https://ilac.org/signatory-search/ .
The signatory status of Sri Lanka Accreditation Board for Conformity Assessment (SLAB), Sri Lanka, to the ILAC MRA has been extended to include the accreditation of Proficiency Testing Providers (ISO/IEC 17043).
The full list of signatories to the ILAC MRA is available from https://ilac.org/signatory-search/ .
Posted on behalf of EUROLAB
Dear EUROLAB Members and Contacts,
We are pleased to announce that registration for our upcoming Webinar on the “Mutual Recognition Agreements on Conformity Assessment and Challenges Faced by Laboratories in the EU and International Export Markets” is now open.
Don’t miss the opportunity to attend the webinar on 2 October 2024, from 10:00-13:30 CET to gain valuable insights into the crucial role of MRAs in global trade and the challenges and opportunities they present for laboratories in the EU and beyond. The discussion will be led by industry experts and policymakers, with a keynote address by Lucian Cernat, Head of Unit at DG Trade, European Commission.
Updates and news regarding the webinar will be posted on the EUROLAB website and LinkedIn page .
Register here by 29 September.
Reproduced on behalf of A2LA.
With great sadness, The American Association for Laboratory Accreditation (A2LA) shares the passing of founding member and first president, John William Locke, at the age of 91. Locke passed away on September 11, 2024, after a brief illness.
John served as A2LA’s first president for 10 years from 1986-1996 and made monumental contributions to the global accreditation industry throughout his long, successful career.
“Without John, A2LA wouldn’t be here today,” said A2LA’s current President and CEO Lonnie Spires.
“Once I began traveling internationally and working with APLAC and ILAC, I saw his fingerprints everywhere on the international accreditation landscape,” said A2LA Vice President of Accreditation Services Trace McInturff. “John’s vision went beyond just establishing a domestic accreditation body that could service all industries in the United States. It included the goal of ‘one accreditation accepted everywhere’—which has been achieved with ILAC today.”
John Locke Award
Since 2006, A2LA has presented an annual award in John’s namesake, the John Locke Award—and is the highest honor presented by the association. The award honors a distinguished recipient for their years of hard work and dedication in accreditation. To achieve this honor, the recipient must achieve six out of seven of the following criteria:
John W. Locke’s Life
John was born in LaSalle, Illinois on January 27, 1933, and grew up on a farm tending to animals. He attended high school and junior college at St. Bede Academy and went on to earn a Bachelor of Science Degree in Aeronautical Engineering from the University of Illinois. In 1955, John married his wife Margaret Kincius, and together, they had six children.
During his career, John worked on Cold War era airplanes and missiles, and later on, worked for various government agencies. He then transitioned to developing standards for the accreditation of laboratories. After John retired from a successful career in the accreditation industry, he studied at seminary and was ordained a Deacon in the Catholic Church.
Honoring John’s Memory
John’s legacy will forever be remembered by A2LA’s leadership, staff, assessors, and even many longtime customers. A2LA’s headquarters, located in Frederick, MD, includes a conference room named in John’s honor, the Locke Conference Room.
Posted on behalf of Stakeholder Member, the European Network of Forensic Science Institutes (ENFSI)
Dear colleagues and valued stakeholders,
We are delighted to extend an invitation to you for our upcoming dissemination event:
“CERTAIN FORS: Innovation in forensic science, setting the standards for the future”
September 23rd – 24th 2024
Frankfurt, Germany
We believe that your presence at this event will greatly contribute to the exchange of knowledge and ideas in the field of forensic science. Your expertise and insights will be invaluable in shaping the discussions and outcomes of the event.
We look forward to welcoming you at the event and to the opportunity to engage with you on this important topic.
The event will commence on September 23rd with a leisurely stroll through the Old Town, followed by dinner. The walk is scheduled to begin at 5 PM, so please ensure to check in at the hotel by 3 PM on September 23rd.
On the following day, after breakfast and check-out, a shuttle service will transport us from the hotel to the event venue. The event will conclude around 5 PM on September 24th. Hotel rooms are booked and prepaid from 23rd to 24th of September. If you need an additional night due to flight/train schedules, you may specify in the registration process.
You can register here
To stay updated on this event and for public transport instructions in Frankfurt, please visit our website
If you have any remaining questions, please do not hesitate to contact us in organizational matters (secretariat@enfsi.eu) or Raimonds Apinis (raimonds.apinis@ekei.ee ) for thematic questions.
We welcome Dirección Técnica de Acreditación del Instituto Boliviano de Metrologia (DTA-IBMETRO), Bolivia, as a Full Member of ILAC.
DTA-IBMETRO joined ILAC as an Associate member on 7 June 2024. As DTA-IBMETRO is a signatory to the IAAC MLA for the accreditation of calibration and testing laboratories using ISO/IEC 17025 and inspection bodies using ISO/IEC 17020, DTA-IBMETRO has also been granted signatory status to the ILAC MRA and therefore, Full membership of ILAC.
We welcome DTA-IBMETRO as a Full Member and look forward to working with our DTA-IBMETRO colleagues.
The full list of signatories to the ILAC MRA is available here.
Posted on behalf of Eurachem
PRODUCTION OF QUALITATIVE REFERENCE MATERIALS
19 September, 2024
The number of reference materials (RMs), including certified reference materials (CRMs) characterized for qualitative properties, has steadily increased in recent years. In response, the Technical Committee for Reference Materials of the International Organization for Standardization, ISO/TC 334m developed USI 33496 to provide guidance to reference material producers (RMPs) on producing qualitative RMs. ISO 33406 builds on the general requirements in ISO 17034:2016 for RMP competence, and offers specific guidance on value assignment, assessment of homogeneity and stability, statement of metrological traceability, and measurement uncertainty evaluation for RMs with qualitative property values.
The workshop aims to:
The workshop is free to attend, subject to registration. Registration is online only.
View and download the Draft Program here:
Pre-register here:
Visit the event website here:
The International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC) and the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities (IFHA) have formalized their longstanding collaboration, recently signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).
ILAC is the specialized body administering a global multilateral Mutual Recognition Arrangement among accreditation bodies responsible for accreditation of conformity assessment bodies, including testing laboratories.
The IFHA is the global leader for the international sport of thoroughbred racing. It seeks to promote all facets of the worldwide sport of thoroughbred racing; protect the welfare of the equine and human athletes; and protect and grow its global social and economic significance for current and future generations.
For more than 30 years, the use of ILAC G-7 document Accreditation requirements and Operating Criteria for Horseracing Laboratories (which can be viewed and downloaded here) has helped achieve greater consistency across horse racing laboratories, particularly in the area of anti-doping efforts.
Both organisations look forward to continuing their collaboration for the ongoing maintenance of ILAC-G7 as an independent, third-party guidance document for horse racing laboratories.
It is further envisaged that under the MoU the collaboration be extended to:
You can view and download the MoU here
Further information on the IFHA and its activities is available here