Although accreditation is an essential part of the developed world’s high standard of living, it’s not something most people understand or even know much about.
"Conformity assessment" is the term used to describe the global system of accreditation and certification. It’s a process that determines whether products, processes, systems and people meet specified requirements.
The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) says that conformity assessment provides confidence to buyers and users of products and services.
“In the internal economy accredited laboratories are used to test food and water, concrete and other building materials, electrical and telecommunication test equipment and the basic measuring instruments used in the manufacturing industry.
“When you have a blood, urine or other medical test you need to have confidence that the outcome is correct and that you are not incorrectly diagnosed as having HIV/Aids, malaria or a host of other diseases," says UNIDO.
UNIDO also says that accreditation provides confidence for consumers that products they buy, from food and water to electrical appliances and even motor vehicles, are safe and meet the conditions and standards imposed by the country's regulatory authorities.
Conformity Assessment is International
Accreditation is based on a process of peer-review in which assessments of laboratories and other science-based facilities are conducted by experts in their specialist fields.
Many countries have one or more accreditation bodies that are recognised by governments and carry out assessment and verification against international standards of testing, calibration, inspection and certification activities in both the private and public sectors.
The International Accreditation Forum, Inc. (IAF) is the world association of Conformity Assessment Accreditation Bodies and other organizations interested in conformity assessment in such fields as management systems, products, services, and personnel.
The IAF’s principal aim is to develop a single worldwide program of conformity assessment which reduces risks for businesses and their customers by assuring them that certificates of accreditation may be relied upon.
Randy Dougherty, IAF President, says that accreditation assures users of the competence and impartiality of the body accredited.
“The purpose of IAF is to provide a process by which accreditation bodies in one part of the world can be deemed equivalent to accreditation bodies in another part of the world," says Dougherty.
“Altogether at this point in time IAF member accreditation bodies have accredited nearly 4000 certification bodies around the world. Accreditation benefits consumers by providing confidence that products are safe and secure”.
IAF members accredit certification or registration bodies that issue certificates attesting that an organisation's management, products and/or personnel comply with a specified standard.
IAF’s goal is to ensure that businesses with an accredited conformity assessment certificate issued in one part of the world will have that certificate recognised everywhere else in the world, thereby breaking down barriers to global trade.
A Global Network of Accredited Laboratories
Another important component of the global accreditation system is ILAC, the International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation. ILAC is an organisation that has a membership of laboratory accreditation bodies representing over 70 economies and regional organisations.
Peter Unger, ILAC Chair, says that the ILAC Mutual Recognition Arrangement (MRA) allows businesses and regulators to make use of a global network of testing and calibration laboratories that have been accredited to provide accurate and reliable results.
“Its main objective really is to promote and facilitate trade and also serve to underpin the protection of health, safety and the environment both within economies and between economies.
“Accredited once, accepted everywhere becomes hopefully a reality,” says Mr Unger.
This international network of accreditation bodies removes the need for suppliers to have their products or services re-evaluated in each country they enter for commercial purposes.
It provides confidence among buyers and regulators that products are technically compatible, of assured quality and safe. This facilitates the free exchange of goods and services without technical barriers that would increase costs for importers and consumers.
The influence and use of accreditation continues to grow across a wide range of economies and domestic policy areas. This was highlighted in a survey of the ILAC membership in 2010, which confirmed the growing use of accreditation by regulators in all of the 55 economies that responded.
Accreditation as an Alternative to Regulation
Governments and regulators are increasingly finding that credible accreditation programs based on internationally-recognised standards are viable alternatives to legislation.
A legal framework for the provision of accreditation services across Europe is written into an EU Regulation which recognises the benefits of accreditation by legislating that it be used as a means to show compliance with mandatory regulatory requirements.
Australia’s excellent pathology facilities, all of which require accreditation by the National Association of Testing Authorities (NATA) to receive benefits from the Commonwealth Government’s Medicare program, are an outstanding example of accreditation working for the public benefit.
In the US, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) for toy testing, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) in the nuclear area, and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for food safety, have all made accreditation a core element of their policy-making strategy.
In the Asia-Pacific area accreditation adds strength to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) sectoral mutual recognition arrangement (MRA) for electrical and electronic equipment. This in turn supports the implementation of the ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA).
Accreditation, or conformity assessment, is a proven tool that can be applied in a wide variety of assessment and evaluation tasks to address the needs of businesses and governments.
It is the world’s most widely-used and successful means of consumer protection in both developed and developing economies.
Sources
- ‘What is Accreditation?,’ Joint Accreditation System of Australia and New Zealand, accessed 30 May 2011.
- ‘Laboratory Accreditation in Developing Economies,’ United Nations Industrial Development Organization, 2003.
- ‘Enhancing the Acceptance of Products and Services Across National Borders,’ ILAC Publication, accessed 30 May 2011.
- ‘IAF and ILAC World Accreditation Day,’ Video Production by ILAC and IAF for World Accreditation Day 2011 accessed on YouTube 30 May 2011.
- ‘The ILAC Mutual Recognition Arrangement,’ ILAC Global Trust, ILAC Secretariat 2010.
- ‘What Else is there to Know About NATA and Medical Testing?,’ NATA News, Issue 139, March 2011.
Philip Keeffe - Phil Keeffe is an Australian journalist originally from California who has lived in Sydney since 1968. His communications background ...
Join the Conversation