ANSI Accreditation Program Gains International Recognition
December 19, 2007 // Published as a news service by IHS
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Advancing the global notion of "one standard - one test - one mark of acceptance," the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and the International Accreditation Forum (IAF) signed an agreement that brings worldwide recognition and acceptance to ANSI's accreditation program for product certification bodies, ANSI announced.
As the global association of conformity assessment accreditation bodies, the IAF established its Multilateral Recognition Arrangement (MLA) program to help reduce technical barriers to trade and eliminate duplicative compliance costs.
Product certification bodies that are accredited by MLA signatories are recognized as operating in accordance with the International Organization for Standardization (ISO)/International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) Guide 65 on the international requirements for product certification bodies.
ANSI became a signatory to the MLA in October. Earlier this summer, ANSI was also lauded by its peer accreditation bodies in the Pacific Rim, becoming a signatory to Pacific Accreditation Cooperation (PAC).
Given the same product standard, the global marketplace can have the same confidence in ANSI-accredited certification bodies as in those accredited by other signatories, ANSI said.
In order to become an MLA signatory, ANSI underwent an extensive peer review to ensure fulfillment of the criteria in ISO/IEC 17011 - Conformity assessment - General requirements for accreditation bodies accrediting conformity assessment bodies.
"The IAF MLA is a critical milestone for the credibility of ANSI accreditation," said Lane Hallenbeck, ANSI vice president of accreditation services. "Not only does this recognition offer a tremendous benefit to ANSI-accredited product certification bodies, it also demonstrates the institute's competence in the eyes of our peers."
Source: American National Standards Institute (ANSI).