1. What is accreditation? 

Accreditation is third-party attestation related to a conformity assessment body conveying formal demonstration of its competence to carry out specific conformity assessment tasks (5.6 of ISO/IEC 17000:2004).
 
2. What is an Accreditation body? 
Authority body that performs accreditation (5.5 of ISO/IEC 17011).
 
3. What is a Certification? 
Third party attestation related to products, processes, systems or persons (5.6 of ISO/ IEC 17000:2004).
 
4. Why do you need for accreditation?

1. • To ensure the confidence of inspection, test/calibration, certification and conformity assessment activities.
   • To support for integrating process (assist to reduce technical Barriers to Trade – TBT) to pass recognition.

 
5. What is the benefit of Accreditation?

1. • For state management:

i. To carry out for state management.
ii. To ensure the confidence of the results of conformity assessment.
iii. To reduce the cost for society.
iv. To facilitate the integration.

1. • For Accredited bodies:

i. Comply with law regulations
ii. Enhance the competence
iii. Ensure the confidence for authorities, customers and the leader of organization
iv. Accepted by international.

1. • For Society:

v. Users believe in more services of conformity assessment which they used.
vi. Accreditation is a basic for selection of used products and services.
vii. Ensure the confidence in society for the results provided by the conformity assessment bodies.
 
6. What is the APLAC MRA? 
The APLAC multilateral MRA was established for testing and calibration in 1997 with seven inaugural signatories. It replaced a network of bilateral MRAs. The scope of the MRA was extended in 200 to include inspection and, in 2006, is being extended to include reference material producers.
Under the MRA each signatory acknowledges the equivalence of accreditations of all other signatories:
§ Signatories demonstrate, through a peer review process, compliance with ISO/IEC 17011.
§ Accredited facilities demonstrate through a peer assessment process compliance with:
§ ISO/IEC 17025-testing and calibration laboratories
§ ISO 15189-medical (clinical) laboratories
§ ISO/IEC 17020- inspection bodies
§ ISO/IEC Guide 34 and ISO/IEC 17025- reference material producers

A facility accredited by one MRA signatory for specified tests, calibrations, inspections or reference material production has equivalent competence to a facility accredited by other MRA signatories.

The APLAC MRA enhances acceptance of test and calibration data, inspection reports and reference material certificates among signatory economies, thus eliminating the need for retesting, re-inspection or re-certification, and facilitating trade. In the regulated sector, laboratories and inspection bodies can be accredited for compliance with domestic and foreign regulators.
 
7. The suitability of calibration frequency?

1. • The frequency of calibration decided by laboratory itself.
   • The frequency of calibration in calibration certificate is recommendation.

 
8. What is uncertainty of measurement? 
Uncertainty of measurement is defined as a “parameter, associated with the result of a measurement, that characterizes the dispersion of the values that could reasonably be attributed to the measured” (the measured is the particular quantity subject to measurement).
 
9. How long does applicant to gain the certificate of Accreditation?
To achieve the certificate of accreditation depends on many factors as follow:

• The level of applicant’s conformity on the requirements of accreditation criteria
• The complexity of the field for application.
• The number of test for application.
• The number of NCs occurred from assessment and period of corrective action taken.
• Normally, accreditation takes from 3 to 5 months.

 
10. Any other inquiries? 
If you has any questions, please feel free to Contact us.