ANSI Accepted as Member of the International Accreditation Forum (IAF) Multilateral Recognition Arrangement
11/12/2018
The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) is proud to announce that it has added two new programs to the International Accreditation Forum (IAF) Multilateral Recognition Arrangement (MLA), signed October 30, 2018, subsequent to the expanded international recognition of the regional Asia Pacific Accreditation Cooperation (APAC) for these scopes and ANSI's recognition there as an MLA signatory several years ago.
Being recognized by IAF provides further confidence that ANSI accreditation conforms to global requirements for accreditation bodies (ISO/IEC 17011) and has successfully demonstrated its competence through a rigorous peer evaluation process. As a signatory to these MLAs, ANSI demonstrates ISO/IEC 17011 compliance attesting to equal reliability worldwide. This includes not just competence, but consistent operations, and impartiality in assessing conformity assessment bodies.
Certifications offered by a signatory of the IAF MLA provides acceptance on a global basis and enhances opportunites for business growth. Many governmental agencies, scheme owners, and suppliers only accept certifications that are accredited by an IAF MLA signatory.
ANSI was the first personnel certification and emissions validation/verification accreditation body in the United States to meet internationally accepted practices for these accreditations, and likewise the first to become a signatory to the Pacific Accreditation Cooperation (PAC) Multilateral Arrangement (MLA) for ISO/IEC 17024 and ISO 14065.
ANSI became a signatory to the Pacific Accreditation Cooperation (PAC, now APAC) Multilateral Recognition Arrangement (MLA) for validation/verification of emissions in June 2014, and for the certification of persons in June 2016. The APAC is an association of accreditation bodies and other interested parties that are established and operate in the member economies of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC). PAC's objectives are to facilitate trade and commerce among APEC economies, within the system of global recognition of programs for conformity assessment.
According to IAF, AB and Regional Accreditation Group members of IAF are admitted to the IAF MLA only after a most stringent evaluation of their operations by a peer evaluation team which is charged to ensure that the applicant member complies fully with both the international standards and IAF requirements.
"Our new status as an IAF MLA signatory for these scopes is a significant milestone for ANSI's progress in accreditation," said Lane Hallenbeck, ANSI vice president of accreditation services.
About ANSI Accreditation
ANSI Accreditation provides assurance that standards, goods, and services meet essential requirements throughout the global supply chain - engendering consumer trust and fostering competitiveness. Increasingly, procurement authorities, government agencies, and program/scheme owners are specifying accreditation in order to demonstrate the technical competence and impartiality of conformance services and processes. These assessments enhance confidence between buyers and sellers as they mitigate risk.
