Ml.INST. OF sta TECH M St, R-I.C NISI PUBLICATIONS A11104 ^03115 National Voluntary Laboratory Accreditation Program 1996 Directory (\^|jC^T Special Publication 810, 1996 edition U.S. Department of Commerce Technology Administration QC National Institute of Standards 100 and Technology U57 NO. 810 1996 UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE NISI" National Institute of Standards and Technology Gaithensburg, Maryland 2QB39 Dear Colleague: This has been an exciting year for NVLAP and its community of accredited laboratories as we embarked on programs to achieve recognition of our accreditations in the international arena. When these recognitions have been achieved, NVLAP-accredited laboratories and their users will undoubtedly reap trade benefits in global markets as current barriers in many areas are reduced or eliminated. Since we adopted ISO/IEC Guide 25 procedures for accrediting testing and calibration laboratories, along with our conformance with ISO/IEC Guide 58 for accrediting bodies, the NVLAP program is now fully compatible with international standards for laboratory accreditation and quality systems management. We have undergone a preassessment by the European Cooperation for the Accreditation of Laboratories (EAL), and assessments from the nationally recognized accreditation bodies of Australia, New Zealand, and Hong Kong; we are also in the initial stages of documentation evaluation related to the accreditation program in India. The progress to date supports our expectation that next year's directory will report the successful culmination of some of these recognition negotiations. NVLAP has also been active domestically in an important initiative pertaining to Federal agencies as users, developers, and/or operators of accreditation programs in support of regulatory requirements. The Interagency Committee on Standards Policy (ICSP), established under OMB Circular Al 19, has a Working Group on Laboratory Accreditation dedicated to coordinating agency operation of ongoing programs and the planning of new programs. This group is seeking consensus in the selection of criteria and procedures, as well as the critically needed reduction in requirements for multiple accreditations imposed by separate agencies on participating laboratories. A companion effort to the ICSP Working Group has been an informal Laboratory Accreditation Working Group (LAWG), cosponsored by NIST, the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), and ACIL (formerly known as the American Council of Independent Laboratories). LAWG participants have included representatives of testing laboratories, their public and private sector customers, governmental regulators and private sector organizations that require laboratory accreditation, and accrediting bodies. A public forum was held at NIST on October 13, 1995, to discuss the problems perceived by the various stakeholders and to hear some options for future activities. The basic objective of LAWG is to develop and implement a laboratory accreditation infrastructure that is more efficient and less costly than the present situation, while taking into account the needs of all parties and the nation's economic interests. One more item of note is the maintenance of mutual recognition agreements with Canada regarding testing laboratories, and an expansion of the number of mutually recognized laboratories in the United States and Canada based on an agreement with the Canadian General Standards Board (CGSB). The Canadian accreditation bodies, Standards Council of Canada (SCC) and CGSB, publish directories of their accredited testing laboratories which are recognized by NVLAP under the terms of the agreements. For information about these agreements or NVLAP- recognized laboratories, please contact our office at (301) 975-4016. We sincerely hope that all of these activities will lead to greater recognition and wider reliance on NVLAP- accredited laboratories, and to lessening the burdens placed on laboratories by multiple accreditations. We strongly advocate the use of NVLAP-accredited calibration and testing laboratories in the firm belief that they are highly qualified. As we look forward to another year of service to our participating laboratories, we should take note of the recent retirement of Al Tholen, for several years NVLAP's hard-working and effective Chief. I am pleased to inform you that a new Chief will be designated in the very near future. Sincerely, . Leight, Acting Chief y Accreditation Program NIST Special Publication 810, 1996 edition National Voluntary Laboratory Accreditation Program 1996 Directory Vanda R. White, Editor January 1996 Supersedes SP810, 1995 edition U.S. Department of Commerce Ronald H. Brown, Secretary Technology Administration Mary L. Good, Under Secretary for Technology National Institute of Standards and Technology Arati Prabhakar, Director National Institute of Standards and Technology Special Publication 810 Supersedes SP 810, 1995 edition 189 pages (January 1996) CODEN: NSPUE2 U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE WASHINGTON: 1996 For sale by the Superintendent of Documents U.S. Government Printing Office Washington, DC 20402-9325 NVLAP AND THE NVLAP LOGO The term NVLAP and the NVLAP logo are Federally registered trademarks of the National Institute of Standards and Technology and the Federal Government, who retain exclusive rights therein. Permission to use the term and/or the logo is granted to NVLAP-accredited laboratories for the limited purposes of announcing their accredited status, and for use on reports that describe only testing and calibration within the scope of accreditation. NIST reserves the right to control the quality of the use of the term NVLAP and of the logo itself. INTRODUCTION The laboratories listed in this Directory have been found to be competent to perform certain tests or calibrations as specified. These laboratories are allowed to use the NVLAP logo on their test or calibration certificates or reports, which implies that the processes used to achieve the tests or calibrations have been evaluated by NVLAP as being technically adequate when performed under the conditions specified in the laboratories' quality manual and associated documentation. Further, NVLAP certifies that the laboratories have demonstrated traceability of their tests or calibrations to national standards at the appropriate levels of uncertainty for which the laboratories have been accredited. As a prospective customer of the laboratories listed in this Directory, you should be aware that the laboratories are obligated to inform you, before the fact, whenever a test or a calibration service which you have requested is not covered by the NVLAP accreditation (NIST Handbook 150, Section 285.33(k)(8)). When contracting for the test or calibration service, you have the right to specify whether or not you desire a NVLAP-accredited test or calibration. Provision of a non-NVLAP-accredited test or calibration shall not be accompanied by the use of the NVLAP logo on the certificate or report, and NVLAP does not endorse any claims made regarding traceability and uncertainty of the measurements performed. In addition, if a laboratory performs a combination of tests or calibrations, some of which have been accredited by NVLAP and some of which have not, the laboratory is bound by the provisions of NIST Handbook 150 to clearly identify the tests or calibrations covered by NVLAP accreditation and those not accredited by NVLAP on the test or calibration certificate or report. Current information on the accreditation status of a laboratory can be obtained: (1) directly from the laboratory; (2) by writing to: Chief, Laboratory Accreditation Program National Institute of Standards and Technology Building 820, Room 282 Gaithersburg, MD 20899; (3) by FAX on 301-926-2884; (4) by e-mail at [email protected]; or (5) by calling NVLAP on 301-975-4016. iii CONTENTS Page INTRODUCTION hi PROGRAM SUMMARY 1 LABORATORY PARTICIPATION SUMMARY 6 HOW TO USE THIS DIRECTORY 7 INDEX A. LISTING BY LABORATORY NAME " Al INDEX B. LISTING BY FIELD OF ACCREDITATION Bl CALIBRATION LABORATORIES GROUP B3 Dimensional B3 Electromagnetics - DC/Low Frequency B3 Electromagnetics - RF/Microwave B3 Ionizing Radiation B3 Mechanical B3 Thermodynamics B3 Time and Frequency B3 COMPUTER/ELECTRONICS GROUP B3 Cryptographic Modules Testing B3 GOSIP B3 POSIX B4 FCC Test Methods B4 MIL-STD-462 Test Methods B5 DOSIMETRY GROUP B5 Ionizing Radiation Dosimetry B5 ENVIRONMENTAL GROUP B7 Asbestos Fiber Analysis (PLM Test Method) B7 Asbestos Fiber Analysis (TEM Test Method) B15 PRODUCT TESTING GROUP B16 Acoustical Testing Services B16 Carpet and Carpet Cushion B17 Commercial Products Testing B17 Construction Materials Testing B17 Energy Efficient Lighting Products B18 Thermal Insulation B18 Wood Based Products B18 INDEX C. LISTING BY STATE/COUNTRY CI INDEX D. LISTING OF TESTING LABORATORIES BY NVLAP LAB CODE Dl INDEX E. LISTING OF CALIBRATION LABORATORIES BY NVLAP LAB CODE El v PROGRAM SUMMARY The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) administers the National Voluntary Laboratory Accreditation Program (NVLAP). NVLAP is comprised of a series of laboratory accreditation programs (LAPs) which are established on the basis of requests and demonstrated need. Each LAP includes specific calibration and/or test standards and related methods and protocols assembled to satisfy the unique needs for accreditation in a field of testing or calibration. NVLAP accredits public and private laboratories based on evaluation of their technical qualifications