Accreditation Process

In general, a well-prepared applicant can complete the accreditation process in three to six months. If you have a specific timeline or a crucial deadline to meet, please let your accreditation officer and assessor know. Every effort will be made to accomodate your needs. Applicant readiness is the most important factor in determining the time it will take to obtain INTERAS accreditation. Applicants who have taken the time to prepare for assessments and who respond quickly to assessment deficiencies can complete the process in a timely manner.

Delays in the accreditation process are most frequently related to:

• Incomplete application packages
• Measurement uncertainty budget issues
• Delays in responding to deficiencies

Terms such as “quality system registration” or “audit to the intent of” convey a process of verifying that the organization in question is following a documented quality management system in accordance with the quality system elements of standards (e.g. ISO 9

All INTERAS staff, assessors, and technical experts involved in the assessment and accreditation process must sign a conflict of interest and confidentiality policy to ensure that the confidentiality of our customers is maintained.

All information in relation to a customer’s application is kept in strictest confidence and may only be released under written approval by the customer. In cases where review by a broader audience is required, documents are stripped of any identification of the organization or excerpts are taken to ensure confidentiality.

The most important factor in determining the number of assessors that will be assigned is the size and breadth of the proposed Scope of Accreditation.

For example, if a conformity assessment body (CAB) is seeking accreditation for only one field of testing, one calibration discipline, or a single area of inspection, usually one assessor will suffice.

If the CAB is seeking accreditation in multiple fields of testing, multiple calibration disciplines, or multiple conformity assessment standards, multiple technical experts may be needed to cover all the tests, types of tests, calibrations, inspections, etc. that are being proposed for the Scope(s).

Other factors include the size of the facility and the level of measurements being made (especially in calibration).

Each decision is handled on a case-by-case basis after careful review of the application and the desired Scope(s) of Accreditation.

You can discuss the number of assessors being assigned in more detail with your assigned Accreditation Officer (AcO).

Exceptions to the INTERAS Traceability Policy can be made for Measuring and Test Equipment (M&TE) for which an acceptable accredited source of calibration is not currently available or when an acceptable accredited source of calibration is currently available but special circumstances regarding the nature of the calibration precludes the laboratory from obtaining an accredited calibration. These exceptions are evaluated on a case-by-case basis and require that the organization seeking an exception maintain documentation to support traceability of the calibration results received from the unaccredited provider.

An acceptable accredited source includes recognized National Metrology Institutes, such as NIST, and calibration laboratories accredited by INTERAS or one of our mutual recognition partners.

Yes, however, under INTERAS’s multilateral recognition arrangement (MRA) obligations in the Global Accreditation Cooperation Incorporated (Global ACI) community and the rules governing international commerce, INTERAS must encourage international organizations to pursue accreditation with accreditation bodies in their local economies wherever possible. If you can demonstrate that local accreditation bodies cannot meet your needs for whatever reason, INTERAS can accredit your organization. Global ACI full-member (MRA Signatory) organizations may be found at the Global ACI website.

Please note that all document submissions to INTERAS must be in English. For international customers, we will work to the best of our ability to find an assessor local to you who is fluent in your language.

International travel by INTERAS assessors may be limited at certain times or to certain locations due to travel advisories, safety concerns, or other factors beyond our control.