(Falls Church, Va.) June 9, 2021—On World Accreditation Day 2021, AIHA Laboratory Accreditation Programs LLC (AIHA LAP) is pleased to announce that it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with a Caribbean accreditation body—the Trinidad and Tobago Laboratory Accreditation Service (TTLABS.)

TTLABS is transitioning into a new accreditation entity, the Trinidad and Tobago Accreditation Service for Conformity Assessment (TTASCA), which will be the national accreditation body (AB) for conformity assessment services in Trinidad and Tobago and offer services to support the Caribbean. TTLABS has requested AIHA LAP’s assistance in helping TTASCA prepare to become a signatory of the Inter-American Accreditation Cooperation (IAAC) Multilateral Arrangement (MLA), an agreement through which ABs around the world recognize the accreditations issued by other signatories. AIHA LAP will mentor the TTLABS staff on operations, technology, and assessment practices to help the newly established AB meet the rigors of becoming an IAAC MLA signatory.

AIHA LAP Managing Director Cheryl O. Morton stated, “AIHA LAP is prepared to help TTLABS become an IAAC MLA signatory and will work virtually with its staff to share knowledge and provide support. As an internationally recognized accreditation body since 2010, AIHA LAP is well-versed in the processes and impartiality considerations of forming a new AB and achieving international recognition. We are pleased TTLABS approached us to guide them.”

Karlene Lewis, Manager of TTLABS, expressed her commitment to forming a new AB and becoming an IAAC MLA signatory. “TTLABS is pleased to announce this MOU with our fellow IAAC member AIHA LAP on this World Accreditation Day, since AIHA LAP is an accreditation body that is highly regarded both nationally and internationally,” Lewis said. “We are excited about becoming an internationally recognized accreditation body to elevate our already established reputation in Trinidad and Tobago and expand into the entire Caribbean.”

IAAC is a regional association of accreditation bodies and other organizations interested in conformity assessment in the Americas. Both AIHA LAP and TTLABS are IAAC members.

World Accreditation Day is a global initiative established by the International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation and the International Accreditation Foundation. Events celebrating World Accreditation Day occur in over 90 countries worldwide to raise awareness of the value of laboratory accreditation. This year’s World Accreditation Day theme is “Accreditation: Supporting Sustainable Development Goals.”

About AIHA LAP

AIHA Laboratory Accreditation Programs, LLC (AIHA LAP) is a third-party, internationally recognized accreditation body. The primary mission of AIHA LAP is to apply high standards of performance to accredit laboratories that promote the production of quality data for use in evaluating exposures that impact public health, the environment, and natural resources.