Spring 2019 Newsletter

Important Information for Accredited Labs

FAQs on ISO/IEC 17025:2017 Now Available

By now, all AIHA Laboratory Accreditation Programs (AIHA LAP) accredited labs should have been emailed the document "Frequently Asked Questions on ISO/IEC 17025:2017." Please go the Policy Page on the AIHA LAP website to download a copy of the FAQs. In the coming weeks, labs will be receiving more information on risk-based thinking (a new concept introduced in the 2017 version of the standard) that will help them identify and address risks and opportunities, as required by the standard. Please note that the complimentary webinar on ISO/IEC 17025:2017 is still available to all AIHA LAP accredited labs upon proof of purchase of the standard. To get the link for the webinar, please contact Olena Bulgakova at obulgakova@aiha.org.

Request to Provide Matrix Information for Scope Pages

Please note that ISO/IEC 17011, the international standard that outlines the requirements for accreditation bodies, was updated in November 2017, and AIHA LAP is working toward implementing all facets of ISO 17011:2017. One of the changes is the scopes of accreditation. Per clause 7.8.3 of the standard, AIHA LAP will now include information on the "component, parameter or characteristic tested" on all scopes of accreditation. This will likely not affect Environmental Lead and Food programs, as this information is currently captured in the scope. However, laboratories accredited under our Industrial Hygiene, Unique Scopes and Environmental Microbiology programs will require updates to comply with the standard. To assist with this transition, we will be sending each laboratory its most recent scope on a template and asking it to review and incorporate any matrix information as necessary.
Once you receive the template, please contact Geneva Bowman at gbowman@aiha.org or 703-846-0791 if you have questions or require assistance.

Updated Accreditation Symbols

For over a year, updated AIHA LAP symbols (used in conjunction with lab IDs) have been available to labs that opt to use them to advertise. Please note that AIHA LAP further updated (and registered with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office) its accreditation symbols in July 2018 to include ISO/IEC 17025:2017 in the rim of the symbols. The newest versions of the accreditation symbols will be provided to labs once they achieve accreditation to the new standard. For now, using either version of the updated symbol is acceptable depending on a laboratory's accreditation status. Contact Lauren Schnack at lschnack@aiha.org with questions about symbol use or for information about executing a Licensing Agreement to use one of the AIHA LAP accreditation symbols.

Your Feedback Is Important

AIHA LAP has created several opportunities for our labs to provide us feedback on both our assessors and programs. All AIHA LAP accredited labs receive links to the Site Assessor Feedback survey and LAP Accreditation Programs survey from their assigned site assessor at the close of their assessment and once again by email when they receive their Post Ballot Packet containing the certificate and scope for their next accreditation cycle. It is very important that accredited labs complete the Feedback survey to provide AIHA LAP the information we need to evaluate assessor performance and provide coaching and training where needed. Please participate in the surveys when you receive them. You can also provide feedback on LAP programs, staff and assessors at any time by using the links under the Feedback section of the LAP website. Your feedback helps us identify ways we can be of better service to you as an accreditation body. We look forward to hearing from you!

Training Webinars Planned for LAP Online Database

AIHA LAP will finally replace its data management system with an online database that will make the accreditation process more efficient for staff, volunteers, site assessors and stakeholders. The database will be a platform for the entire accreditation process and cover everything from the application phase to the Analytical Accreditation Board accreditation decision. It will also allow labs to pay their invoices online. The full system will be demonstrated for assessors and volunteers at the March 2019 AIHA LAP Annual Meeting. We will also conduct several training webinars in the spring to introduce accredited labs to the new system. Look for more information about the webinar dates in the beginning of March. For more information on the new online database, please contact Geneva Bowman at gbowman@aiha.org or 703-846-0791.

Volunteer, Site Assessor and Staff News

AAB Appoints New AAB and TAP Members

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The Analytical Accreditation Board (AAB) is pleased to announce that it has appointed the following experts to serve on the AAB and Technical Advisory Panel (TAP) beginning March 1, 2019:

*Re-appointed member

The AAB thanks its colleagues Jeff Ogle, Michael Saleh and Rosa Key Schwartz (whose terms will end Feb. 28) for serving on and making significant contributions to the AAB. The AAB also thanks Colleen Becker, Nancy McDonald, Christabel Monteiro and Ericka Marshall (whose terms on TAP will also end Feb. 28) for their dedicated service. Marshall and Monteiro will be joining the AAB. Please join us in congratulating the new AAB and TAP appointees and thanking departing AAB and TAP members for their service. We also want to thank this year’s AAB and TAP Appointment Committee for their outstanding service.

New Accreditation Specialist Joins the AIHA LAP Team

We are pleased to announce that Beth Durman joined the AIHA LAP team as an accreditation specialist in September 2018. Durman holds a Master of Science in biological sciences and comes to us with a wealth of laboratory knowledge. Throughout her career she has worked as a program analyst, an adjunct professor and most recently a research scientist. She is familiar with accreditation, site assessments and ensuring compliance with internal/external requirements. Durman is already bringing a fresh perspective and great ideas to the program and is working to help labs with their accreditation applications. She will help with the launch of our new online database. Durman can be reached at 702-846-0711 or bdurman@aiha.org.

Upcoming Events

AIHA LAP Annual Meeting Set for March 5-8, 2019

AIHA LAP’s Annual Meeting will be held in Falls Church, Virginia, on March 5-8, 2019. The focus of this year’s meeting, which is held for site assessors, volunteers and staff, will be the revised ISO/IEC 17025:2017. Site assessors will get a chance to discuss the best approaches to conducting AIHA LAP assessments. The meeting will also focus on risk-based thinking as well as other changes the LLC is making to comply with the revised ISO/IEC 17011:2017. On Thursday, March 7, we will honor longtime site assessor Roy Covert, who officially retired in 2018. An experienced laboratory professional, Covert helped initiate the Industrial Hygiene and Environmental Lead programs and has assessed in both areas since the programs’ inception. Covert has conducted nearly 600 site assessments during his tenure of over 40 years. Feel free to email Covert at chem12003@yahoo.com to congratulate him or wish him well on his retirement. You can also email Cheryl Morton at cmorton@aiha.org with any tributes you'd like to share with Covert at the March 7 reception.

AIHA LAP at AIHce EXP 2019

Registration is officially open for the American Industrial Hygiene Conference and Exhibition 2019 (AIHce EXP 2019), which will be held in Minneapolis, Minnesota, May 20-22. A number of AIHA LAP accredited labs will be exhibiting along with AIHA LAP, so there will be plenty of opportunities for attendees to learn about where to go for reliable testing and where to find accredited labs. AIHce EXP 2019 will once again feature a Special Session organized by AAB member Bob Lieckfield (Maaxum Analytics/BV).

This year’s Education Session, which will be conducted on Wednesday, May 22, is titled “New Approaches, Challenges and Opportunities in Laboratory Testing.” The following are some of the topics that will be covered:

• The new ISO/IEC 17025: risk-based thinking and sampling
• Accreditation: what it means and what it doesn’t mean
• Accredited versus Proficiency Analytical Testing (PAT) participant laboratories
  Emerging issues, including cannabis accreditation

Other Meetings

• PittConn — March 17-21, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
• Manufactured Food Regulatory Program Alliance & Government Food and Feed Laboratory Accreditation Meeting — April 8-11, Houston, Texas

AIHA Joins ACIL

AIHA LAP just joined the American Council of Independent Laboratories as an accreditation body member. ACIL is a trade association representing independent, commercial scientific and testing laboratories. Its members are professional services firms engaged in testing, product certification, consulting, and research and development. With this membership, AIHA LAP hopes to work with ACIL on advocacy issues related to laboratory accreditation, have access to pertinent information and expand its network as an accreditation body. For more information on ACIL, go to www.acil.org.

International News

APLAC Merger Creates New Regional Body Called APAC

Two international regional bodies in Asia — the Asia Pacific Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation and the Pacific Accreditation Cooperation — merged to form a new accreditation cooperation, the Asia Pacific Accreditation Cooperation. APAC was officially launched on Jan. 1, 2019. Go to www.apac-accreditation.org for more details. APAC will represent the interests of Asia-Pacific economies related to laboratory accreditation and inspection as well as certification/registration body accreditation. AIHA LAP will continue its Mutual Recognition Arrangement signatory status for testing under APAC. For more information on APAC, please contact Cheryl Morton at cmorton@aiha.org or 703-846-0789.

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World Accreditation Day 2019

June 9 marks World Accreditation Day 2019. Established by the International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation and the International Accreditation Forum, World Accreditation Day is celebrated each year to raise awareness of the importance of accreditation activities. This year, the focus of World Accreditation Day will be "adding value to the supply chain." Stay tuned for more information on how AIHA LAP will celebrate World Accreditation Day 2019.

Congratulations to the Following Newly Accredited Labs:

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To review AIHA LAP’s full list of newly accredited and reaccredited labs each month, click here. ​​​