A2LA here, my boss wants to open China office now

[JerryStem]

We've been A2LA accredited since about 1999 or 2000 I guess, in calibrations (specifically coating/plating thickness measurement equipment).

My boss told me yesterday they are thinking of opening an office in China (not sure where, would it make a difference?). He started to ask about 17025 (with his VERY limited knowledge) and I stopped him quickly with the fact that each office has to have its own accreditation.

Now I'm checking on how to make it happen, if this happens. Yesterday turned up APLAC, which seems to have two members of an MRA: CNAL and HKAS. I'm guessing these two groups are similar to A2LA and NVLAP, for instance, in that they can accredit a company to ISO-17025?

Any advice would be helpful. I know nothing of China, not sure if he'd want to send me there (ugh) or hire someone there to do it. I don't think it would take much to adapt our procedures to a Chinese office.

Any help?

Jerry
(Pretty much THE quality dept)

 

[JerryStem]

PS- We are a small company, maybe 9 people total....

Jerry

 

[D.Scott]

Jerry - first thing I would do is contact your registrar for the accreditation here in the states. They may have a contact they work with in China and that might make it possible to install the same system there with little trouble.

Dave

 

[Hershal]

I recommend working with HKAS or CNAL directly.

The correct phrasing is that since HKAS and CNAL are both signatory to APLAC, they accept A2LA accreditation as equivalent to their own, or if you prefer from the U.S. point of view, HKAS or CNAL is accepted by A2LA as equivalent to their own.

That is the purpose of the MRA.

Hope this helps.

Hershal

 

[Jeff Frost]

Jerry

In regards to a2la they are considered be an accreditation bodies (AB) through an MRA. As an AB they perform audits to the requirements of ISO 17025 and if the organization is found conforming to the requirements they may issue a certificate of accreditation.

In simplistic terms NVLAP is for calibration laboratories only, International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ilac) is for test and calibration laboratories and ALPAC is considered a MRA signatory to ilac through a member organization (not direct to ilac).

As of 1 January, 2006 China National Accreditation Board for Laboratories (CNAL) and Hong Kong Accreditation Service (HKAS) is considered by ilac to be an AB for testing and calibration and under both the NVLAP and United Nations program there accreditations would be accepted world wide.

a2la does not govern the AB program as this fall under ilac mission to development of global network of accredited testing and calibration labs. In this case accreditations issued by a2la are accepted by ilac via a2la MRA to ilac member signatory not the other way around.

 

[Hershal]

ILAC (International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation) is the global umbrella for lab accrediting bodies.

APLAC (Asia Pacific Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation) is known as a "region" under ILAC.

IAS, A2LA, NVLAP, HKAS, and CNAL are all signatory to both ILAC and to APLAC. Because of signatory status through ILAC/APLAC, the certificates are accepted globally.

If you dig just a little on the ILAC and APLAC website, you can get the specific scopes of recognition for each accrediting body. That scope means which accreditation are recognized.

http://www.ilac.org

http://www.aplac.org

Hope this helps.

Hershal

 

[JerryStem]

Thanx for the info so far, I'll contact A2LA next for possible Chinese contacts. Then I guess HKAS or CNAL directly.

Any info on China in general? I know many foreign countries operate differently from the US and attitudes can be different. Went to many countries in the Navy around the Med' and Germany, but I know nothing about China.

Jerry