The American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors/Laboratory Accreditation Board (ASCLD/LAB), has merged into the ANSI-ASQ National Accreditation Board (ANAB) following the signing of an affiliation agreement.
ANAB provides accreditation for ISO/IEC 17025 testing and calibration laboratories and forensic testing agencies, ISO/IEC 17020 inspection bodies and forensic inspection agencies, ISO Guide 34 reference material producers, ISO/IEC 17043 proficiency test providers, ISO 15189 medical test laboratories, ISO/IEC 17021 management systems certification bodies, and industry-specific programs.
Like ANAB, ASCLD/LAB provides accreditation for public and private sector crime laboratories based on international standards. Both organizations are grounded in conducting scientific and technical assessments and are committed to assuring competent and credible test and inspection results.
The merger with ASCLD/LAB allows ANAB to enhance its expertise in forensics accreditation, while providing uninterrupted service to customers of both organizations.
ANAB President and CEO John Knappenberger said ASCLD/LAB was established to meet the needs of the criminal justice system, and the merger with ANAB will enhance its ability to continue and strengthen that important service.
“Through this merger, ANAB has significantly increased its technical expertise to better serve our forensics customers and the stakeholders that rely on their services,” Knappenberger said.
As a result of the merger, all ASCLD/LAB employees will be retained and will continue to work at ASCLD/LAB’s offices in North Carolina. The ASCLD/LAB brand will be maintained by ANAB, and current ASCLD/LAB customers will continue to be accredited under the current accreditation symbol.
Commenting on the merger, ANAB Chief Operating Officer Keith Greenaway said it will allow them to “harmonize our forensic accreditation requirements to help increase confidence and value for stakeholders worldwide while providing high quality and reliable accreditation services.”
Following the merger, ASCLD/LAB’s Executive Director Pam Bordner will become vice president for forensics of the combined business. Forensics accreditation is one of ANAB’s three strategic business units – the others being laboratory-related accreditation and management systems accreditation.
“ASCLD/LAB brings increased technical experience and breadth to ANAB’s forensic accreditation programs,” Bordner said. “By combining the best aspects of both programs, we will provide added value to the forensics community.”
Formal recognition from and membership in national and international oversight groups is important to enhancing credibility in the accreditation industry, and ASCLD/LAB has maintained recognition and memberships equivalent to that of ANAB.