General Critera for Testing

The Applicant Laboratory or the organization that it is a part of, shall be an entity that can be held legally responsible, with a clearly defined management structure, a description of its place in its parent organization, the relationships between quality management, technical operations and support services and the appointed deputies for key managerial positions clearly indicated.

The Applicant Laboratory shall be able to demonstrate compliance to the relevant legislative requirements for its operation.

The Applicant Laboratory shall demonstrate the ability to operate and maintain a facility that is capable of performing the testing and/or calibration activity(ies) for which accreditation is being requested, according to the requirements of the applicable international standard.

The management system of the Applicant Laboratory shall be appropriate to the scope of its activities for which accreditation is being sought and shall cover the operations at the laboratory’s permanent site(s), sites away from its permanent facilities, as well as its temporary and mobile sites.

The Applicant Laboratory shall be managed by competent staff with proven knowledge of the relevant standards, professional ethics, policy, procedures, techniques or methods and other requirements for the effective implementation of the facility’s operations. Further, the Laboratory shall be structured administratively to ensure its capability to maintain accurate records and provide adequate and accurate reports.

Where the Applicant Laboratory is a part of an organization that performs activities other than testing and/or calibration, the responsibilities of the key laboratory personnel which influence decisions regarding testing and/or calibration results shall be clearly defined, so as to identify and eliminate potential conflicts of interest and prevent adverse influence on the laboratory’s conformance with the applicable international standard.

The Applicant Laboratory shall be equipped with the resources, facilities, documented requirements, standards, policies and procedures to efficiently carry out the testing and calibration activities in the fields for which accreditation is being sought. This does not preclude the appropriate use of outside facilities.

The Applicant Laboratory shall have documented effective procedures for maintaining accurate and acceptable records, reporting test and/or calibration data, maintaining appropriate confidentiality, maintaining standards of accuracy, consideration and resolution of appeals and disputes, ensuring the protection of customers’ confidential information and proprietary rights, including the storage and transmission of this information.

The Applicant Laboratory shall abide by the requirements of the Jamaica National Agency for Accreditation’s accreditation programme, including allowing the examination of records, procedures and other documentation relevant to the area(s) for which accreditation is being sought and shall allow the Agency to carry out the required verification of the accuracy of results and reporting, as necessary for obtaining and maintaining accreditation.

The Applicant Laboratory shall abide by the decisions from the Jamaica National Agency for Accreditation and operate in a manner that will not cause a lack of confidence in its competence, impartiality, judgment or operational integrity, or cause its accreditation status and/or the accreditation programme to be brought into disrepute.