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The National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL) has suspended accreditation of 80 labs in the country for non-compliance to norms. These include seven calibration laboratories, 58 medical laboratories and 15 testing laboratories.
The suspension status is imposed for a maximum period of six months for the scope of accreditation and if not lifted, then accreditation will be withdrawn.
According to NABL, when a conformity assessment body (CAB), remains in “Suspended” category for six months and has not met the condition for revoking the suspension status even after six months within valid accreditation then the accreditation will be withdrawn.
NABL is an accreditation body, with its accreditation system established in accordance with ISO/ IEC 17011. “Conformity Assessment –Requirements for Accreditation bodies accrediting conformity assessment bodies.”
NABL provides voluntary accreditation services to Testing laboratories in accordance with ISO/IEC 17025 ‘General Requirements for the Competence of Testing and Calibration Laboratories, Calibration laboratories in accordance with ISO/IEC 17025 ‘General Requirements for the Competence of Testing, Calibration Laboratories and Medical testing laboratories in accordance with ISO 15189 ‘Medical laboratories -Requirements for quality and competence, Proficiency Testing Providers (PTP) in accordance with ISO/IEC 17043 “Conformity assessment — General requirements for proficiency testing” and Reference material producers (RMP) in accordance with ISO 17034 “General requirements for the competence of reference material producers.”
NABL is Mutual Recognition Arrangements (MRA) signatory to ILAC as well as APAC for the accreditation of Testing and Calibration Laboratories (ISO/IEC 17025), Medical Testing Laboratories (ISO 15189), Proficiency Testing Providers (PTP) (ISO/IEC 17043) and Reference materials producers (RMP).
Such MRA reduces technical barrier to trade and facilitates acceptance of test/ calibration results between countries which MRA partners represent.
NABL has been established with the objective of providing Government, Industry Associations and Industry in general with a scheme of CAB accreditation which involves third-party assessment of the technical competence of testing including medical and calibration laboratories, proficiency testing providers and reference material producers. Accreditation process details are provided in NABL 100B “Accreditation Process & Procedure”.
NABL is self-financing and charges fees to CABs to cover operational costs and other expenditure.
NABL offers accreditation services in a non-discriminatory manner. These services are accessible to all testing including medical and calibration laboratories, proficiency testing providers and reference material producers in India and other countries in the region, regardless of the size of the applicant CAB or its membership of any association or group or number of CABs already accredited by NABL.
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