Criteria and Procedures for Accreditation
Accreditation Documentation
Program for the Accreditation of Laboratories - Canada (PALCAN)
http://www.scc.ca/publicat/canp/d92_6_e.pdf
This link will answer your request.
PALCAN Handbook- D92.6
December 2001
iv
What is Accreditation?
The accreditation of a laboratory within the PALCAN program is a formal agreement
between the Standards Council of Canada and the accredited laboratory. This agreement
covers three specific aspects:
a. The Standards Council of Canada formally recognises the ability of the laboratory
to produce competent results for the specific tests or calibrations that are listed on
its Scope of Accreditation. A list of accredited laboratories and their scopes of
accreditation is available to the public on SCC web site at
http://www.scc.ca.
Accredited laboratories are deemed to have all of the following in order to
produce competent results:
(i) Technically competent staff with the requisite skills and knowledge;
(ii) The environment with the requisite facilities and equipment;
(iii) The requisite procedures, and
(iv) The requisite quality control.
b. The Standards Council of Canada formally recognises the establishment and
maintenance of a quality system in the accredited laboratory which conforms to
CAN-P-4D (ISO/IEC 17025) General requirements for the competence of testing
and calibration laboratories. In accordance with Clause 2 of ILAC Guidance
for Accreditation to ISO/IEC 17025, the Standards Council of Canada also
formally recognises that the accredited laboratorys quality management system
meets the requirements of ISO 9001:1994 and ISO 9002:1994 under the following
conditions:
(i) ISO 9001:1994, when the laboratory engages in the design/development of
new methods and/or develops test programmes combining standard and
non-standard test and calibration methods; and
(ii) ISO 9002:1994, when the laboratory only uses standard methods.
c. The accredited laboratory formally agrees to comply with the specific program
requirements set out in this PALCAN Handbook and agrees to pay all fees
associated with accreditation.
What is an Accreditable Laboratory?
In addition to meeting the SCC requirements (CAN-P-4) and conditions in the PALCAN
Handbook (D92.6), an applicant that is an Accreditable Laboratory must have the
following salient standard features:
PALCAN HANDBOOK D92.6
Located at a single site;
Management by a suitably qualified professional authorised to approve and
sign its test reports or calibration certificates;
A scope of testing or measurement capabilities, that can be satisfactorily
assessed by an agreed maximum number of four technical assessors, a Task
Group Laboratory member if necessary, and a team leader;
Legal identifiability per clause 4.1.1 of CAN-P-4; as fully explained in the text
below, this means that the SCC accreditation covers a distinct corporate entity
and is limited to that entity within clear and distinguishable corporate
boundaries; and
Where the laboratory conducts testing and/or measurements in more than one
product area or operates in different fields of testing or measurement, it must
be subject to one quality management system.
Disclaimer
Accreditation under CAN-P-4 is a demonstration of confidence in the laboratorys
technical competence. It is not an assurance. It does not imply the acceptance by the SCC
of any responsibility toward any person or organisation for the effects of the services
provided by an accredited laboratory.
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