American Association for Laboratory Accreditation (A2LA) established in 1978 is one of the independent and reputated major accreditation organizations in the United States. A2LA is one of the founding members that plays important role in international organizations such as International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC), Asia Pacific Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (APLAC), and is an active member of International Accreditation Forum (IAF). Besides this, A2LA is also recognized and participated in international recognition arrangements with many other international accreditation organizations such as APLAC Mutual Recognition Arrangement (MRA), IAF Multilateral Recognition Arrangement (MLA); and was recognized for the accreditation competence of testing and calibration laboratories, medical laboratories, proficiency testing, certification body, etc. All of A2LA accreditation programs are based on internationally-accepted criteria.
VinaCert is the only organization in Vietnam accredited according to International Standard ISO 17025:2005 by American Association for Laboratory Accreditation – General requirements for the competence of testing and calibration laboratories - in providing goods quality testing services. Testing results of VinaCert are accepted worldwide through ILAC-MRA accrediation symbol on the testing result reports.
ISO/IEC 17025 is an International Standard providing the requirements for competence of the testing and calibration laboratories (PTN). The Standard provides the requirements for the laboratories that want to prove that they are: applying a quality system; havingtechnological capability; and able to provide technically valuable and reliable testing or calibration results.
“A certification accepted everywhere” is the world’s objective in products and goods quality management activities. In which, testing is used as the key technology in product certification, but the laboratories in Vietnam have not yet satisfied international standards on testing facilities, laboratory personnel competence, laboratory scale, proficiency testing programmes, etc. Foreseeing the globalization trend, VinaCert has upgraded its testing facility systems, improved its ability and registered for international accreditation.
From 12th to 21st of August 2014, American Association for Laboratory Accreditation (A2LA) performed accreditation assessments on two VinaCert’s laboratories in Hanoi and Can Tho for evidence of adequate competence based on International Standard ISO/IEC 17025:2005 - general requirements for the competence of testing and calibration laboratories. During the assessment process, VinaCert received a lot of positive comments from Ms. Tessi Gamber (Assessor of A2LA). Although she pointed out some uncomformities, she highly appreciated the technical competence and organizing competence in testing and monitoring process records.
The opinion of Ms Tessi Gamber was accepted and the uncomformities pointed out in the assessment were thoroughly corrected. On 10th of November 2014, VinaCert was officially accredited to be adequately competent according to the International Standard ISO/IEC 17025:2005 – General requirements for the competence of testing and calibration laboratories. The accredited fields, tests and accreditation certificates of VinaCert are listed on the website of A2LA.
2015 is a year of large economic fluctuations, with the commitment to remove tariff barriers under the free-trade agreement (FTA). The tariffs of almost all products have been reduced to 0-7%. This is not only opportunities, but also challenges for domestic companies. Particularly, Vinacert’s labs completed international accreditation to appropriate/match/fit with economic situation and international integration. VinaCert is the first and only organization in Vietnam accredited to be adequately competent according to ISO/IEC 17025:2005 for testing field by American Association for Laboratory Accreditation (A2LA). As a result, VinaCert again becomes the enterprise catching up with the big wave of globalization intergration in the field of testing activities.
Hoai Anh IRC