Accreditation is based on assessment of an agency’s technical qualifications and competence for conducting specific testing activities within the scope of ISO/IEC 17025:2005 and any relevant field specific standards included in amplification documents which are also part of the program. The operation of the accreditation program is described in the FQS General Requirements for Accreditation (GRA), supplemented by series of “Forensic Requirements for Accreditation” (FRA) and “Forensic Requirements for Accreditation Policy” (FRAP) documents, namely:
FRA-1: General forensic supplemental requirements that apply to all applicants for accreditation that conduct forensic testing in criminal investigations. The FRA-1 document is derived from the International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC) Guide 19, Guidelines for Forensic Science Laboratories.
FRA-3: Supplemental requirements that apply to laboratories performing drug testing related to animal racing. They are derived from ILAC G7, an international guidance/standards document published by ILAC.
FRA 4: Supplemental standards document that applies to agencies seeking accreditation in latent print testing. It was developed by a Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) convened by FQS-I.
FRA-5: Supplemental standards/guidance document that applies to agencies seeking accreditation in the area of crime scene processing. It is a product of an FQS-I TAC.
FRAP-1: Control of records
FRAP-2: Proficiency testing
FRAP-3: Uncertainty of Measurement
FRAP-4: Traceability
FRAP-5: Use of Accreditation Symbols
FRAP-6: Suspension, Withdrawal, Complaints, Appeals, and Extension of the Term of Accreditation
FRAP-7: Safety
FRAP-8: FQS-I Policy on Cross-Frontier Accreditation
Agencies interested in seeking accreditation should download FRAG-6 " Instructions for Agencies Preparing for Accreditation, Re-accreditation or Surveillance" for information about the program and how to apply.
The GRA, FRA series, FRAG series and FRAP series documents are available on request to persons or organizations with a bona fide interest in forensic accreditation. A fee may be payable. Inquiries should be directed to the Assistant Manager of Accreditations, stating your name and affiliation and the reason for the request.
