ISO
/ IEC 17025 Accreditation Services
We are pleased
to announce that FQS-I is an ISO 17011 compliant provider of accreditation.
This service is available to all forensic testing laboratories and
to public crime laboratories that seek to add to their ASCLD/LAB
accreditation.
The GRA describes
how the accreditation program is administered and contains the basic
management and technical requirements that the laboratory must meet.
Each program has a Technical Advisory Committee that develops program-specific
interpretations, or Field Specific Criteria, to amplify the information
in the GRA.
General
Information
FQS-I
Accreditation Documents
Proficiency Test Providers
General
Information
The
FQS-I Accreditation Program
FQS-
I and ISO Based Accreditation of Testing Laboratories
FQS- I is an ISO/IEC 17011 compliant Accrediting Body,
verified by independent external audits of the operation of its
accreditation system. ISO/IEC 17011 is recognized internationally
as the benchmark for the operation of accreditation programs.
Compliance with ISO/IEC 17011 is your assurance of the quality
of the accreditation services provided by FQS- I.
All ISO accreditation programs provided through FQS- I require
that the testing agency comply with ISO/IEC 17025. Wherever possible,
FQS-I Forensic Requirements for Accreditation are based on ILAC
guidelines. Specific criteria can be tailored to the needs of
the individual jurisdiction. The requisite FQS-I documents can
be viewed here.
What Are the Accreditation Requirements?
The applicant
agency must satisfy all of the Management and Technical Requirements
of ISO/IEC 17025, as referred to in the FQS-I General Requirements
for Accreditation (GRA) and published in ISO/IEC 17025. The agency
must also satisfy the requirements of the applicable Forensic
Requirements for Accreditation. These additional criteria are
intended to describe what constitutes acceptable practice in the
particular field of accreditation.
Compliance is measured by an on-site assessment of policies, procedures
and practices. The FQS-I accreditation cycle is flexible.
The recommended duration of accreditation is two years, but a
different period may be established depending on the needs of
the customer, with a maximum of five years. However, in
all cases there must be sufficiently rigorous surveillance to
ensure that conformance to standards is maintained.
What
Does Accreditation Cost and How Long Does the Process Take?
Fee
Structure
- Application
fee $1000
- FQS "in-office"
surveillance $500
- Assessment
and on-site surveillance fees: Dependent upon the size of the
laboratory, the scope of accreditation sought, and the length
of the accreditation period. Contact the Manager of Accreditations
(pcw@forquality.org )
if you would like an estimate.
The fees do
not include travel, lodging, or per diem.
The length
of time required for preparation (and the corresponding costs
in time and direct expenditure) is dependent upon on how close
the laboratory is to meeting the standards. It is noteworthy that
accredited laboratories are unanimous in their view that the expense
of establishing a compliant quality system is well worthwhile.
Where To Find More Information?
Click
here for Accreditation FAQs.
Contact:
Forensic Quality Services
13575
58th Street North
Suite
153
Clearwater , FL 33760-3721
727-538-4134
(voice)
727-538-4299
(fax)
Patricia Wojtowicz
Manager of Accreditations, FQS-I
pcw@forquality.org
Back
to Top
FQS-I
Accreditation Documents
Last
update: 07-03-2008
Back
to Top
PROFICIENCY
TEST PROVIDERS
FQS-I
recognizes and accepts testing conducted by the providers listed
below. This list is presented for informational purposes only;
FQS-I does not endorse any singular testing group.
Canadian
Pari-Mutuel Agency
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
Proficiency Testing Program for Forensic Equine Drug Testing
1130 Morrison Drive, Suite 100
Ottawa, Ontario K2H9N6
Phone: (613) 949-0744
Fax: (613) 949-1538
astevson@agr.gc.ca
Tests: Equine toxicology.
See Standards Council of Canada (SCC) scope of accreditation for
proficiency testing at http://palcan.scc.ca/specs/pdf/564_e.pdf
Collaborative
Testing Services, Inc. (CTS)
21331 Gentry Drive
Sterling, VA 20166
Phone: (571) 434-1925
Fax: (571) 434-1937
info@cts-interlab.com
Tests: Controlled substances, crime
scene (bloodstain pattern), serology, DNA, firearms, toolmarks,
imprint/impression evidence, fibers, latent prints, paint, glass,
flammables (fire debris), questioned documents, and toxicology
(blood/alcohol).
College
of American Pathologists (CAP)
325 Waukegan Rd
Northfield, IL 60093-2750
Phone: (800) 323-4040
Fax: (847) 832-8166
serdev@cap.org
Tests: DNA (DNA, DNAF, FID, and FIDM)
and toxicology (AL1-alcohol whole blood and FTC-forensic toxicology
criminalistics)
Creative
Approaches to Teaching, Training & Testing, Inc. (CAT3)
11605 Deer Forest Road
Reston, VA 20194
Tel/Fax: (630) 545-1264
service@cat3.org
Tests: Crime Scene (Interactive CD)
Digital
Forensics Quality Solutions
National
Center for Forensic Science
University of Central Florida
Orlando , FL
Phone: 407 823-6469 (Carrie Whitcomb)
Fax: 407-823-3162
www.dfqs.org
Tests: Computer forensics
Forensic
Testing Services
1099 W. Grand River Avenue
P.O. Box 514
Williamston , MI 48895
phone (517)202-5971
fax (517)579-4847
www.forensic-testing.net
Tests:
Explosives, GSR, microscopic hair examination, tape,
bulb examination for on/off, and chemical unknowns
National
Institute of Forensic Science
2 Research Avenue, Suite 1, R & D Park CentreSuite 1
Bundoora, Victoria, 3083 Australia
Phone: +61 3 9459 4299
Fax: +61 3 9457 3622
atf@nifs.com.au
Tests: Crime Scene (Interactive CD)
Orchid
Cellmark
5698 Springboro Pike
Dayton, OH 45449
Phone: (800) 443-2383
Fax: (301) 428-4877
clientservices@orchid.com
Tests: DNA and serology
Serological
Research Institute
3053 Research Drive
Richmond, CA 94806
Phone: (510) 223-7374
Fax: (510) 222-8887
serimain@serological.com
Tests: DNA, serology
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