develop consensus standards for use by TNI's programs. This group has a support role in assisting other programs with activities such as guidance and standards interpretation.
fosters the generation of data of known and documented quality is through the National Environmental Laboratory Accreditation Program, or NELAP. The purpose of this program is to establish and implement a program for the accreditation of environmental laboratories.
is to establish and maintain a national PT program to support TNI’s National Environmental Laboratory Accreditation Program, and other activities.
Field Activities Program (NEFAP) Executive Committee is to establish and implement an accreditation program for field sampling and measurement organizations (FSMOs).
on a variety of topics of interest to the environmental measurement community. TNI also hosts two regularly scheduled meetings per year, typically in January and August. Both are a week long and involve open meetings of TNI committees as well as training courses and other special sessions.Standard Interpretation
Standard: 2009 TNI
Section: V2M3, Section 4.2.4
REQUEST:
Our accreditation body seeks an interpretation regarding training requirements for incubent assessors: 1) Are all incumbent assessors of accreditation bodies required to complete and attain a passing score on the written examination of courses approved by the employing accreditation body on assessing quality systems and all technical disciplines comprising a technology or combination of method and technology that the assessor will assess? and
2) Are written examinations required for ongoing (refresher) training?
Thank you for your assistance.
TNI FINAL RESPONSE:
(Quality Systems Expert Committee and NELAP AC, 1-20-14)
Based on the language in V2M3 4.2.4 that "An assessor shall have completed and attained a passing score on the written examination of courses approved by the employing accreditation body...", incumbent assessors are required to pass a written examination. There is no TNI Standard that excludes an incumbent assessor from completing and passing a written examination as part of an accreditation body's procedures for formally approving its assessors.
Additionally, written examinations are not required for ongoing (refresher) training of assessors. It is the responsibility of the accreditation body to establish the ongoing training required to assure the continuing competence of its assessors.