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).
Audit Sample Program is to develop consensus standards for the manufacture and analysis of audit samples for source emission testing.
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: 2003 NELAC
Section: 5.5.5.2.1 (b)
REQUEST:
The standard reads:
"All support equipment shall be calibrated or verified at least annually, using NIST traceable references when available, over the entire range of use".
My question is, does the NIST traceable reference, in this case a thermometer that is sent out annually to an accredited company for verification, as well as the laboratory support equipment which is verified against this thermometer, also need to be calibrated by that company over the range of use?
TNI FINAL RESPONSE:
(Quality Systems Expert Committee and NELAP AC, 4-7-14)
A NIST-traceable reference sent out annually to an accredited company for verification or calibration is to be verified or calibrated over its entire range of use. Laboratory support equipment verified or calibrated in the laboratory against the NIST-traceable reference is to be verified or calibrated over its entire range of use.