Accreditation Schemes >
Reference Material Producers (ISO 17034)
Overview
NABL grants accreditation to Reference Material Producers (RMP) in accordance with ISO 17034 “General requirements for the competence of Reference Material Producers”
The accreditation services to Reference Material Producers (RMP) is currently given in the following categories:
- Chemical Composition
- Biological & Clinical Properties
- Physical Properties
- Engineering Properties
- Miscellaneous Properties
- NABL 190: Application Form for Reference Material Producers (RMP) Accreditation.
- NABL 191: Specific Criteria for Reference Material Producer Accreditation
Benefits of Accreditation
Formal recognition of competence of an RMP by NABL in accordance with international criteria (ISO 17034) has many advantages like:
- Confidence in measurements by establishing traceability to appropriate measurement standards such as the use of certified reference materials (CRMs) produced by a competent producer to give a reliable physical or chemical characterization of a material.
- It provides assurance that the accredited RMPs are competent to produce the RMs as listed in the scope of accreditation. It provides confidence to RM users that the reference materials (RMs), and certified reference materials (CRMs) in particular, are produced according to technically valid and internationally recognized principles, and fit for the intended uses.
- CRMs offer the most effective means to assess the trueness and precision of a measurement process.
- Reference materials (RMs) provide one of the most effective ways of assessing and demonstrating that the measurement process is in statistical control because the homogeneity and stability of RMs have been confirmed to be suitable for use as quality control materials.
- Accreditation is a means of determining the technical competence of RMPs to produce specific RMs. It also provides formal recognition to competent RMPs, thus providing a ready means for RMs users to identify and select the most suitable RMs that meet their needs. This recognition of competence relates to the properties of the reference materials that the accredited RMP produces, and may include, if applicable, the ranges of the assigned values and their associated uncertainties. It may also include the RMPs involvement in the performance of testing, calibration and measurements in relation to homogeneity, stability and characterization assessments and their use of subcontractors in these tasks. These are the factors that RM users need to know and consider when selecting RMs
- Accreditation is an effective marketing tool for RMPs
- Accreditation provides assurance that the accredited RMPs are competent to produce the RMs as listed in the scope of accreditation
- It provides confidence to RM users that the reference materials (RMs), and certified reference materials (CRMs) in particular, are produced according to technically valid and internationally recognized principles, and fit for the intended uses.
- These uses include the assessment of precision and trueness of measurement methods, quality control, assigning values to materials, calibration, and the establishment of conventional scales. This eliminates the needs of the users to evaluate the quality of the RMs themselves
- RMs are used globally. Many economies around the world have accreditation bodies offering accreditation to RMPs. These accreditation bodies have adopted ISO 17034: 2016 as the criteria for RMP accreditation. This has helped economies to adopt a uniform approach for determining RMP competence. This uniform approach allows accreditation bodies in different economies to establish arrangements among themselves, based on mutual evaluation and acceptance of each other’s RMP accreditation systems.
Fee Structure
| Reference Material Producers: | Fees |
|---|---|
| Per Category – up to 2 sub- categories
e.g. Metals & Organic Reference Materials under Chemical Composition
Note: Metals & Organic Reference Materials are Subcategories under Category Chemical Composition. Similarly, Tensile Strength and Elasticity are Subcategories under Engineering Properties. |
₹ 25,000 |
| For each additional sub-category in the same category | ₹ 5,000 |
| Application Fee (non-refundable, to be paid along with the application) Please note that the details mentioned above relate only to the application fee. For information on other applicable fees, including the annual accreditation fee, mid-cycle assessment fee, scope extension fee, change of premises fee, etc., kindly refer to NABL 100A. |
|
Relevant Documents
| Document No. | Document Title | View Document |
|---|---|---|
| NABL 100A | General Information Brochure | View / Download |
| NABL 100B | Accreditation Process & Procedure | View / Download |
| NABL 190 | Application Form for Reference Material Producers (RMP) Accreditation | View / Download |
| NABL 191 | Specific Criteria for Reference Material Producer Accreditation | View / Download |
| NABL 192 | Pre-Assessment Guidelines & Forms (based on ISO 17034:2016) | View / Download |
| NABL 194 | Assessment Forms and Checklist (based on ISO 17034: 2016) | View / Download |
| NABL 208A | Pre-Assessment Guidelines and Forms (based on ISO 15189:2022) | View / Download |
| NABL 218 | Desktop Surveillance | View / Download |
| NABL 218A | Checklist for Annual Surveillance | View / Download |
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