IAS Spring 2020 Newsletter - Flipbook - Page 4
REMOTE ASSESSMENTS (CONT.)
LEARNING WITH IAS
ELAP / TNI
3. Add more time
Remote assessments tend to be more
susceptible to interruption. After all,
it’s much easier to get distracted
while doing an assessment from your
computer rather than on-site. Add extra
time to make up for these inevitable
interruptions.*
ELAP/ TNI Program for
Environmental Labs
WHAT NOT TO DO:
1. Forget about the mute button
IAS is making it more convenient than ever
to learn about key ISO/IEC Standards
and the Accreditation Process using IAS
Webinars and Online courses.
2.Have more than one person /
device running in the same room
WEBINARS
If you must have multiple people on
the call, individual rooms are preferred.
This helps ensure that feedback is kept
to a minimum and that everyone is
easily understood.
3. Jump to conclusions
Listen to industry experts, ask questions,
and learn during these live IAS webinar
training sessions. Check out the schedules
and course descriptions below.
ISO/IEC 17021-1: 2015 Management
Systems CBs
This of course is true for any
assessment, not just those conducted
remotely. However, with the abovementioned communication issues
already impacting rapport during
the assessment, it is easy to jump to
conclusions without fully understanding
a topic. More patience and
understanding is needed for remote
assessments for both customers and
assessors. Courtesy costs nothing but
increases the value of any interaction.
– Learn more
Remote Assessments
during COVID 19
May 21-22
*With the spread of COVID 19,
many businesses have shut their
doors, causing many employees
to work from home. With the
closure of many schools and
other childcare services, many
assessors and customers
have various caretaker roles
to perform. Schedule frequent
breaks and discuss any special
considerations ahead of time.
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IAS Online Trainings and Webinars
The mute button should be the best
friend of assessors and customers
during remote assessments. When not
speaking, out of courtesy to others,
please, make sure your mic is muted.
Just don’t forget to un-mute when it’s
your turn to speak up.
SPRING 2020 NEWSLETTER
Learn about how to prepare for a
management system certification body
assessment and conduct effective audits.
May 27-29
ISO/IEC 17020:2012 Inspection
Agencies
– Learn more
Introduction and refresher course to ISO/
IEC 17020 standard, Management System
requirements, IAS assessment process,
Auditing techniques.
ISO/IEC 17065:2012 Product
Certification Agencies
– Learn more
Introduction and refresher course to ISO/
IEC 17065 standard, Management System
requirements, IAS assessment process,
Auditing techniques.
June 22-23
Written By: Mohan Sabaratnam
ONLINE TRAINING
Learn about accreditation program standards
using IAS online courses when it is
convenient for your schedule. Get the details
for each course and download the syllabus.
Start and stop the training when necessary.
These courses provide in-depth training and
range from 3 to 10 hours to complete. Check
out the sample online training pages.
ISO/IEC 17025 for laboratories
– Learn more
ISO/IEC 17025 Revision to 2017
version
– Learn more
ISO/IEC 17020 for inspection bodies
– Learn more
ISO/IEC 17065 for certification bodies
– Learn more
I
n January 2020, International Accreditation Service (IAS)
gained recognition from The NELAC Institute (TNI) to
become an approved Non-Governmental Accreditation
Body. This TNI recognition now enables IAS to accredit
environmental laboratories for recognition by state agencies
within the USA. The journey to achieve this recognition was
long and started in late 2016 when IAS held its first booth
at the Environmental Measurement Symposium in Garden
Grove, CA. The meeting was an introduction to the many
faceted accreditation bodies and environmental laboratories
that partner and participate in the National Environmental
Laboratory Accreditation Program (NELAP) and operate in
accordance with the TNI standards.
Once IAS had decided that there was a need to support
this national initiative, an application was submitted, and
the evaluation of IAS planned. The TNI evaluators first
began their arduous task by observing an international
evaluation of IAS by the Asia Pacific Laboratory Accreditation
Cooperation (APLAC) organization. After this observation,
the TNI evaluators began their office evaluation by reviewing
all our documentation, system manuals and procedures.
Then a laboratory assessment conducted by one of our
assessors was witnessed by the evaluators. The evaluations
raised findings to which IAS presented corrective actions, to
the satisfaction of the evaluators. With the closing of these
findings, IAS was now ready to be accepted as a NonGovernmental Accreditation Body (NGAB) under the TNI
banner. This was timely, as IAS can now also participate
in the California Environmental Laboratory Accreditation
Program (ELAP).
At the 2020 Spring Environmental Measurement Symposium
meeting in Newport Beach, CA, IAS was awarded the
recognition certificate. The next 2020 Fall meeting is
scheduled to be held at the Hyatt Regency, Minneapolis, MN
on Aug 3-7, 2020. The NELAC Institute (TNI) and the United
States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) are the
co-sponsors of the Environmental Measurement Symposium,
considered as one of the largest conferences focused on
environmental measurements in North America.
For more information about accreditation under this
program, visit the IAS website
Mohan Sabaratnam
Vice President,
Global Accreditation
and Quality
www.iasonline.org
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