NBSIR 79-1956

NVLAP Glossary of Terms for

Laboratory Accreditation,

Product Certification and

Standardization

Douglas B. Thomas

Office of Testing Laboratory

Evaluation Technology

Office of Engineering

Standards

National Bureau of Standards

Washington, D C. 20234

January 1 980

Prepared for Office of Product Standards

U.S. Department of Commerce

Washington, D.C. 20230

NBSIR 79-1956

NVLAP GLOSSARY OF TERMS FOR

LABORATORY ACCREDITATION,

PRODUCT CERTIFICATION AND

STANDARDIZATION

Douglas B. Thomas

Office of Testing Laboratory

Evaluation Technology

Office of Engineering

Standards

National Bureau of Standards

Washington, D C. 20234

January 1 980

Prepared for Office of Product Standards

U.S. Department of Commerce

Washington, D.C. 20230

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE, Philip M. Klutznick, Secretary

Luther H. Hodges. Jr., Deputy Secretary

Jordan J. Baruch, Assistent Secretery for Science end Technology

NATIONAL BUREAU OF STANDARDS, Ernest Ambler, Director
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PREFACE

(01/10/80)

The National Voluntary Laboratory Accreditation Program (NVLAP) was established by the Department of Comnerce on February 25, 1976. The

administration and procedures of NVLAP are governed by Title 15, Part 7 of the

Code of Federal Regulations. The intended goal of NVLAP is to serve the needs

of industry, consumers, government and others by accrediting testing

laboratories that comply with criteria established for a particular testing

area.

The development of a laboratory accreditation program (LAP) involves a variety

of technical principles, procedures and evaluations that must be carefully

planned and administered in order to provide an accreditation system that is

acceptable and reliable. General and specific criteria, examination

methodology and proficiency testing programs are developed for each LAP. The

first two LAPS established under NVLAP are for laboratories that test thermal

insulation materials (NVLAP-01) and freshly mixed field concrete (NVLAP-02).

In many instances during the development of these LAPs, the use of specific

terms and acronyms associated with laboratory accreditation lead to

misunderstandings between the program administrators, criteria committee

members, laboratory personnel and product manufacturers. In an effort to

eliminate these misunderstandings, this glossary of terms and definitions

relating to laboratory accreditation was prepared. Since there is some overlapping of the areas of laboratory accreditation, product certification

and standardization, a decision was made to establish a NVLAP glossary of

terms that covers all these areas.

Some of the definitions were derived from those presented in publications by

the American Society for Quality Control (ASQC), the American Society for

Testing and Materials (ASTM), the American National Standards Institute

(ANSI), the Technical Association of the Pulp and Paper Industry (TAPPI) and

the National Bureau of Standards (NBS) with some of the wording (but not the

meaning) altered to emphasize a principle. Other definitions were contributed

by personnel in the Office of Testing Laboratory Evaluation Technology of NBS

and the Office of Product Standards of the Department of Commerce. Those

definitions which were obtained from other references without alteration are identified in the glossary by the acronym for the respective organization

appearing directly after the definition. These acronyms are used to identify

the specific references in the Bibliography appearing at the end of the

glossary.

As additional LAPs are initiated for other classes of products, it may become

necessary to amend or expand this glossary to include terms that are pertinent

to these new LAPs.
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TERMS AND DEFINITIONS

ACCREDITATION

(a) A formal determination and recognition that a laboratory has the

capability to carry out specific tests or types of tests. (ILAC-2)

(b) A formal determination and recognition that a laboratory has the

capability to carry out a specific test(s) in accordance with a prescribed

procedure ( s)

.

ACCREDITATION AUTHORITY (AGENCY)

An organization which conducts and administers an accreditation system in

order to evaluate, judge, and convey in some manner that testing

laboratories are competent to conduct specific tests.

ACCREDITATION BODY

An organization which conducts and administers an accreditation system.

(ILAC-2)

ACCREDITATION SYSTEM

A system having its own rules of procedure for evaluating, judging, and

recognizing testing laboratories that have demonstrated a competency to

conduct specific tests. Such systems include — (1) initial assessment of

all aspects of laboratory management and operation by panels of expert

assessors; (2) reassessment at prescribed intervals; and (3) proficiency

testing programs on a regular basis. (ILAC-2)

ACCURACY

(a) A measure of the ability of a laboratory to obtain a test result in

agreement with the "true" or target test result. (ILAC-1)

(b) A measure of the capability of an instrument or system to produce a value or indication in agreement wth a "true" or target test result.

(c) A measure of closeness of agreement between an experimental result

and the true value. Accuracy is affected by chance errors as well as by

bias. (ASTM-2)
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ADMINISTRATOR

A person or organization that performs the executive duties required to

manage a laboratory accreditation or product certification program.

APPLICANT LABORATORY

A laboratory that has applied to an accreditation body for accreditation

for specific tests or types of tests. (ILAC-2)

ASSESSMENT

See EXAMINATION

ASSESSOR (EXAMINER) (INSPECTOR)

An individual of recognized professional competence and impartiality who

assesses personnel, physical resources, testing procedures, and the

quality assurance program of a laboratory to determine its compliance with

specific laboratory accreditation criteria or requi rements. (ILAC-2)

AUDIT

The examination of information, data, characteristics, or indications for

the purpose of verification.

CALIBRATION (VERIFICATION)

(a) The comparison of two objects, one of which has known or accepted

values, to determine the values or deviation of the object being

calibrated.

(b) The comparison of a measurement system or device of unverified

accuracy to a measurement system or device of known and greater accuracy

to detect or correct any variation from required performance

specifications of the unverified measurement system or device. (MIL)

CALIBRATION INTERVAL

(a) The span of time expressed in weeks or months during which

established accuracies of testing equipment are considered valid. The

interval is based on the type of instrument or material, the required

accuracy, the frequency of use and the conditions under which it is used.
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(b) The maximum length of time between calibration services during which

standards and measuring equipment are expected' to remain within specific

performance levels under normal conditions of handling and use. (MIL)

CERTIFICATION

(a) The act of issuing a warranty, certificate, or mark or other

appropriate evidence that attests that a product or service conforms to

specific standards or specifications. (ILAC-2)

(b) The procedure and action by a duly authorized body of determining,

verifying, and attesting in writing to the qualifications of personnel,

processes, procedures, or items in accordance with applicable

requirements. (ASQC)

CERTIFIER

The producer or vendor who certifies that the products or services meet

the requirements of a referenced standard.

CERTIFICATION AGENCY

An organization or entity which conducts and administers a certification

system and is recognized as having the authority to convey in some manner

that products comply with applicable or specified provisions of referenced

standards, codes or other requi rements.

CERTIFICATION MARK

A sponsor's or validator's symbol that identifies a product or service as being certified.

CERTIFICATION SYSTEM

A system having its own rules of procedure and management for carrying out

certi fi cation.

CERTIFIED PRODUCT

A product which has been inspected, evaluated, tested, or otherwise

determined to be in conformance with applicable or specified provisions of

reference standards, codes, or other requirements and approved by an
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authority which is recognized or has the legal power to grant such

certification. Certified products imply a guarantee or warranty of

product conformance and that the product is under the test and

surveillance procedures of a specified certification system.

CODE

A standard, rule, or regulation which has been codified by a governmental

authority and thus becomes part of the law for the jurisdiction

represented by that authority.

COLLABORATIVE REFERENCE PROGRAM (CRP)

An interlaboratory testing program administered by the National Bureau of

Standards which is conducted on a periodic schedule and involves the

distribution of specially prepared samples to participating laboratories.

The samples are tested by the laboratories in accordance with designated

test methods and the results are reported to NBS for statistical

evaluation. The program provides each participant with an evaluation, in

report form, of its testing performance in terms of accuracy and precision

and also presents a comparison of its performance with that of other

participating laboratories. Collaborative reference testing is one type

of proficiency testing. The name of each laboratory is usually kept

anonymous by the use of a code system and the participating laboratories

are usually charged a fee.

COMPARABILITY (MEASUREMENT)

A measure of the ability of a laboratory to compare two items or materials

(intended for the same use), and obtain comparative test results (e.g. the

difference between or the ratio of the two test results) that are consistent with comparisons obtained by other laboratories.

COMPLIANCE ASSURANCE

The process of appraising the manufacturer's quality control program in

conjunction with monitoring, auditing and inspecting the service or product being offered.

COMPLIANCE TESTING

The measurement of the design or performance characteristics of a product

for the purpose of establishing the product's conformance with the

requirements of applicable standards or technical specifications. (ILAC-2)
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CONSENSUS STANDARD

A standard for which there is general agreement among those associated

with its development that a prescribed set of conditions and requirements

is technically sound and meets the needs prevailing at that time.

CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY STANDARD

A mandatory standard promulgated by the Consumer Product Safety Conmission

(CPSC) under the provision of the Consumer Product Safety Act,

P.L. 92-573, to protect the public against unreasonable risks of injury

associated with consumer products.

COUPON

A piece of metal formed for the purpose of making a metallurgical test

specimen.

CRITERIA

Those requirements that a laboratory must meet in order to become

accredited to perform specific tests or types of tests. (ILAC-2)

CRITERIA (GENERAL)

See GENERAL CRITERIA

CRITERIA (SPECIFIC)

See SPECIFIC CRITERIA

CRITERIA COMMITTEE

A National Laboratory Accreditation Criteria Comnittee appointed by the

Secretary of Comnerce under Title 15, Code of Federal Regulations Part 7.

(NVLAP)

DESIGN STANDARD

A standard which describes the required physical or dimensional

characteristics of a product or system and, in some cases, its

manufacture, construction, or fabrication. (NBS)
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EVALUATOR

An individual of recognized professional competence who conducts an evaluation of a laboratory. See LABORATORY EVALUATION.

EXAMINATION (INSPECTION)

(a) The inspection of a product, material, or system, visually or by

physical or chemical measurement, to determine compliance with design or performance standards, requirements, or codes.

(b) The inspection of a testing laboratory to determine compliance with

general and specific criteria concerning the laboratory's organization,

managerial and technical personnel, testing facilities, test procedures,

quality assurance programs, and ethical and business practices.

EXAMINATION AUTHORITY (AGENCY)

An organization or entity with the legal responsibility for administering

and/or enforcing laws, codes or requirements for products, materials,

services, or testing laboratories.

EXAMINER (ASSESSOR) (INSPECTOR)

(a) An individual of recognized professional competence and impartiality

who assesses personnel, physical resources, testing procedures and the

quality assurance program of a laboratory to determine its compliance with

specific laboratory criteria or requirements. (ILAC-1) A pass/fail

determination may be made by the examiner and an examination checklist may

be used.

(b) An individual of recognized professional competence who assesses the

quality or characteristics of products, materials or systems and/or the

procedures used in the manufacture of these entities to determine their

compliance with specific standards or specifications. A pass/fail

determination may be made by the examiner and an examination checklist may

be used.

(c) An individual who may not possess the professional competence of the

examiner in (a) or (b) above but who assesses the entities in (a) or (b)

by means of a checklist and detailed instructions concerning what is to be

examined and how to examine it. A pass/fail determination is usually not

made by the examiner.
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EXPERT

An individual who has acquired exceptional experience and knowledge in one

or more disciplines and whose authority is generally recognized by his

peers.

FIELD OF TESTING

A broad sphere of science, engineering, or technology used to describe a general area of testing for classification purposes only, but not for

identification of accreditation for specific tests or types of tests. For

accreditation purposes, fields of testing are subdivided into specific

tests or groups of tests. (ILAC-2)

GENERAL CRITERIA

Those characteristics of a testing laboratory conmonly found in, and

generally expected of, such a laboratory serving the product under

consideration. Such characteristics include human and physical resources,

organization, record keeping, quality assurance, and ethical practices.

(NVLAP)

HUMAN RESOURCES

Those elements of support or capability that are provided by humans using

their mental and physical capabilities. (ASTM-1)

INDEPENDENT TESTING LABORATORY

A testing laboratory which has no organizational tie or financial interest

in the manufacture, vending, supplying, or promotion of the product on which tests are performed. It has sufficient breadth of activity so that

the loss or award of a specific contract for test services would not be a substantive factor in the financial well-being of the laboratory. It may

offer test services under contract or on a fee basis, and may be a profit

or non-profit organization.

INDUSTRY STANDARD

A standard developed and promulgated by the members of an industry for

materials and products related to that industry. An industry standard is

generally oriented towards the industrial or institutional consumer and

represents a consensus of that industry as to the nomenclature,

identification, standard sizing, and material specifications for materials

and products of that industry. Industry standardization efforts are usually conducted by trade associations or professional organizations.

Many industry standards are approved by the American National Standards

Institute as American National Standards.
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INSPECTION

See EXAMINATION

INSPECTION AUTHORITY (AGENCY)

See EXAMINATION AUTHORITY (AGENCY)

INSPECTOR

See EXAMINER

LABEL

A symbol, certification mark or other controlled mark or informative

statement affixed to a product indicating that it is in conformance with

applicable or specified provisions or referenced standards codes or other

requirements. The label may also indicate that the product has been

approved by a specific organization or certification agency, that it has

been tested and found in compliance by an identified test facility, and/or

that it is under the test and surveillance procedures of a specified

certification system.

LABORATORY

See TESTING LABORATORY

LABORATORY ACCREDITATION PROGRAM (LAP)

A single laboratory accreditation program in the Department of Conmerce

National Voluntary Laboratory Accreditation Program.

LABORATORY ENGINEER

A person who has general knowledge of the principles, theories, and

practice in a given field of engineering such as may be acquired through

completion of a full engineering curriculum leading to at least a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university or through

training equivalent in type, scope, and thoroughness.
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LABORATORY ENVIRONMENT

The aggregate of all conditions, such as temperature, humidity, and

lighting, that may influence the testing or performance of a product,

material, or system.

LABORATORY EVALUATION

The decision making process, using information from laboratory

examinations, whereby a laboratory's testing capability is assessed for

conformance with general and specific criteria. Laboratory evaluation may

be a basis for accreditation.

LABORATORY EVALUATION CRITERIA

Statements prescribing the organizational and technical resources, the

equipment and facilities, the operational procedures, and the minimum

technical, managerial and ethical performance levels required of a testing

laboratory usually for laccreditation purposes.

LABORATORY EXAMINATION

See EXAMINATION

LABORATORY INSPECTION

See EXAMINATION

LABORATORY MANAGEMENT

The art and science of conducting the administration and technical

operations of a testing laboratory to produce test information reliably,

efficiently and promptly utilizing all resources of the laboratory.

LABORATORY SCIENTIST

A person who has general knowledge of the principles, theories, and

practices in a given field of physical science such as may be acquired

through completion of a full physical science curriculum leading to at

least a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university or through training equivalent in type, scope, and thoroughness.
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LABORATORY TECHNICIAN

A person who has knowledge of the applied principles, theories, and

practice in a given field of engineering or science such as may be

acquired through the completion of at least two years of an engineering or science curriculum at an accredited college or university, or has

graduated from a specialized technical vocational institute appropriate to

his field or through training equivalent in type, scope, and thoroughness.

LAP

An acronym for laboratory Accreditation program which refers to a single

program in NVLAP.

LICENSEE

The manufacturer or vendor authorized by contract to use the sponsor's or administrator's certification mark for validation purposes.

LOGO

(a) A symbol, label, hallmark, or statement authorized by a certification

agency for affixing to a product indicating that the product is in

conformance with specified provisions of the applicable standard, code, or other requirement.

(b) A symbol label, hallmark, or statement authorized by an accreditation

agency for use by an accredited laboratory as appropriate for indicating

the laboratory's accreditation status.

MANDATORY STANDARD

A standard with which there is an obligation to comply by virtue of an action by government or by an authority endowed with the necessary legal

power; called a code, regulation, or rule. (NBS)

MONITORING

The act of periodically observing or reviewing the functioning and

proficiency of a laboratory or a certification program.
r

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NVLAP

Acronym for the Rational Voluntary j.aboratory Accreditation program which

refers to the over-all laboratory accreditation program administered by

the Department of Comnerce.

NVLAP-01

The designation for the ]|[ational Voluntary ].aboratory Accreditation

program for thermal insulation materials.

NVLAP-02

The designation for the Rational ^o^untary j_aboratory Accreditation

program for freshly mixed field concrete.

NLACC

Acronym for a j^ational ].aboratory Accreditation Criteria ^oirmittee.

NLACC-01

The designation for the j^ational ].aboratory Accreditation Criteria

Committee for thermal insulation materials.

NLACC-02

The designation for the Rational J_aboratory Accreditation Criteria

£ommmittee for freshly mixed field concrete.

ON-SITE EXAMINATION

That part of the assessment process in which the assessor(s) visits a testing laboratory for the purpose of interviewing staff, inspecting

equipment, records, laboratory practices and facilities, and witnessing

tests. (ILAC-2)

PERFORMANCE STANDARD

A standard which prescribes the acceptable.^ functional or operational

characteristics of a product or system in accordance with the use to which
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the product or system would apply. A performance standard includes or references the test methods by which these characteristics are measured.

(NBS)

PRECISION

The closeness of agreement among the results obtained by applying the

experimental procedure (test method) several times under prescribed

conditions. Precision is expressed in terms of repeatability and

comparability.

PRELIMINARY TESTING

The testing of a product, material, or system before formal testing is

begun for the purpose of evaluating (a) a compliance testing program,

(b) a test method, (c) a laboratory's performance, or (d) the compliance

of a product or material with specific standards, codes, or requi rements.

PRODUCER

A person or organization that produces, manufactures, or assembles a product or system, or offers a service.

PRODUCT

A category of manufactured goods, constructions, installations, and

natural and processed materials, or those associated services whose

characterization, classification or functional performance determination

is specified by standards. (NVLAP)

PRODUCT ACCEPTANCE TEST

A compliance test to determine the acceptability of delivered products

which have been purchased under a contract requiring compliance with the

appropriate standard, code, or other requirement. (NBS)

PRODUCT CONFORMANCE TESTING

The on-going or periodic test of a product to assure continuing product

conformance with specified provisions of referenced standard codes or other requirements. The testing provides the basis for continued

designation of a product as an approved, accepted, certified, or qualified

product, or for maintaining an approved quality control program.
r

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PRODUCT QUALIFICATION TESTING

The initial product test and analysis of a new product design or modification of a product design. Product qualification tests are the

basis for the initial acceptance of a product as an approved or accepted

product, being approved as a certified product, listed as a qualified

product in a qualified product list (QPL) or as a product which has been

granted type approval.

PROFICIENCY TESTING

(a) A program or system in which a product or material of specific or controlled characteristics, is distributed to participating testing

laboratories. The laboratories test the product or material in accordance

with specified test methods and submit the test data to the controlling

agency. The test data from each laboratory are evaluated to determine how

closely they agree with the "true" or "target" values for the distributed

product or material. Test results may be shared with the participating

laboratories for self-evaluation or improvement, used for evaluating each

laboratory for accreditation purposes or maintained by the controlling

agency on a proprietary basis.

(b) A program or system of monitoring laboratory performance by means of

interlaboratory tests. Such systems take a variety of forms including

round-robin and split-sampling testing. (ILAC-2)

QUALIFIED PRODUCT

A product which has been inspected, evaluated, tested, or otherwise

determined to be in conformance with applicable or specified provisions of

referenced standards, codes, or other requirements.

QUALIFIED PRODUCTS LIST (QPL)

A list of products, and their manufacturer, which have been tested and

found to comply with the requirements of applicable standards, codes, or other requirements.

QUALITY ASSURANCE

A system of activities whose purpose is to provide assurance that an overall qual ity control function is effectively accomplished. Quality

assurance involves a continuing evaluation of the adequacy and

effectiveness of the overall quality control program (see quality control)
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with a view to having corrective measures initiated where necessary. For

a specific product or service, this involves verifications, audits, and

the evaluation of the quality factors that affect the specification,

production, inspection, and use of the product or service.

QUALITY CONTROL

The overall system of activities whose purpose is to provide a minimum

level of quality of a product or service to meet the needs of users; also,

the use of such a system. The aim of quality control is to provide

quality that is satisfactory, adequate, dependable, and economical. The

overall system involves integrating the quality aspects of several related

steps including: (a) the proper specification of what is needed;

(b) production to meet the full intent of the specification;

(c) inspection to determine whether the resulting product or service is in

accord with the specifications; and (d) review of the system usage to

provide for the revision of specifications.

QUASI -MANDATORY STANDARD

A standard with which there is no legal obligation to comply, but which is

required in practice or under certain conditions, such as a requirement of

the marketplace or compatibility with other products.

RANDOM SAMPLING

The procedure used to select items from an inspection lot so that each

item in the lot has an equal chance of being included in the sample.

REASSESSMENT

Reexamination of a testing laboratory to determine continued compliance

with criteria for accreditation. (ILAC-1)

REEVALUATION

A repeat of the evaluation of an accredited laboratory for the purpose of

determining if its accreditation should be continued.

REFERENCE LABORATORY

A facility that is recognized as professionally competent, properly

equipped and staffed to evaluate the technical content and adequacy of a
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test method, acts as a referee on technical questions, or determines

"true" or "target" values for proficiency sample or collaborative

reference sample products and materials.

REFERENCE MATERIAL

See STANDARD REFERENCE MATERIAL.

REFERENCE STANDARD

(a) An instrument or system whose characteristics have been measured or analyzed under specific conditions, using specific procedures and is used

to calibrate or verify working standards. The instrument or system may

also be used for the measurement of physical quantities that need to be

measured more accurately than would normally be measured on a routine

basis using a working standard.

(b) A secondary standard with which standards of lower accuracy are compared. (OIML)

REPEATABILITY

OF A LABORATORY — A measure of the capability of a laboratory to repeat

its own test result on the same or essentially identical samples using a specific test method.

OF A TEST METHOD — A measure of the capability of a group of laboratories

to obtain the same test result using the same test method.

OF AN INSTRUMENT — A measure of the capability of a measuring instrument

to produce the same indication or data on replicate measurements using a specific test method when operator, environmental, and test sample

variables are constant.

OF AN OPERATOR -- A measure of the ability of an operator to obtain the

same result or data on replicate measurements using a specific test method

when instrument, environmental, and test sample variables are constant.

REPRODUCIBILITY

OF A LABORATORY — A measure of the capability of a laboratory to obtain

the same test result of another laboratory (or the average of the results

of a number of 1 aboratories) using the same or essentially identical

samples and the same test method.
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OF AN INSTRUMENT — A measure of the capability of an instrument to obtain

the same indication or data as another instrument using the same test

method when operator, environmental, and test sample variables are constant.

OF AN OPERATOR — A measure of the ability of an operator to obtain the

same test results as another operator using the same test method and the

same or essentially identical instrument when the environmental and test

sample variables are constant.

OF A GROUP OF LABORATORIES — The maximum range of test results obtained

by a group of laboratories using the same or essentially identical samples

and the same test method.

OF A GROUP OF INSTRUMENTS — The maximum range of indications or data

obtained by a group of instruments when the instruments are used by one operator using a specific test method and when the environmental and test

sample variables are constant.

OF A GROUP OF OPERATORS — The maximum range of test results obtained by a group of operators using the same or essentially identical samples and

instruments and the same test method when the environmental variables are constant.

SAFETY STANDARD

A standard whose primary purpose is to prescribe a set of conditions and

requirements on a practice or on the design and/or performance of a product which, when adhered to, will provide adequate assurance of

protecting a user or worker from unreasonable hazards associated with the

product, its installation, and its use.

SAMPLING PLAN

A specific plan that states the sample size (number) or quantity of

products or material that is to be selected at random or in a specific

order from a production lot for the purpose of compliance testing.

SELF CERTIFICATION

The certification of a product by a producer or vendor of the product

being certified.
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SPECIFIC CRITERIA

Those detailed requirements deemed essential to assuring an acceptable

examination and evaluation of the testing function performed by a testing

laboratory in performing specific tests related to identified standards

for the product under consideration. (NVLAP)

SPECIFICATION

A precise statement of a set of requirements to be satisfied by a material, product, system or service, indicating, whenever appropriate,

the procedure for determining whether the requirements given are satisfi ed.

SPECIFICATION STANDARD

See SPECIFICATION

SPONSOR

An organization under whose authority a laboratory accreditation or product certification program is developed, promulgated, and financed and

with whom the program is identified.

STANDARD (DOCUMENT)

A technical specification or other document available to the public, drawn

up by an authoritative group or organization generally including producer,

user, and general interests, based on science, technology, and experience,

aimed at the promotion of optimum community benefits. (ILAC-2)

STANDARD (PHYSICAL)

An instrument, artifact material or system whose characteristics have been

measured or analyzed under specific conditions, using specific procedures,

and is used as a reference for characterizing or calibrating other

instruments, artifacts materials, or systems.

STANDARDS LABORATORY

A laboratory that has been recognized and accepted as having a high degree

of proficiency and capability for providing consistently accurate

measurements involving testing or calibration services. Testing or calibration values obtained by the laboratory are usually sufficiently

accurate for the needs of industry or other testing 1 aboratories.
- 19 -

STANDARD REFERENCE MATERIAL (SRM)

A material of relatively high uniformity whose intrinsic properties have

been well characterized and is used for assessing similar materials. It

may be used as a reference in a laboratory or for controlling a manufacturing process.

STANDARD TEST METHOD

See TEST METHOD

STANDARDIZATION

(a) The process of establishing by cormon agreement the criteria, terms,

principles, practices, materials, items, processes, equipments, parts,

sub-assemblies, and assemblies appropriate to achieve the greatest

practicable uniformity of items of supply or procedures and to insure the

minimum feasible variety of such items or procedures to effect optimum

interchangeability of equipment parts and components.

(b) The process of changing, adjusting or correcting the physical or performance parameters of a measuring device, standard or measurement

system to achieve a prescribed level of accuracy with respect to an accepted value(s).

(c) An activity giving solutions for repetitive application, to problems

essentially in the spheres of science, technology and economics, aimed at

the achievement of the optimum degree of order in a given context.

Generally, the activity consists of the processes of formulating, issuing

and implementing standards. (ILAC-1)

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATION

A document which lays down characterist ics of a product or service such as levels of quality, performance, safety, and dimensions. It may include,

or deal exclusively with, terminology, symbols, testing and test methods,

packaging, marking, or labeling requirements as they apply to products or services. A technical specification may also take the form of a code of

practice. (ILAC-2)

TEST DATA

A quantitative or qualitative expression of measurements and observations

made during performance of a test. (ILAC-1)
r

- 20 -

TEST METHOD

(a) A prescribed means for conducting a specific test which may include

procedures for sample selection, sample preparation or conditioning,

environmental requirements, a description of the required or suggested

test equipment, the required precision of the test equipment, the

procedures for conducting the test, the procedures for recording the data

and statements of expected or maximum uncertainty of the test data.

(b) A document that details the elements of (a) above. Sometimes

referred to as a standard test method if the method represents a consensus

of individuals, or organizations.

(c) The detailed specification of equipment, conditions, and procedures

used to determine the properties, performance, or other characteristics of

materials or products. (ILAC-2)

TEST PROCEDURE

The detailed instructions for conducting a test.

TEST REPORT

A formal document which accurately presents test data in a form

comprehensible to the user of the report. (ILAC-2)

TESTING AGENCY

See TESTING LABORATORY.

TESTING LABORATORY

(a) A person or organization whose functions include testing, analyzing

or inspecting products, and/or evaluating the designs or specifications of

such products according to the requirements of applicable standards.

(NVLAP)

(b) A body composed of qualified persons and necessary equipment and

facilities, whose main function is to measure, examine, test, or otherwise

determine the properties, performance, or other characteristics of

materials or products. (ILAC-2)
(c) A facility comprising one or more persons whose functions include the

testing, analyzing, or inspection of products or materials in accordance

with prescribed methods for the purpose of evaluating the design,

performance, structure or chemical characteristics of such items.

THIRD PARTY CERTIFICATION

The certification of a product by an organization which has no organizational tie or financial interest in the manufacture, vending,

supplying, or promotion of the product being certified.

TRACEABILITY

(a) A documented chain of comparisons connecting a working standard or instrument to a primary standard of measurement maintained by an organization with recognized authority for realizing those standards.

(ILAC)

(b) The process by which the assigned value of a measurement is compared,

directly or indirectly, through a series of calibrations to the value

established by the U.S. national standard. (MIL)

USER

(a) An individual or organization that makes use of a testing laboratory.

(b) An individual or organization that uses a product.

VALIDATION

An action by a third party to assure that the producer (or certifier) is

adhering to the requirements of a given certification program.

VALIDATOR

An individual or organization that conducts the act of validation.

VENDOR

An organization marketing a product or service whose name or trademark

appears in lieu of, or in addition to, the name of the manufacturer.

(ANSI)
r

- 22 -

VOLUNTARY STANDARD

A standard with which there is no obligation to comply. A voluntary

standard may become a quasi-mandatory standard, mandatory standard, code,

regulation, or rule as a result of utilization or adoption by a regulatory

authority.

WARRANTY

An implied or expressed guarantee of the integrity of a product and of the

manufacturer's willingness to repair or replace the product for a given

interval of time after purchase.

WORKING STANDARD

(a) An instrument, material or system whose characteristics have been

measured or analyzed under specific conditions, using specific procedures

and is used on a daily or routine basis to measure, control or, verify

physical quantities. A working standard is calibrated or verified against

a reference standard.

(b) A standard which, calibrated against a reference standard, is

intended to verify ordinary measuring instruments of lower accuracy.

(OIML)

YOUDEN'S TWO-SAMPLE METHOD

An interl aboratory procedure for evaluating testing laboratories in which

all laboratories make one or more measurements on each of two different

but similar materials or items. The results are usually presented

graphically on a rectangular plot in which each laboratory is represented

by a point, the abscissa of which is the value obtained by the laboratory

for the first material or item and the ordinate is the value obtained for

the second material or item. The deviation of a laboratory's point from

the points of the other laboratories may be used to judge the performance

of the laboratory. The method is frequently used in proficiency testing

or collaborative reference testing programs.
(ANSI)

(ASQC)

(ASTM-1)

(ASTM-2)

(ILAC-1)

(ILAC-2)

(MIL)

(NBS)

(NVLAP)

(OIML)

- 23 -

BIBLIOGRAPHY

"American National Standards Institute Policy and Procedures and

Manual of Operations for Accreditation of Certification Programs,"

August 1976. American National Standards Institute, New York, NY.

American Society for Qual ity Control Standard A-3-78, "Quality

Systems Terminology."

American Society for Testing and Materials Standard E-548, Generic

Criteria for use in the Evaluation of Testing and/or Inspection

Agencies, American Society for Testing and Materials;

Philadelphia, PA.

American Society for Testing and Materials Standard 02234-72,

"Collection of a Gross Sample of Coal."

"Definitions of Basic Terms Used in Labortory Accreditation."

International Laboratory Accreditation Conference, Task Force C;

International Conference on Recognition of National Systems for the

Accreditation of Testing Laboratories. J.A. Gilmour, Chairman;

National Association of Testing Authorities, Australia; Melbourne,

Australi a.

International Laboratory Accreditation Conference, Task Force C,

Recomnendations by the U.S. Delegation, 1979.

MIL-STD-1309B, May 1975. "Definitions of Terms for Test,

Measurement and Diagnostic Equipment."

"A Compliance Testing System for NILECJ," NBSIR 75-719, National

Bureau of Standards, Washington, D.C. 20234.

National Voluntary Laboratory Accreditation Program Procedures,

Title 15, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 7, Section 7.3.

Vocabulaire de Metrologie Legale, Organisation Internationale de

Metrologie Legale, Paris 1978.
.

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NBS*114A (REV. 9-78)

U.S. DEPT. OF COMM. 1. PUBLICATION OR REPORT NO. BIBLIOGRAPHIC DATA ' SHEET NBSIR 79-1956

4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE

NVLAP Glossary of Terms for Laboratory Accreditation,

Product Certification and Standardization

5. Publication Date January 1980

1 axf

7. AUTHOR(S)

Douglas D. Thomas

r8. Performing Organ. Report No.

9. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION NAME AND ADDRESS

NATIONAL BUREAU OF STANDARDS

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

WASHINGTON, DC 20234

11. Contract/Grant No.

12. SPONSORING ORGANIZATION NAME AND COMPLETE ADDRESS fSrreer, City, sute. ziP)

Office of Product Standards

U.S. Department of Commerce

Washington, D.C. 20230

13. Type of Report & Period Covered

15. SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES

[ I Document describes a computer program; SF-185, FIPS Software Summary, is attached.

16. ABSTRACT (A lOO^word or teas factual summary of moat significant information. If document includes a significant bibliography or

literature survey, mention it here,)

This glossary provides definitions of terms commonly used in many laboratory

accreditation programs, specifically the Department of Commerce National Voluntary

Laboratory Accreditation Program (NVLAP), as well as product certification and

standardization programs. The successful development and administration of these

programs require a clear understanding of the terms frequently used in describing

laboratory criteria, evaluation methodology, proficiency testing, compliance

testing, quality control and standardization.

Some of the definitions were derived from those presented in ASQC, ASTM, ANSI,

TAPPI and ISO/CERTICO documents with some of the wording (but not the meaning)

altered to emphasize a principle. A bibliography listing the sources of some

of the definitions is included.

17. KEY WORDS to twelve entries; alphabetical order; capitalize only the first letter of the first key word unless a proper name;

separated hy semictylons)

Accreditation, Product Certification, Standardization, Testing Laboratory,

Laboratory Criteria, Proficiency Testing, Compliance Testing, Quality Control

19. SECURITY CLASS 21. NO. OF

(THIS REPORT) PRINTED PAGES

UNCLASSIFIED 25

20. SECURITY CLASS 22. Price (THIS PAGE)

$4 .00

UNCLASSIFIED

18. AVAILABILITY [j(3 Unlimited

I I For Official Distribution. Do Not Release to NTIS

[71 Order From Sup. of Doc., U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, DC

20402, SD Stock No. SN003-003-

[~X1 Order From National Technical Information Service (NTIS), Springfield,

VA. 22161 USCOMM-DC
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