June 6, 2016

MEMORANDUM FOR State Directors

State Metrologists (including GIPSA/USDA, LA County)

From: Georgia L. Harris, Laboratory Metrology Program

Office of Weights and Measures (OWM)

Subject: Annual Submission for 2017 and 2017 to 2018 NIST Laboratory Recognition

This memorandum is the annual solicitation request for OWM Laboratory Recognition according to NIST

Handbook 143, Program Handbook. Items that are required are identified in Handbook 143, Table 1. A

detailed version of required annual information and specific technical requests for this year is on the

next page.

Deadlines/Reviews

In order to maintain or obtain NIST/OWM Recognition for your laboratory, materials need to be

submitted each year between October 1 and November 1. The deadline is November 1. Materials that

are not submitted on time, or that are submitted incomplete, may not be reviewed prior to the

expiration of your current Recognition certificate of metrological traceability. We will make no

commitments of timely reviews for late submissions. Items that are significantly late may not be

reviewed until the next review cycle. Materials may be submitted during the year to update Recognition

Scopes, however, they may not be reviewed in a timely manner or until the next review cycle, pending

training schedules and other program priorities.

Please MAIL complete submissions with attention to:

NIST Office of Weights and Measures

Attn: Georgia Harris

100 Bureau Drive, MS 2600

Bldg 222, Rm A 264

Gaithersburg, MD 20899

Submission Method and Content

Note that Federal Express and UPS or other couriers do not get to OWM any faster than Priority Mail

because items are delivered to a different location at NIST where they are scanned and inspected and

often take two to three days extra to be delivered to our offices. Please submit all items electronically in

any format except e‐mail. E‐mail submissions will not be accepted except where an item is missing and

specific guidance is provided. We do not track items submitted by e‐mail unless we specifically request

them to be submitted by that method once we are conducting reviews. CD and USB sticks are

acceptable formats. We have sent USB sticks to all primary laboratory contacts with this memorandum

so that you can submit files on a NIST‐provided USB. We will not return the USB sticks after they are

submitted this year.

Detailed descriptions of the information on the brief summary table shown on the next page can be

found in NIST Handbook 143, Program Handbook, 2007 edition, (available on line:

http://www.nist.gov/labmetrology, State Laboratory Program). Please use good Document Control

practices in all of your electronic files and in file‐naming conventions. See the Electronic File

Organization Tips available on the State Lab Program Resources page:

http://www.nist.gov/pml/wmd/labmetrology/lab‐resources.cfm

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Summary Table for Annual Submissions

Handbook 143

Section Item

Certificate expires

December 31, 2016

(or laboratory does

not have a current

certificate)

Certificate expires

next year: December

31, 2017

Sent

Appendix B

and D

Combined Appendix B‐D, Application for

Recognition (See website for latest version.) Yes Yes

Appendix E Uncertainties (Scope must match to Appendix B‐D

Scope); Excel Versions preferred. Yes Yes

4.15 Management Review (less than 6 months old!) Yes Yes

3.3.4, k

5.9

4.15

Proficiency Testing Follow Up Forms (only for PTs

that are completed for your lab) Yes Yes

3.5.1.

Previous Non‐conformities (review and complete

action items related to prior year feedback and

internal audits)

As identified in

previous audits and

reviews

As identified in

previous audits and

reviews

ISO/IEC 17025

Assessment

(2016)

Include references to Quality Management System

and evidence of implementation assessments. (See

website for latest version as updated in 2016.)

Yes No

4.2

4.14

Submit your entire Quality Manual/Management

System Manual, Appendices, Forms, and

Administrative Procedures, and Lab Developed

Methods. Be sure to include an updated Documents

Master List.

Complete a quality management system assessment

(using the ISO/IEC 17025 form and these tools) and

update your laboratory documents using the memo:

“National Annual Assessment Summary (Memo) –

Quality Management System Topics (2014 to 2015

Submission)” and the outline: “QMS Analysis‐

Evaluating Essential Elements”, as posted here:

http://www.nist.gov/pml/wmd/labmetrology/lab‐

resources.cfm

Yes

This assessment is due

in 2017 if not

submitted in 2016

4.14.1 Technical Assessments: No extra requirements. See

PT Follow Up earlier on this list. No No

5.4

Laboratory Developed Calibration Procedures (and

include Validation Procedure and Evidence of

Validation)

New procedures only New procedures only

Table 2 Laboratory Auditing Program (LAP) Problems If applicable If applicable

5.6 Calibration Certificates for all Standards Calibrated

by Other Laboratories If applicable If applicable

NOTE: If you have any specific questions about content, please contact Georgia Harris or Elizabeth

Gentry.

There is a two‐hour webinar scheduled on the Annual Submission materials and process and you can

register in the OWM Contact System as usual:

 Training Event: Webinar ‐ State Laboratory Annual Submission Process (5443)

 When: Thursday, September 29, 2016, 2:00 – 4:00 PM Eastern Time.

Enclosure

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