News
Intertek and NTA Become First to Achieve
IAS Product Certification Agency Accreditation
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| Intertek Vice President Jeff Turcotte (center) displays an IAS Certificate of Accreditation with IAS Vice President Pat McCullen (left) and IAS President Chuck Ramani. |
Intertek, a global leader in testing, inspection and certification, and NTA Inc., a U.S.-based quality assurance and materials testing agency, have earned IAS Product Certification Agency Accreditation. The accreditation signifies that both of these organizations are using the latest testing and inspection methods, internationally approved standards, and state-of-the-art equipment to certify products.
Intertek tests and certifies consumer products, commercial products, commodities, raw materials and many other items for manufacturers worldwide. Intertek also conducts research and testing aimed to establish vendor compliance with standards, so that their clients have confidence that certified products are safe and meet regulatory requirements.
NTA measures the structural performance of building materials and components using industry-standard methods of evaluation, and develops custom methods if no standard test is available. In addition to testing, NTA's network of inspectors located across the United States assess manufacturers' in-plant quality control procedures, ensuring consistent product quality.
IAS conducted full evaluations of NTA's and Intertek's primary product certification facilities. The accreditation criteria used to assess certification agencies include compliance with ISO/IEC Guide 65, General Requirements for Bodies Operating Product Certification Systems; verification of regular product manufacturing or assembly plant inspections; on-site surveillance assessments; on-site witness inspections; and validation of data generated by manufacturers.
During the accreditation process, IAS evaluators and technical experts carefully assessed critical elements of both firm's product certification operations and quality management systems for conformance with the IAS Accreditation Criteria for Product Certification Agencies (AC370).
David A. Tompos, president and director of Inspection Services for NTA, commented, "We believe that IAS accreditation, and the accreditation process, raises the bar in our entire operation. Through this effort, we ensure that we are operating to the highest standards and using best business practices in delivering quality service to our customers. It actually makes us a better company."
Today, product manufacturers are under constant pressure to verify that their products have been independently certified to industry safety standards. To ensure product acceptance and market access, verification must be by certification agencies that are independent, trusted and widely recognized. NTA and Intertek both hold IAS Testing Laboratory Accreditation per AC89 and Inspection Agency Accreditation per AC98.
"This is an outstanding achievement and demonstrates NTA's and Intertek's commitment to quality," said IAS President Chuck Ramani. "To achieve accreditation, both organizations underwent rigorous assessments to verify that they operate under the highest ethical, legal and technical standards while providing quality service to their customers."