a forensic service provider
delivering covered services may participate to demonstrate that its technical operations and overall management
system meet ISO/IEC 17025:2005 requirements and applicable ASCLD/LAB-International supplemental
requirements1.
The ASCLD/LAB-International accreditation program considers the conformance, competence and effectiveness of
the overall management system when granting accreditation.
1.2 MISSION
Our purpose is to continually improve the quality of forensic science through the accreditation and education of
forensic service providers.
1.3 ACCREDITATION REQUIREMENTS
Any forensic service provider seeking ASCLD/LAB-International accreditation must demonstrate conformance to the
applicable requirements in ISO/IEC 17025:2005 - General Requirements for the Competence of Testing and
Calibration Laboratories, the applicable ASCLD/LAB-International supplemental requirements, and the forensic
service provider’s own documented management system.
Depending on the services provided to customers, a forensic service provider may apply for accreditation in one or
more ASCLD/LAB-International accreditation programs.
Conforming to the numbered requirements in ISO/IEC 17025:2005 and the respective set(s) of supplemental
requirements is mandatory to achieve and/or retain accreditation, unless a requirement does not apply to the work
conducted by the forensic service provider. In such cases, the requirement will be regarded by ASCLD/LAB as “not
applicable.”
To achieve accreditation, conformance with each applicable requirement must be demonstrated to the satisfaction of
the assigned Lead Assessor prior to an accreditation decision being made by the Board of Directors (hereafter
Board).
Additional discipline specific requirements that a forensic service provider has incorporated into its management
system will also be assessed (e.g., The Quality Assurance Standards for Forensic DNA Testing Laboratories and
The Quality Assurance Standards for DNA Databasing Laboratories). In all cases, a nonconformance in a discipline
specific requirement will be correlated to an ISO/IEC 17025 requirement or an ASCLD/LAB-International
supplemental requirement.