§ 285.24 - Denying, suspending, and revoking accreditation.

(a) If NVLAP proposes to deny or revoke accreditation of a laboratory, NVLAP shall inform the laboratory of the reasons for the proposed denial or revocation and the procedure for appealing such a decision.

(b) The laboratory will have 30 days from the date of receipt of the proposed denial or revocation letter to appeal the decision to the Director of NIST. If the laboratory appeals the decision to the Director of NIST, the proposed denial or revocation will be stayed pending the outcome of the appeal. The proposed denial or revocation will become final through the issuance of a written decision to the laboratory in the event that the laboratory does not appeal the proposed denial or revocation within that 30-day period.

(c) If NVLAP finds that an accredited laboratory has violated the terms of its accreditation or the provisions of these procedures, NVLAP may, after consultation with the laboratory, suspend the laboratory's accreditation, or advise of NVLAP's intent to revoke accreditation. If accreditation is suspended, NVLAP shall notify the laboratory of that action stating the reasons for and conditions of the suspension and specifying the action(s) the laboratory must take to have its accreditation reinstated.

(d) A laboratory whose accreditation has been denied, revoked, terminated, or expired, or which has withdrawn its application before being accredited, may reapply and be accredited if the laboratory:

(1) Completes the assessment and evaluation process; and

(2) Meets the conditions and criteria for accreditation that are set out in §§ 285.32 and 285.33.

(e) Conditions of suspension will include prohibiting the laboratory from using the NVLAP logo on its test or calibration reports during the suspension period. The determination of NVLAP whether to suspend or to propose revocation of a laboratory's accreditation will depend on the nature of the violation(s) of the terms of its accreditation.