95-2718. Workshop on National Voluntary Conformity Assessment Systems Evaluation (NVCASE) Program  

  • [Federal Register Volume 60, Number 23 (Friday, February 3, 1995)]
    [Notices]
    [Pages 6700-6701]
    From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
    [FR Doc No: 95-2718]
    
    
    
    -----------------------------------------------------------------------
    
    
    DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
    
    Workshop on National Voluntary Conformity Assessment Systems 
    Evaluation (NVCASE) Program
    
    AGENCY: National Institute of Standards and Technology, Commerce.
    
    ACTION: Meeting notice.
    
    -----------------------------------------------------------------------
    
    SUMMARY: This is to advise the public that the National Institute of 
    Standards and Technology (NIST) will conduct a workshop to brief 
    interested parties on the NVCASE program and to review documents that 
    will be used as the generic basis for requirements of the operational 
    program. The workshop will be in two parts:
        (1) A briefing on the purpose and operation of the NVCASE program: 
    the presentation will proceed step-by-step through the procedures set 
    forth in the April 22, 1994 Federal Register Notice (15 CFR part 286); 
    and
        (2) A review of present and proposed international documents that 
    will be used as the generic basis for program requirements.
        The public is encouraged to call to NIST's attention documents 
    useful for this purpose.
    
    DATES: The workshop will be held Thursday, March 9, 1995, from 10:00 
    a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Registration will start at 9:30 am.
    
    ADDRESSES: The workshop will be held in the Green Auditorium at the 
    National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, Maryland.
    
    FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: (1) For administrative and logistic 
    information, contact Ms. Marilyn Stream, National Institute of 
    Standards and Technology, Building 417, Room 107, Gaithersburg, 
    Maryland 20899; Phone: (301) 975-4029. Fax: (301) 963-2871. (2) For 
    information concerning the NVCASE program contact Mr. Robert Gladhill, 
    Program Manager, National Institute of Standards and Technology, 
    Building 417, Room 107, Gaithersburg, Maryland 20899; Phone: (301) 975-
    4273. Fax: (301) 963-2871. (3) For information on how to obtain copies 
    of the documents, contact the American National Standards Institute 
    (ANSI), 11 West 42nd Street, 13th Floor, New York, New York 10036, USA; 
    Phone: (212) 642-4900. Fax: (212) 398-0023.
    
    SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The National Institute of Standards and 
    Technology (NIST) offers a voluntary program on a fee-for-service basis 
    to evaluate the competence of conformity assessment activities.
        The National Voluntary Conformity Assessment Systems Evaluation 
    (NVCASE) Program may be applied to activities related to laboratory 
    testing, product certification, and quality system registration. NVCASE 
    evaluates and provides official recognition to qualifying bodies in the 
    United States that effectively demonstrate that they satisfy 
    established criteria and applicable regulatory requirements of other 
    countries.
        NVCASE recognition (1) provides other governments with a basis for 
    having confidence that qualifying U.S. conformity assessment bodies are 
    competent, and (2) promotes the acceptance of U.S. products in 
    regulated foreign markets based on U.S. conformity assessment results.
        NVCASE offers evaluation services to support U.S. trade in 
    regulated foreign markets, but not for domestic applications. NVCASE 
    does not unilaterally establish program areas. All requests to 
    establish evaluation services in a specific product sector are first 
    published for public advice and comment. If another U.S. Government 
    [[Page 6701]] agency has domestic regulatory responsibility for that 
    sector, the cognizant agency is consulted prior to any program action 
    by NIST.
        A U.S. regulatory agency may, at its discretion, defer evaluation 
    and recognition of conformity assessment activities related to foreign 
    trade to NVCASE, or may itself perform required evaluation activities. 
    In the event of deferral to NVCASE, the regulatory agency fully retains 
    its domestic authority and responsibility for the product sector.
        NVCASE recognition may be obtained for different levels of 
    activity. For example, a body may be recognized to accredit other 
    bodies, (e.g., an accreditor of laboratories, or of certifiers, or of 
    registrars). If accreditation is not available elsewhere, a body may be 
    accredited directly by NVCASE to perform some specific function (e.g., 
    to certify specific products, or as a quality system registrar).
        The NVCASE evaluation process requires that a body provide 
    sufficient information to allow thorough evaluation of its management 
    system and operations. The criteria used are based on internationally 
    accepted requirements.
        Prior to obtaining recognition, each participant must undergo an 
    initial on-site assessment by qualified assessors. Any elements of non-
    conformance must be resolved prior to the granting of recognition. Once 
    recognition has been granted, follow-up assessments are conducted on a 
    regular basis, along with periodic surveillance visits, both announced 
    and unannounced. NVCASE recognition is effective until either voluntary 
    or involuntary termination.
        NVCASE listings of all recognized bodies include the name, address, 
    pertinent contacts, and the scope of recognition. NVCASE also maintains 
    listings of qualified bodies that have been accredited or otherwise 
    approved by a NVCASE-recognized accreditor (but only within the scope 
    and period of recognition of the accreditor), indicating they are 
    traceable to NIST via the NVCASE-recognized body. All listings are 
    freely disseminated and available to the public through various media.
        In the event that a recognized body is found not to conform with 
    the established criteria, NVCASE will terminate the recognition and 
    delist the body. NIST will no longer assure that body's conformity 
    assessment activities are competent.
        If the body is of a type which accredits or otherwise approves 
    other groups (e.g., an accreditation body that accredits laboratories), 
    these accredited groups (e.g., laboratories) may be delisted and lost 
    their traceability to NIST.
        However, if the accredited groups were not involved in the 
    circumstances that led to the termination of recognition of the 
    accreditation body, NVCASE will consider granting a grace period during 
    which accreditation can be obtained from another NVCASE-recognized 
    accreditation body prior to being delisted. To the extent that one or 
    more accredited bodies were affected by the circumstances which lead to 
    the termination of recognition of the accrediting body, all those 
    involved will be immediately delisted.
        Bodies that have had their NVCASE recognition terminated may regain 
    recognition if and when they can demonstrate conformance with all 
    requirements.
        As indicated, the NVCASE Program intends to rely on and utilize 
    international conformity assessment documents such as those developed 
    by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) Committee 
    on Conformity Assessment. These documents adopted jointly by ISO and 
    the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) are as follows:
    
    ISO/IEC Guide 25, ``General Requirements for the Competence of 
    Calibration and Testing Laboratories,'' Third edition; 1990;
    ISO/IEC Guide 58, ``Calibration and Testing Laboratory Accreditation 
    Systems--General Requirements for Operation and Recognition,'' First 
    edition, 1993;
    
        In addition, under consideration for adoption are:
    
    ISO/CASCO 226 (rev. 2), ``General requirements for certification or 
    registration body assessment and accreditation systems'';
    ISO/CASCO 227 (rev. 2), ``General requirements for bodies operating 
    assessment and certification/registration of quality systems'';
    ISO/CASCO 228 (rev. 2), ``General requirements for bodies operating 
    product certification systems'' (or currently available equivalent).
    
        ISO/IEC guides are used as a basis for many conformity assessment 
    activities at international, regional and national levels and have been 
    approved by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), the U.S. 
    member body to ISO.
    
        Dated: January 31, 1995.
    Samuel Kramer,
    Associate Director.
    [FR Doc. 95-2718 Filed 2-2-95; 8:45 am]
    BILLING CODE 3510-13-M
    
    

Document Information

Published:
02/03/1995
Department:
Commerce Department
Entry Type:
Notice
Action:
Meeting notice.
Document Number:
95-2718
Dates:
The workshop will be held Thursday, March 9, 1995, from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Registration will start at 9:30 am.
Pages:
6700-6701 (2 pages)
PDF File:
95-2718.pdf