FQS ISO/IEC 17020 Accreditation
FQS accredited the first law enforcement agencies in the
Americas and in the United States to ISO/IEC 17020, the
international standard for accreditation of various types of bodies
that perform inspection.
FQS accreditation to ISO/IEC 17020 is based on an assessment of
the agency against the requirements in the standard. The assessment
covers the agency's procedures, technical qualifications, and
competence for conducting specific testing activities within the
scope of the standard.
FQS launched its ISO/IEC 17020 program for police forensic units
in 2011. Previously, accrediting bodies in the United States
accredited crime scene units to ISO/IEC 17025, the international
standard for analytical testing laboratories. ISO/IEC 17020 is more
appropriate for the forensic work performed by crime scene
investigation units.
FQS offers flexible scoping and accreditation cycles covering
two to five years, depending on the maturity of the management
system. Accreditation is based on assessment of technical
qualifications and competence for conducting specific activities
within the scope of ISO/IEC 17020 and any relevant field-specific
standards.
A certificate of accreditation is issued only when any
nonconformities are resolved, assuring customers that you're truly
in compliance.
An accreditation cycle includes the initial on-site assessment
for accreditation and follow-up surveillance assessments until the
end of the cycle, when a re-accreditation starts a new cycle.
Accreditation cycles cover two to five years, allowing the lab to
determine what's best for its operations.
After the initial accreditation process is completed, you'll
receive your accreditation certificate within a few days. With
other accreditors, you may wait six to twelve months but with FQS
there is no extended waiting period.
FQS can provide a pre-assessment audit before the initial
assessment to help you ensure you're ready for accreditation.
FQS is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing quality
accreditation to the forensic community. We provide professionalism
and excellent customer service!
ISO/IEC 17020
Accreditation Requirements
ISO/IEC 17020
Accreditation Application
FQS
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