Contact: Penny Gamache, 800-606-5394, ext. 7275 pgamache@anab.org
ANAB and ASCLD/LAB Merge Forensics Operations Milwaukee – The ANSI-ASQ National Accreditation Board (ANAB) has signed an affiliation agreement with the American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors/Laboratory Accreditation Board (ASCLD/LAB), merging ASCLD/LAB into ANAB.
Like ANAB, ASCLD/LAB provides accreditation based on international standards for public and private sector crime laboratories. Both ANAB and ASCLD/LAB are grounded in conducting scientific and technical assessments and committed to assuring competent and credible test and inspection results. The merger with ASCLD/LAB allows ANAB to enhance its expertise in the field of forensics accreditation while providing uninterrupted service to the customers of both organizations.
“ASCLD/LAB was established to meet the needs of the criminal justice system and the merger with ANAB will enhance our ability to continue and strengthen that important service,” John Knappenberger, ANAB President and CEO, said. “Through this merger, ANAB has significantly increased its technical expertise to better serve our forensics customers and the stakeholders that rely on their services.”
Under the merger, all employees of ASCLD/LAB will be retained and they will continue to work at ASCLD/LAB’s offices in North Carolina. ANAB will maintain the ASCLD/LAB brand, and current ASCLD/LAB customers will continue to be accredited under the ASCLD/LAB accreditation symbol.
“The merger allows us to harmonize our forensic accreditation requirements to help increase confidence and value for stakeholders worldwide while providing high quality and reliable accreditation services,” Keith Greenaway, ANAB Chief Operating Officer, said.
Pam Bordner, who served as ASCLD/LAB’s Executive Director, will become Vice President for Forensics of the combined business. Forensics accreditation is one of ANAB’s three strategic business units, the others being laboratory-related accreditation and management systems accreditation.
“ASCLD/LAB brings increased technical experience and breadth to ANAB’s forensic accreditation programs,” Bordner said. “By combining the best aspects of both programs, we will provide added value to the forensics community.”
Formal recognition from and membership in national and international oversight groups is important to enhancing credibility in the accreditation industry, and ASCLD/LAB has maintained recognition and memberships equivalent to that of ANAB. The ANSI-ASQ National Accreditation Board (ANAB) provides accreditation for ISO/IEC 17025 testing and calibration laboratories and forensic testing agencies, ISO/IEC 17020 inspection bodies and forensic inspection agencies, ISO Guide 34 reference material producers, ISO/IEC 17043 proficiency test providers, ISO 15189 medical test laboratories, ISO/IEC 17021 management systems certification bodies, and industry-specific programs. ANAB is a member of the International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC) and the International Accreditation Forum (IAF), and is a signatory of the ILAC and IAF multilateral recognition arrangements. Through these arrangements, ANAB cooperates with other accreditation bodies around the world to provide value to the organizations it has accredited and their clients, ensuring that accredited certificates and test results are recognized nationally and internationally. The global conformity assessment system ensures confidence and reduces risk for customers engaging in trade worldwide. For more information, visit www.anab.org .
