About Centre for Laboratory Accreditation (CLA)

QAI’s CLA has been established with the objective of providing Government, Industry Associations and Industry in general with a scheme of accreditation of laboratories including medical, testing and calibration laboratories. The laboratory accreditation services to testing and calibration laboratories are provided in accordance with ISO/ IEC 17025 ‘General Requirements for the Competence of Testing and Calibration Laboratories’ and ISO 15189 ‘Medical laboratories -- Requirements for Quality and Competence’. The Scope of accreditation is listed in the application form as well under scope in this document. We offer accreditation services in a non-discriminatory manner. These services are accessible to all testing including medical and calibration laboratories in India and other countries regardless of the size of the applicant laboratory or its membership of any association or group. QAI-CLA will establish its accreditation system in accordance with ISO/ IEC 17011 ‘Conformity Assessment – General requirements for accreditation bodies accrediting conformity assessment bodies’. Our accreditation system also takes note of the requirements of Mutual Recognition Arrangements (MRAs). We shall make relevant documents for laboratories, assessors and stakeholders on the website.

Special Features of Laboratory Accreditation Program:

• Comprehensive Assessment Management System to allow quick turnaround time for the accreditation process as each step is linked to a defined period
• Endorsement of quality and competence of a laboratory as per the intent of the standard
• No pre-assessment to reduce cost and time
• Introducing a new concept of self-assessment and document review replacing pre-assessment, and providing opportunity to labs for a thorough review of their documentation and implementation of requirements of ISO 15189 and ISO/IEC 17025
• Rigorous Assessor Management System including a transparent monitoring and evaluation mechanism
• Hear the voice of all keeping ‘Client First’
• Harmonising local, national, regional and global framework
• Blend of global strategy, experience and leadership
• Labs in SAARC nations to enjoy same fee structure as for labs in India
• Compliance to ISO/IEC 17011
• Economic yet global model