ECBC Provides Stamp of Approval with Laboratory Performance Certification Program

At a time when contractors and Government agencies face reduced budgets, Edgewood Chemical Biological Center’s (ECBC) Laboratory Performance Certification Program remains vigilant in holding contractor and Government testing facilities accountable to the highest standards of Chemical Biological Radiological Nuclear (CBRN) and non-CBRN materiel testing. Lab Performance Certification is a product-specific program instituted by ECBC, which validates compliance with testing requirements of materiel and agents at Government and contractor test facilities. The certification covers a variety of CBRN and non-CBRN products on a non-exclusive basis.

The lab certification auditing process is implemented by the ECBC Qualification Procedure Team (QPT), which ensures the integrity of the test results for the protection of product end users.

“Since the program began in 2004, more than 130 lab certification audits have been performed by the ECBC QPT, involving more than 5,000 items at various facilities across the United States and Canada,” Diane Freeman, Product Quality Management Chief said.

The Lab Performance Certification acknowledges test facilities that maintain a level of quality consistent with good laboratory practices, customer expectations and testing requirements (contract/statement or scope of work). Contractor and Government labs are certified for up to one year and must be recertified each year to continue testing for ECBC QPT customers.

Contracts require lab certification for chemical and biological materiel. Simply stated, ECBC QPT customers request laboratory performance certification support from ECBC’s QPT, which conducts a thorough, three-phased audit process. After certification, customers may direct their workload to the certified testing facility.

The QPT rigorously inspects audits and evaluates the testing facility on a variety of criteria to ensure the testing facility has an established process in place to meet the testing and contract requirements.

“When a test facility receives a Lab Performance Certification Letter and Certificate, they have earned it,” said Adrian Henry, QPT Lead.