A2LA Today l June 2017 l Number 135
By Andrew Bohan, A2LA Senior Accreditation Officer
A2LA is proud to announce the accreditation of QSES Inc., located in Shiba, Japan, under the A2LA accreditation program for Field Evaluation Bodies (FEB) that combines ISO/IEC 17020:2012 and NFPA 790/791. FEBs evaluate one-of-a-kind, limited-production, used, or modified electrical equipment that are not listed or field-labeled under a certification program to ensure it complies with applicable codes or standards. FEBs are assessed by A2LA against National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 790 – Standard for Competency of Third-Party Field Evaluation Bodies and NFPA 791 – Recommended Practice and Procedures for Unlabeled Electrical Equipment Evaluation.
QSES Inc.’s Scope of Accreditation (Certificate 3914.02) includes field evaluations for Industrial and Process Control Equipment and Semiconductor Fabrication Equipment product categories as established by NFPA 790 Annex C.
A2LA offers two options within the NFPA Field Evaluation Bodies Accreditation Program. Option A falls under A2LA’s internationally-recognized ILAC MRA Scope of Recognition as it includes accreditation to ISO/IEC 17020:2012 – Requirements for the operation of various types of bodies performing inspection along with NFPA 790/791. This is the appropriate option for a FEB that is performing work under an Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ) that requires inspection body accreditation. Option B only includes accreditation to NFPA 790/791 and is outside the scope of the ILAC MRA; however, it may be a favorable choice for FEBs working under less stringent AHJ requirements. By choosing Option A, QSES Inc. can meet the requirements of their local AHJ as well as have the international recognition associated with ISO/IEC 17020:2012 accreditation.
For additional information on the A2LA NFPA Field Evaluation Body Accreditation Program, please contact Mr. Andrew Bohan at 301 644 3229 or abohan@A2LA.org.