ABSTRACT

A b s t r a c t I n 1973 t h e Standards C o u n c i l o f Canada (SCC) e s t a b l i s h e d t h e N a t i o n a l S t andards System (NSS) as a framework f o r c o o r d i n a t i n g v o l u n t a r y s t a n d a r d i z a t i o n i n Canada. The n a t i o n a l a c c r e d i t a t i o n program f o r t e s t i n g o r g a n i z a t i o n s (NAPTO) i s a c r i t i c a l component o f t h e NSS. T h i s paper r e v i e w s c u r r e n t SCC t e s t i n g and - s i n c e 1984-c a l i b r a t i o n l a b o r a t o r y a c c r e d i t a t i o n o p e r a t i o n s . I t not e s t h e import a n c e o f c o o p e r a t i o n between t h e N a t i o n a l R e search C o u n c i l o f Canada and SCC t o e s t a b l i s h a n a t i o n a l network of a c c r e d i t e d c a l i b r a t i o n l a b o r a t o r i e s , and c o n c l u d e s w i t h a r e v i e w o f t h e r e s u l t i n g b e n e f i t s o f NAPTO a c c r e d i t a t i o n . Keywords: A c c r e d i t a t i o n , Assessment, L a b o r a t o r i e s , NAPTO, St a n d a r d s C o u n c i l o f Canada.