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Inventory of National Practices on Standards, Technical Regulations
and Conformity Assessment in the Western Hemisphere


VI. Inspection and Testing
B. Relevance to International Practices

Antigua & Barbuda

Argentina
Argentina's accreditation program works pursuant to ISO/IEC Guides produced by ISO/CASCO and in direct conformance with ISO/IEC Guide 58. The laboratories must fully meet ISO/IEC Guide 25.

Bahamas

Barbados

Belize

Bolivia

Brazil
INMETRO accreditation program is operated in harmony with ISO/IEC Guides elaborated by ISO/CASCO and in direct conformance with ISO/IEC Guide 61 and ISO/IEC 39. The roles and procedures adopted by INMETRO in the inspections of hazardous products are in conformance with those established by United Nations.

Canada
The SCC accreditation program is operated in harmony with the ISO/IEC Guides produced by ISO/CASCO (the ISO Council Committee on Conformity Assessment) and in direct conformance with ISO/IEC Guide 58. To gain SCC accreditation, laboratories must comply fully with ISO/IEC Guide 25.

Chile
The certification is regulated by the government authorities by decrees (as for example the certification of electrical items) or by agreements signed with foreign governments (as in the case of the export of fish products, for which there are Agreements with the United States and the European Union).

Colombia
The National System for Standardization, Certification, and Metrology, Decree 2269 of 1993, and its regulating resolutions, Resolution 140 of 1994, establishes the procedure for accreditation of certification and inspection entities, and testing and metrology laboratories, and regulates the activities of the National System; Resolution 343 of 1995. These are based on international standards such as ISO/IEC Guide 28, 39, 40, 57, Guide 25; EN Standards 45011/12/13; ISO/IEC 2.

Costa Rica
The National Accreditation Entity (ENA) for testing, inspection, and calibration laboratories should, based on the legal provisions in force, guide its activities in conformity with the technical regulations adopted to this end. These technical regulations are duly approved in the Guides of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) for the accreditation of entities that perform inspections, testing, and calibration, as well as the EN 45000 Standards.

Dominica

Dominican Republic

Ecuador
The SINLA, which is beginning operations in 1996, is based on international standards and guides, such as ISO Guide 25, the European standards of the 45000 series, and the ISO standards and guides applicable to the work of testing laboratories.

El Salvador

Grenada

Guatemala
Guatemala is supporting the development of accreditation and certification activities based on the international criteria set forth in the standards of the respective ISO series.

Guyana

Haiti

Honduras

Jamaica
A laboratory programme has been developed by the Jamaica Bureau of Standards and is to be implemented shortly. This programme is based on the ISO/IEC Guide 25 and Canadian Standards.

Mexico
The accreditation Programs of the General Bureau of Standards (DGN) are in accordance with:
- Accreditation of quality systems bodies: in accordance with the standard NMX-CC-009-1992, which is equivalent to the European standard EN-45012.
- Accreditation of product certification bodies: in accordance with the standard NMX-CC-010-1992, which is equivalent to the European standard EN-45011.
- Accreditation of personnel certification bodies: in accordance with the standard NMX-CC-011-1992, which is equivalent to the European standard EN-45013.
- Accreditation pf laboratories of testing and calibration: in accordance with NMX-CC-013-1992, which is equivalent to the European standard EN-45001 and ISO/IEC Guide 25.
- Accreditation of units of verification: in accordance with NMX-CC-016-1993, which is equivalent to ISO/IEC Guide 39.

Panama

Paraguay

Peru
Accredited laboratories meet the requirements established in the international guides and standards, such as ISO Guide 25 (Peruvian Guide 004:1993). Similarly, tests to be accredited should preferably be based on methods established in international technical standards; otherwise, they must be duly validated to be included in the list of accredited tests.

Saint Lucia

Trinidad & Tobago

United States
Through ANSI's U.S. National Committee (USNC) to the IEC, the U.S. actively participates in the IEC System for Conformity Testing to Standards for Safety of Electrical Equipment (IECEE) and the IEC Quality Assessment System for Electronic Components (IECQ). Both programs are striving to reduce the number of duplicative tests and certifications around the world by promoting the acceptance of valid test results among the participating member body countries. Both NIST and A2LA participate in the International Laboratory Accreditation Conference (ILAC).

Uruguay
Accreditation and certification activities will be carried out in conformance with ISO Guides.

Venezuela
SENORCA's accreditation program is operated in harmony with the guidelines of the ISO/IEC developed by ISO/CASCO and in conformity with ISO/IEC Guide 58. To become accredited, the laboratories must abide by all the requirements set forth in ISO/IEC Guide 25 (Venezuelan Standard COVENIN 2534) and the conditions established in the tests for which the accreditation is given.

The compulsory program is subject to regulation by the governmental authorities through resolutions and decrees.

 
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