The IAS inspection agency program is based on international standard ISO/IEC 17020.
Accreditation by IAS indicates that inspection agencies meet the highest quality standards.
The inspection agency accreditation program begins with a review of the agency’s quality
systems manual. Then, an on-site assessment is conducted at the agency’s office. Here, IAS
assessors review records and the agency’s quality system and interview members of the
agency’s staff. In addition, a technical field assessment is also conducted, by one or more
technical assessors, to evaluate the agency’s technical competence. Continual evaluation of the
agency’s quality system is done through periodic surveillance assessments, and through follow-
up visits that keep the accreditation in good standing.
The criteria used to assess calibration laboratories pursuing accreditation is IAS Accreditation
Criteria for Inspection Agencies (AC98).