What Our AIHA-LAP, LLC Accreditation Means for Analytical Laboratory Services
You may have noticed the line on our masthead – “AIHA-LAP, LLC accredited since 1976.” But do you know what that means for our analytical lab services? AIHA, the American Industrial Hygiene Association, has stood for integrity in industrial hygiene for more than 50 years. This organization grants accreditation only to those analytical laboratories that have successfully completed the application process. This process begins with an AIHA-LAP, LLC review of a written application from the analytical laboratory describing the lab’s staff, facilities and quality assurance programs. If the application is deemed acceptable, an AIHA-LAP, LLC site auditor will visit the lab in person to perform a detailed inspection of the laboratory personnel, analytical laboratory services standard operating procedures, reporting formats and quality assurance programs. A written report is then sent to the AIHA Industrial Hygiene Laboratory Accreditation Committee (IHLAC), along with past scores from the AIHA Proficiency Analytical Testing (PAT) program. Participation in this program is a requirement for accreditation. The committee will then make a recommendation to the AIHA Analytical Accreditation Board (AAB), which ultimately approves or denies accreditation for the analytical laboratory service provider. Once accredited, the laboratory must remain proficient in the PAT program and report any changes in key personnel or laboratory location to the IHLAC for approval. It doesn’t stop there – every two years the laboratory must complete a new application and go through the entire accreditation process all over again. We hope this explains our pride in touting our AIHA-LAP, LLC accreditation. And remember, we are here to help. If you have any questions or comments about our analytical laboratory services, please do not hesitate to call.