(a) Frequency and scheduling. Before initial accreditation, during the first renewal year, and every two years thereafter, an on-site assessment of each laboratory is conducted to determine compliance with the NVLAP criteria.

(b) Assessors. NVLAP shall select qualified assessors to evaluate all information collected from an applicant laboratory pursuant to §285.6 of this part and to conduct the assessment on its behalf at the laboratory and any other sites where activities to be covered by the accreditation are performed.

(c) Conduct of assessment.

(1) Assessors use checklists provided by NVLAP so that each laboratory receives an assessment comparable to that received by others.

(2) During the assessment, the assessor meets with management and laboratory personnel, examines the quality system, reviews staff information, examines equipment and facilities, observes demonstrations of testing or calibrations, and examines tests or calibration reports.

(3) The assessor reviews laboratory records including resumes, job descriptions of key personnel, training, and competency evaluations for all staff members who routinely perform, or affect the quality of the testing or calibration for which accreditation is sought. The assessor need not be given information which violates individual privacy, such as salary, medical information, or performance reviews outside the scope of the accreditation program. The staff information may be kept in the laboratory's official personnel folders or separate folders that contain only the information that the NVLAP assessor needs to review.

(4) At the conclusion of the assessment, the assessor conducts an exit briefing to discuss observations and any nonconformities with the authorized representative who signed the NVLAP application and other responsible laboratory staff.

(d) Assessment report. At the exit briefing, the assessor submits a written report on the compliance of the laboratory with the accreditation requirements, together with the completed checklists, where appropriate.

(e) Deficiency notification and resolution.

(1) Laboratories are informed of nonconformities during the on-site assessment, and nonconformities are documented in the assessment report (see paragraph (d) of this section).

(2) A laboratory shall, within thirty days of the date of the assessment report, provide documentation that the specified nonconformities have either been corrected and/or a plan of corrective actions as described in the NVLAP handbooks.

(3) If substantial nonconformities have been cited, NVLAP may require an additional on-site assessment, at additional cost to the laboratory, prior to granting accreditation. All nonconformities and resolutions will be subject to thorough review and evaluation prior to an accreditation decision.

(4) After the assessor submits their final report, NVLAP reviews the report and the laboratory's response to determine if the laboratory has met all of the on-site assessment requirements.

[66 FR 29221, May 30, 2001, as amended at 85 FR 60060, Sept. 24, 2020]