What is the ANAB? This is a question that comes up when our Document Center customers are getting ready for management system certification. If you’re interested in certification and want to know about the ANAB, today I’m posting an overview of the organization. If you’ve been ISO certified and want to know what happened to the old RAB (Registrar Accreditation Board), I’ll answer that question too.
ANAB is a jointly owned non-profit NGO co-owned by ANSI and ASQ. There are three main “brands” that have recently been integrated into one service. They are ACLASS for medical laboratories, ANAB for management systems, and FQS for forensic test labs. The services of the former RAB (Registration Accreditiation Board) now fall under the umbrella of the rebranded ANAB.
The organization began with the establishment of the RAB in 1989. Run by ASQ (American Society for Quality), it provided auditor certification for such programs as the ISO 9000 quality and the ISO 14000 environmental management systems. In 2005, the RAB was transferred to a joint ANSI-ASQ National Accreditation Board (called the ANAB) which included both certification and training.
During the last few years, the joint board acquired a number of other certification accreditors. With so many different types of accreditation available, ANSI and ASQ decided to consolidate their services this year under the umbrella designation ANAB, American National Accreditation Board. This means that a wide range of registration services are now covered by the ANAB. Included in the ANAB portfolio are the following types of certificiations:
- ISO 9001 quality management systems
- ISO 14001 environmental management systems
- ISO 13485 medical device quality management systems
- ISO/IEC 20000-1 information technology service management systems
- ISO 22000 food safety management systems
- ISO/IEC 27001 information security management systems
- ISO 28000 supply chain security management systems
- ISO 50001 energy management systems
- ISO 55001 asset management systems
- ISO 20121 event sustainability management systems
- ANSI/AIHA Z10, CSA Z1000, and BS OHSAS 18001 occupational health and safety management systems
- Aerospace ICOP
- TL 9000 quality management systems
- Recycling Industry Operating Standard
- e-Stewards Standard
- Responsible Recycling
- AS5553 and AS6081 for avoidance of counterfeits
- IECQ QC 08000 hazardous substance process management
- ASIS SPC.1, ASIS/BSI BCM.01, BS 25999-2, and NFPA 1600 PS-Prep and preparedness
- Sustainable Forestry Initiation
- American Tree Farms System
- BA 9001 body armor quality management systems
- SQFI Ethical Sourcing
- Private security company management systems
And services for DoD Environmental Laboratory Accreditation Program (ELAP) and IFS Food Store Inspection Accreditation have just been added.
The ANAB itself is accredited to ISO/IEC 17011. This means that every 4 years the processes and practices of the NGO are reviewed and certified. Additionally, ANAB has links to the International Accreditation Bodies ILAC (International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation) and APLAC (Asia Pacific Laboratory Acceditation Cooperation.) So many times your certification by a U.S. organization that is ANAB registered will be recognized in other jurisdictions.
Why might ANAB registration be important to you? With ANAB registration, your certification provider shows you that they can meet their requirements in just the same way that you’ll be expected to. It’s like knowing that your doctor is board certified! Also, by using the list of organizations that have the ANAB registration, you may be able to get competing quotes for your certification in order to find the organization that will work best for you.
To look for an organization that has been accredited by the ANAB, check out this Link to the Certified Bodies Directory. Need an accredited Test Lab? Here’s the Link to the Accredited Companies. Once you’ve determined that you’re interested in certifying to a specific management system or testing lab specification, you’re going to need standards in order to support your process. Turn to Document Center Inc. for the compliance documents you’ll need. You’ll find us on the web at www.document-center.com. We’re your Standards Experts!