National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories

National Accreditation Board for Testing & Calibration Laboratories (NABL) provides accreditation to Conformity Assessment Bodies (Laboratories). NABL Schemes include Accreditation (Recognition) of Technical competence of testing, calibration, medical testing laboratories, Proficiency testing providers (PTP) & Reference Material Producers (RMP) for a specific scope following ISO/IEC 17025, ISO 15189, ISO/IEC 17043[2] & ISO 17034:2016[3] Standards. It has Mutual Recognition Arrangement (MRA) with Asia Pacific Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (APLAC), International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC).

NABL is a constituent board of Quality Council of India which is an autonomous body setup under Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India

NABL provides accreditation in all major fields of Science and Engineering such as Biological, Chemical, Electrical, Electronics, Mechanical, Fluid-Flow, Non-Destructive, Photometry, Radiological, Thermal & Forensics disciplines under testing facilities and Electro-Technical, Mechanical, Fluid Flow, Thermal, Optical & Radiological disciplines under Calibration facilities. In the field of Medical Testing laboratories accreditation is granted in Clinical Biochemistry, Clinical Pathology, Haematology & Immunohaematology, Microbiology & Serology, Histopathology, Cytopathology, Genetics, Nuclear Medicine (In-vitro tests only) disciplines. In addition, NABL offers accreditation for Proficiency testing providers & Reference Material producers for which it has APLAC MRA.

NABL is a Full member (ILAC MRA signatory) to ILAC[4] as well as APLAC Mutual Recognition Arrangements (MRA),[5] based on mutual evaluation and acceptance of other MRA Partner laboratory accreditation systems. Such international arrangements facilitate acceptance of test / calibration results between countries to which MRA partners represent.

This developing system of international mutual recognition agreements between accreditation bodies has enabled accredited laboratories to achieve a form of international recognition, and allowed test data accompanying exported goods to be readily accepted on overseas markets amongst the countries which have already qualified as significant to ILAC Arrangements. This effectively reduces costs for both the exporters and the importers, as it reduces or eliminates the need for products to be re-tested in another country.

A Unique benefit of NABL accreditation is the recognition by various government bodies[6][7] and regulators.[8] In India, NABL accreditation is usually the precursor to various government / regulator / statutory body recognition's.

NABL being a governmental body conducts integrated assessments with regulators such as FSSAI, EIC, APEDA, etc. Integrated assessments simplify the process of recognition, as the laboratory can get accredited and recognized by the regulator in one combined assessment instead of the separate multiple assessments which are usually needed.

NABL undertakes following courses:-

1. ISO/IEC 17025 Assessor's Training Course
2. ISO 15189 Assessor's Training Course
3. ISO/IEC 17043 Assessor's Training Course
4. ISO/IEC 17043 Four Days Training
5. ISO 17034 Assessor's Training Course
6. ISO 17034 Three Days Training

NABL conducts laboratory conclaves yearly.[9] In 2019, 8th National Conclave for Laboratories was conducted in Chennai.[10] Around 250[11] laboratory personnel most of them working as quality managers attended the program.[12]

NABL's scope for accreditation extends to:-

Testing Laboratories: Biological (NABL 102), Chemical (NABL 103), Electrical (NABL 104), Electronics (NABL 105), Fluid-Flow (NABL 106), Mechanical (NABL 107), Non-Destructive (NABL 108), Photometry (NABL 109), Radiological (NABL 110), Thermal (NABL 124)

Calibration Laboratories: Electro-Technical, Mechanical, Fluid Flow, Thermal & Optical, Radiological.

Medical Laboratories: Clinical Biochemistry, Clinical Pathology, Haematology and Immuno-haematology, Microbiology and Serology, Histopathology, Cytopathology, Genetics, Nuclear Medicine (in-vitro tests only).

Updated information shall be on Official website

In order to identify authentic NABL accredited laboratories, a simple video is created which guides on the facilities available on NABL Website to identify the authentic certificates and distinguish them from fake certificates and counterfeits.

Laboratories seeking NABL Accreditation can apply on NABL Web Portal

The following are the list of NABL accredited laboratories which are listed by ICMR for COVID-19 testing.

(List of NABL Accredited Laboratories for RT PCR RNA)

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