Establishing confidence: The importance of the validity of endorsed reports

NATA News February 13, 2023
Establishing confidence: The importance of the validity of endorsed reports
NATA team

Emblem use

When a report or certificate includes activities covered under a Scope of Accreditation (SoA), our Member facilities are encouraged to issue these with the relevant NATA emblem to provide confidence.

Reports or certificates that bear the NATA emblem (or the combined ILAC MRA Mark) can benefit from national and international acceptance.

NATA does, however, also recommend organisations not accept a report or certificate on face value and should confirm the provider’s validity directly with the accreditation body.

There have been reported cases where some service providers have issued reports or certificates that have included the NATA and or ILAC emblems and have been found to not be accredited or were a fictitious entity.

Fit for purpose

Supporting report validity, it is also important to note that when an applicant or accredited facility uses an external provider, it is necessary to ensure the service being provided is appropriate for the intended purpose.

As an example, in establishing metrological traceability for a measurement result, the measuring equipment can be calibrated by a calibration service which is subject to peer review.

This creates certainty in both activity and report outcomes.

If you have any questions or queries or would like to highlight incorrect or invalid use, please contact NATA directly on 1800 621 666