Industry Terms & Acronyms
TERMS AND PHRASES.
Accreditation Body
Entity performing assessments of testing laboratories and certification bodies as meeting the requirements of the relevant ISO standards for their activities.
Certification Body
Entity audited by an AB who is a signatory member of the mutual recognition arrangements issued by the: International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC); Asian Pacific Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (APLAC); International Accreditation Forum (IAF).
Door Inspection vs Door Evaluation vs Testing
- Door Inspections – Just that, an inspection of doors performed in the field, indicating any fixes or adjustments that need to be made prior to being evaluated, no fire rating label is issued
- Door Evaluation – Evaluation & labeling of qualifying doors/frames in the field, to NFPA 80, fire rating label may be issued, if the door qualifies
- Testing – Physically testing/burning a product using fire in an accredited testing facility to a specific standard (EX., test to UL 10B, NFPA 252, ASTM E2226, etc.)
Double Doors
2 Openings
Engineering Judgement
A method or process used to resolve field needs when a tested design, system or assembly is not available
Fire-rated Glass
Fire-rated glass will have a small etching in a corner indicating a minute rating *mesh within glass does not make it fire-rated*
Openings
Door + Frame
Product Certification Process
The combination of Testing and Factory Inspection to ensure a certified product is still being manufactured to the same specifications as it was when it was tested. Guardian maintains all client files and relevant information, as well as the Directory of Certified Products.
Qualitative Testing
For the purposes of the kind of fire testing we are talking about today, qualitative testing is used for fire door and other building product assemblies. The results of this testing to acceptable test standards are pass/fail or they take the form of indices. The test specimens are made up of component parts and are tested as they would be installed in real circumstances. They are exposed to flames in test equipment built for fire endurance testing (time, temperature, flamethrough circumstances) or flame spread testing (time vs. flame forward movement).
Quantitative Testing
As indicated by the phrase, results of such testing take the form of numerical formulas of measurement. Calibration laboratories conduct quantitative testing as do metrology labs. These labs also may be accredited to ISO 17025 for testing.
The new edition of 17025 emphasizes the use of “sampling”: procedures, defined as testing procedures, based on metrology, to show that a product (singular, not an assembly), for example, does not ignite during ignition testing and then can be shown through production sampling to be identical to the test specimen, thus it can be “certified.” Whether that meets the requirement parameters of ISO 17065 for product certification is a question to which we do not know the answer.
Third Party Inspection
Provides an independent and objective assessment of a company’s operations, products, or services
COMMON ACRONYMS.
AHJ – Authorities Having Jurisdiction. In the field who decide on acceptability of test standards, test labs, product certification bodies per content of Building Codes such as the International Building Code (IBC).
IBC – International Building Code. The reference document for Authorities Having Jurisdiction. It cites the acceptable test and code standards to be used when acceptability criteria are required for a decision.
EER – Engineering Evaluation Report.
MLA – Mutual Lateral Arrangement. Issued by the International Accreditation Forum (IAF) for continuing peer assessments by ABs who are signatory members. They agree to recognize the others’ accreditations. This avoids unnecessary duplication of expensive accreditations in a global economy.
MRA – Mutual Recognition Arrangement. Issued by ILAC as described in the ILAC listing statement above.
R&D Testing – Research and development testing.
Accreditation Bodies (ABs) and
Authorities Having Jurisdiction (AHJs).
- APLAC – Asian Pacific Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation. Refer to goals listed for ILAC. The operational procedures are the same for APLAC. Signatory Members of their MRA are ABs assessed for adherence to ISO 17020 and 17025:2017 as explained for ILAC.
- ASTM – American Standards and Test Methods (issues the ASTM test standards)
- CSA – Canadian Standards Association (accreditation body, issues standards, does testing and product certification, similar to UL – Underwriter’s Laboratory)
- IAF – International Accreditation Forum. Sets up Mutual Lateral Arrangement for member Accreditation Bodies who accredit product Certification Bodies to the requirements of ISO 17065; mutual recognition by members of each other’s accreditations avoid expensive and unnecessary duplication of review for acceptance into a certification program. This reduces the effort of obtaining global acceptance while ensuring product quality internationally. Members undergo regular peer assessment to ensure they are meeting the requirements of ISO 17001.
- ICC – International Code Council (issues the IBC- International Building Codes)
- ILAC – International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation. Sets up Mutual Recognition Arrangement (MRA) for member Accreditation Bodies (ABs) who Accredit Test Labs to ISO 17025 and Third Party Inspection Agencies to ISO 17020. Mutual recognition by signatory members of each other’s accreditations avoids expensive and unnecessary duplication of test and inspection services. This reduces the effort of obtaining global acceptance while ensuring product quality internationally. ABs are assessed for their adherence to conformity requirements by ILAC per ISO 17001.
- IMO – International Maritime Organization (accreditation body that issues standards for water-related regulations with shipping and other commercial matters)
- ISO – International Standards Organization (accreditation body and issues standards)
- NASFM – National Association of State Fire Marshals
- NFPA – National Fire Protection Association (issues test standards and maintenance guides)
- SCC – Standards Council of Canada (issues standards and may also do accreditation)
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