Forensic Laboratory Accreditation

Abstract

While a new employee may not have direct involvement in the accreditation process in a forensic laboratory, it is still important to understand the role accreditation plays in the overall success of an organization as well as the forensic community. This chapter will define the purpose of the accreditation and the steps typically encountered in the accreditation process. An essential element of the laboratory's efforts should be focused on preparation throughout that laboratory, as failure to adequately implement a quality system and prepare the laboratory personnel will become apparent during the review of a laboratory's operations and records during the review of an application for accreditation as well as the on-site review. A final and pivotal part of accreditation is the investment in continuous improvement. While continuous improvement may be addressed in the quality assurance portion of this book, it is highly relevant to a continued successful accreditation.