Significance and Use
4.1 These guidelines are intended to enable a laboratory monitor to perform onsite assessments of laboratory facilities. Accepted facilities will then participate in an interlaboratory test protocol to establish precision and bias for a particular ASTM standard.
4.2 This assessment is intended to determine that all of the participants have the necessary equipment, an understanding of the test method, and the minimum level of skill necessary to gather data that are to be used to establish precision and bias for the particular standard.
4.3 This guide is not intended to be used as a tool to qualify or accredit laboratories to perform any tests. Refer to ISO/IEC 17025 and to the A2LA R101 Document for further guidance on accreditation requirements.
Scope
1.1 This guide provides a general outline, for use by a laboratory monitor, to assess the qualifications of a laboratory that has requested to participate in a specific ASTM interlaboratory test.
1.2 The preliminary assessment is based on observations made before initiation of any interlaboratory tests.
1.3 The subcommittee, which appoints the laboratory monitor, specifies the minimum requirements that an organization should meet to qualify as a participant for the interlaboratory test. If a laboratory qualification test (pretest) is to be included, see details in Section 13.
1.4 This fire standard can not be used to provide quantitative measures.
1.5 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory requirements prior to use.
1.6 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.
