FAIRFAX, VA (September 26, 2008) -- The American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) today announced they are working on an action plan to address Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) requirements that were issued Monday, September 22 for the accreditation of third party conformity assessment bodies (laboratories) to test children’s products for lead content.  

  The CPSC will require laboratories wanting to test children’s products to demonstrate that they can follow recently-issued CPSC test methods for analyzing lead paint in children’s products and to become registered third party laboratories through the CPSC.  For a laboratory to be eligible for this registration, the requirements specify that laboratories must be accredited by organizations that are part of an ILAC Mutual Recognition Arrangement (MRA). 

  AIHA has demonstrated compliance with all applicable international standards, and will be part of an ILAC MRA in the coming months. While pursuing ILAC MRA status, AIHA is committed to doing everything possible to protect the business interests of its laboratory customers and to create opportunities for laboratories accredited by AIHA to immediately become registered third party laboratories accredited for testing to CPSC methods. 

AIHA has been a leader in the area of laboratory accreditation since 1974, and, under its Environmental Lead Laboratory Accreditation Program (ELLAP), AIHA has a formal agreement with the Environmental Protection Agency to accredit laboratories performing analysis of lead in environmental samples including paint, soil, dust wipes and air.

AIHA is one of the largest international associations serving the needs of occupational and environmental health and safety (OEHS) professionals in industry, government, labor, academic institutions, and independent organizations.