• Forensic laboratories must adhere to strict standards.laboratory image by Alhazm Salemi from Fotolia.com
  
  Accreditation of forensic laboratories ensures that they meet a predefined set of standards for how they conduct business and how other aspects of operation are managed and carried out. These standards address how the quality, procedures, equipment-handling, facilities, security processes and personnel management measure up to the standards.
  
  In order to obtain accreditation, a laboratory must meet all minimum standards, as defined by the accrediting agency. Laboratories can be accredited by their state or national agencies; they can also be internationally accredited. Accreditation is available for state-run, as well as private, laboratories.
  
  

Standards and Qualifications

• While some standards may vary slightly by individual agency, they are generally the same everywhere. Laboratories can submit a request to the agency of their choice to obtain a copy of the specific requirements they need to meet. Using the list of requirements, the laboratory personnel would then perform a self-assessment to determine if the laboratory already meets those standards on any level. They would then work on making corrections and improving operations to meet any deficiencies.
  
  

Types of Accreditation

• Laboratories can be accredited in many different disciplines. Some of these include controlled substances, trace evidence, toxicology, firearms/tool marks, latent prints, digital and multimedia evidence, crime scene forensics and questioned documents. Laboratories do not always offer all these services and so would not need to be accredited in all disciplines. Laboratories are not necessarily required to be accredited for crime scene investigations.
  
  

The Accreditation Process

• Upon determining that the laboratory meets the predefined standards, it then submits an application for its discipline(s)-of-choice. Each discipline requires a separate application, along with the appropriate accompanying documents. The laboratory must also submit a completed license agreement and certification form.
  
  Once these are on file with the accrediting agency, the laboratory is sent any supplemental requirements that need to be completed. Any corrections or changes that must be addressed regarding laboratory policy, procedures or operations must be put into place. After the application is filed, there is an on-site assessment, for which the laboratory must prepare a conformance file that includes all applicable documents pertaining to the accreditation.
  
  The accreditation process must be repeated each year.