Astm Builds A Certification Services Division For Products, Personnel

The ASTM board of directors has authorized formation of a Certification Programs branch, offering certification of materials, products, services and systems, as well as personnel

Source: ASTM International, West Conshohocken, Pa.

The ASTM board of directors has authorized formation of a Certification Programs branch, offering certification of materials, products, services and systems, as well as personnel. The board’s action was a response to inquiries, particularly in the areas of new standards development activities, for ASTM to provide certification to meet expressed needs for independent, third-party demonstrations of compliance to standards. Similar requests have come from those facing regulatory pressures to demonstrate standards compliance.

Any corporate entity, domestic or international, that manufactures, distributes or markets a product that falls within the scope of an ASTM standard is eligible to apply for an appropriate certification. The board agreed that the ability for the Society to offer certification programs as part of ASTM’s portfolio of servicesÛsimilar to our successful proficiency testing and training programsÛis important in remaining relevant in the changing global market place, said ASTM International President James Thomas. This is the first step toward certification in ASTM’s 111-year history.