Notice2022-00035
National Voluntary Laboratory Accreditation Program-Revisions to the Personal Body Armor Laboratory Accreditation Program
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
January 6, 2022
Issuing agencies
Commerce DepartmentNational Institute of Standards and Technology
Abstract
The National Voluntary Laboratory Accreditation Program (NVLAP) announces approval of revisions to its Personal Body Armor Laboratory Accreditation Program (LAP) for accreditation of laboratories performing tests on ballistic- and stab-resistant personal body armor. The program has been renamed as the Law Enforcement and Corrections Equipment LAP to better reflect the types of testing being performed within this accreditation program and to allow for future expansion of the program for testing of additional law enforcement and corrections equipment.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 87 Issue 4 (Thursday, January 6, 2022)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 4 (Thursday, January 6, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 753-754]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2022-00035]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Institute of Standards and Technology
National Voluntary Laboratory Accreditation Program--Revisions to
the Personal Body Armor Laboratory Accreditation Program
AGENCY: National Institute of Standards and Technology, Commerce.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: The National Voluntary Laboratory Accreditation Program
(NVLAP) announces approval of revisions to its Personal Body Armor
Laboratory Accreditation Program (LAP) for accreditation of
laboratories performing tests on ballistic- and stab-resistant personal
body armor. The program has been renamed as the Law Enforcement and
Corrections Equipment LAP to better reflect the types of testing being
performed within this accreditation program and to allow for future
expansion of the program for testing of additional law enforcement and
corrections equipment.
DATES: Handbook 150-24, 2021 edition, is applicable 30 days after
publication on the NVLAP website, <a href="https://www.nist.gov/nvlap">https://www.nist.gov/nvlap</a>.
ADDRESSES: Laboratories may obtain a copy of NIST Handbook 150-24,
NVLAP Law Enforcement and Corrections Equipment, by visiting the NVLAP
website at <a href="https://www.nist.gov/nvlap">https://www.nist.gov/nvlap</a> or by sending a request to NVLAP
by mail at NIST/NVLAP, 100 Bureau Drive, Stop 2140, Gaithersburg, MD
20899-2140 or by email at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#533d253f3223133d3a20277d343c25"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="85ebf3e9e4f5c5ebecf6f1abe2eaf3">[email protected]</span></a>.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Timothy Rasinski, Program Manager,
NIST/NVLAP, 100 Bureau Drive, Stop 2140, Gaithersburg, MD 20899-2140,
Phone: (301) 975-4016 or email: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#3c48555153485445124e5d4f55524f57557c52554f48125b534a"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="d8acb1b5b7acb0a1f6aab9abb1b6abb3b198b6b1abacf6bfb7ae">[email protected]</span></a>. Information
regarding NVLAP and the accreditation process can be obtained from
<a href="http://www.nist.gov/nvlap">http://www.nist.gov/nvlap</a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The National Institute of Standards and
Technology (NIST) administers NVLAP under regulations found in 15 CFR
part 285. NVLAP provides an unbiased third-party evaluation and
recognition of laboratory performance, as well as expert technical
assistance to upgrade that performance, by accrediting calibration and
testing laboratories found competent to perform specific calibrations
or tests. NVLAP is comprised of a set of LAPs which are established on
the basis of requests and demonstrated need. Each LAP includes specific
calibration and/or test standards and related methods and protocols
assembled to satisfy the unique needs for accreditation in the field of
calibration, field of testing, product or service.
The NVLAP Personal Body Armor LAP was established in 2006 at the
request of the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) National Institute of
Justice (NIJ) Office of Science and Technology. The LAP was developed
to accredit laboratories for body armor testing in support of the NIJ
Compliance Testing Program (CTP). The LAP currently encompasses
accreditation for ballistic-resistant body armor testing, stab-
resistant body armor testing, and autoloading pistol testing.
The Chief of NVLAP may approve modifications to a specific LAP when
a request to modify the LAP is received. Modifications may include
addition of tests, types of tests or standards that are directly
relevant to the LAP. NVLAP
[[Page 754]]
received a request to revise the name of its Personal Body Armor LAP to
the Law Enforcement and Corrections Equipment LAP in order to better
encompass the scope of this program. NVLAP also received a request to
expand the technology tested under this program to include rifle
testing, helmet testing and shield testing. On March 19, 2021, NIST
published a notice in the Federal Register (86 FR 14876) requesting
public comments on the potential change of name and future expansion of
the accreditation program to include rifle testing, helmet testing and
shield testing.
A response to this notice was submitted from one entity, an
accreditation organization. The comment submitted did not address the
specific items of the proposal. The feedback from the organization
related specifically to future consideration of the use of ISO/IEC
17065, Conformity assessment--Requirements for bodies certifying
products, processes and services in the NIJ CTP.
The following is a summary and analysis of the comment received
during the public comment period, and NIST's response to it:
Comment: One commenter responded that they encouraged the adoption
of ISO/IEC 17065 for the certification of products in the NIJ CTP.
Response: The purpose of the NVLAP LAP is to determine competence
of a laboratory performing the testing of the law enforcement and
corrections equipment based on the requirements of ISO/IEC 17025,
General requirements for the competence of testing and calibration
laboratories. The comment encourages the further expansion of the NIJ
program to include accreditation of certification bodies to ISO/IEC
17065. As the comment is specific to the NIJ CTP and its operation,
this was deemed outside of the scope of the NVLAP LAP.
After considering the request, the Chief of NVLAP has determined
that the revision of the LAP name to Law Enforcement and Corrections
Equipment better reflects the types of testing that support the NIJ CTP
and will allow for future expansion of the types of testing covered
under this accreditation program. Therefore, the modification has been
approved. Revised NIST Handbook 150-24 is available electronically from
the NVLAP website at: <a href="https://nvlpubs.nist.gov/nistpubs/hb/2021/NIST.HB.150-24-2021.pdf">https://nvlpubs.nist.gov/nistpubs/hb/2021/NIST.HB.150-24-2021.pdf</a>.
Authority: 15 U.S.C. 272(b) & (c).
Alicia Chambers,
NIST Executive Secretariat.
[FR Doc. 2022-00035 Filed 1-5-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-13-P
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