George, colleagues Gregg Kervill (Hi, Gregg!) has got it basically right, but the important point is that NAMAS doesn't issue certificates, it accredits bodies who do (like NVLAP or NATA in Australia).
It is correct NAMAS means, or rather meant, National Measurement and Accreditation Service, although a lot of us in the UK decided it really meant "Now All Measurements Are Suspect". <g> NAMAS grew out of the original BCS (British Calibration Service) but no longer exists under that name (although NAMAS-approved certificates are fully valid) as it is now part of UKAS - The United Kingdom Accreditation Service. UKAS is the sole national accreditation body recognised by the UK government's Department of Trade & Industry (DTI) "to assess organisations that provide certification, testing, inspection and calibration services." A good quick introduction to UKAS is on the British Measurement and Testing Association's website at http://www.bmta.co.uk/keycont.htm#ukas Or for the full story go to the UKAS website http://www.ukas.com Listings and schedules of capability of calibration and testing laboratories accredited by UKAS are at http://www.ukas.org For example, you will see the accredited capability of laboratories offering calibration of EMC instrumentation or carrying out EMC measurements, including members of EMCTLA (EMC Testing Laboratories Association). Hope this helps. If more needed, email me direct (I am on the Council of BMTA). Bill -- Bill Lyons Claude Lyons Limited, Brook Road, Waltham Cross, Herts EN8 7LR, UK Direct Tel: +44 (0)1992 701 500 Direct Fax: +44 (0)1992 769 849 Switchboard: +44 (0)1992 768 888 Mobile: +44 (0)7836 760 372 email: [email protected] URL: http://www.claudelyons.co.uk -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] To: [email protected] List-Post: [email protected] Date: Wed, 13 Mar 2002 12:11:14 -0500 Subject: NAMAS Using an on-line acronym finder, I see that NAMAS National Measurement and Accreditation Service There is a NAMAS website at: http://www.smtl.co.uk/MDRC/NAMAS/about-namas.html This describes process certifications, not product safety assessments. >From what I discern, they produce no product safety certification reports that could be used by an NRTL. George Alspaugh "Stone, Richard A (Richard)" <rstone1%[email protected]> on 03/13/2002 11:20:51 AM Please respond to "Stone, Richard A (Richard)" <rstone1%[email protected]> To: "'Wall, Steve'" <swall%[email protected]>, Peter Merguerian <pmerguerian%[email protected]>, "EMC-PSTC (E-mail)" < <emc-pstc%[email protected]> cc: (bcc: George Alspaugh/Lex/Lexmark) Subject: RE: CSA Mark Does anyone know about NAMAS approvals? are they equal to a UL for 94v0 testing for flammability. Can it be used/accepted by NRTL. thanks Richard, ------------------------------------------- This message is from the IEEE EMC Society Product Safety Technical Committee emc-pstc discussion list. Visit our web site at: http://www.ewh.ieee.org/soc/emcs/pstc/ To cancel your subscription, send mail to: [email protected] with the single line: unsubscribe emc-pstc For help, send mail to the list administrators: Ron Pickard: [email protected] Dave Heald: [email protected] For policy questions, send mail to: Richard Nute: [email protected] Jim Bacher: [email protected] All emc-pstc postings are archived and searchable on the web at: http://ieeepstc.mindcruiser.com/ Click on "browse" and then "emc-pstc mailing list"
