The accreditation system for Russian analytical laboratories and its development

The analytical laboratories accreditation system (SAAL) began its work in 1992. At first, SAAL was created for laboratories performing quantitative chemical analysis, but its activities have constantly expanded. SAAL presently covers laboratories determining oil and petroleum properties, properties of construction materials, parameters of dangerous and harmful industrial goods, precious stones, rubber, plastic, metals etc. Today, SAAL comprises over 3,000 accredited laboratories, 34 accreditation bodies and over 200 assessors united under the Federal Agency on Technical Regulating and Metrology. Within the Russian Federation, SAAL is recognized by various bodies and organizations as a reliable tool in the demonstration of technical competence of laboratories. This report is devoted to the history of SAAL, describing the separate stages of its development, evolution of its requirements for laboratories and accreditation procedures, the principles on which SAAL was based, and conformity of these principles to the legal requirements of the Russian Federation. Presented at the 3rd International Conference on Metrology, November 2006, Tel Aviv, Israel.