March 2006 - The international standard used by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) to accredit certification organizations, ISO 17024, has been adopted as an American national standard.
The adoption of ISO 17024 (General Requirements for Bodies Operating Certification Systems of Persons) by ASTM International means that employers, associations, and organizations such as the National Commission for the Certification of Crane Operators (NCCCO) that become accredited under the ISO 17024 will now also meet the new ANSI standard.
NCCCO plans to seek accreditation from ANSI this year. NCCCO’s national crane operator certification program was recently re-accredited by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA) for a further five years. The CCO program was first accredited in 1998.
"A variety of professionals across a wide range of occupations are now required to pursue certification as a means of demonstrating that they have the necessary knowledge, skills and abilities to perform their work,” said Lane Hallenbeck, ANSI vice president for conformity assessment. The new standard was “an exemplary basis for assessing and recognizing the competence of the bodies offering such certification," he added.
Adoption of the standard by ASTM International, an ANSI-accredited standards developer, is geared toward providing an additional level of credibility and ease of use for state and federal regulatory agencies and other stakeholder groups that require a domestic standard for implementation purposes.
By voting for adoption of the ISO standard, ASTM decided not to develop a similar standard that could lead to duplication and possible confusion in the marketplace, noted Steve Mawn, ASTM Staff Manager.