How to Test Laboratories for ASTM

ASTM stands for the American Society for Testing and Materials; however, it is currently working with more than 135 countries worldwide and is now known as ASTM International. ASTM develops standards that are used in laboratories or manufacturing companies to increase the quality of their products and the safety of the products, as well as increase the companies' access to marketing and trade. ASTM offers companies standards for testing methods, specifications, manuals, guides and good manufacturing practices for their products. For testing laboratories, whether you are developing biological materials or a sports product, there are ASTM standards that are necessary for your laboratory.

Instructions

ASTM Standards

• 1

  Find out the right standard that you need to purchase for your laboratory through ASTM. There are specific compliance standards associated with the type of laboratory which you are running required to meet the ASTM standards. For instance, there are standards specific to property requirements for nuclear fuel, medical devices and the manufacturing of chemicals. There are standards for the evaluation, statistical methods and sampling analysis for laboratories. Therefore, the type of laboratory will depend on the type of ASTM standard for testing in your specific field.

• 2

  Take the ASTM Proficiency Testing Program. This is a statistical quality assurance program, which evaluates the laboratory's performance in conducting its test methods. The data from the evaluation is compared with other laboratories that conduct the same type of testing.

• 3

  Get certified by ASTM through the ASTM Certification Program. The program has certifications specific to your product or testing. This will ensure that your laboratory is up to compliance and standards in regard to ASTM.

• 4

  Go to ASTM symposiums. There are multiple symposiums offered annually to discuss research findings and ASTM standards developments.

• 5

  Attend ASTM committee meetings. Find out when a meeting is being held for your particular area of research or laboratory. Be sure to register ahead of time for these meetings.