The journey toward ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation began in August 2020, with a seed grant from the Northern Development Initiative Trust (NDIT) and strategic guidance from UNBC’s Office of Research & Innovation. This initial investment allowed the Northern Analytical Laboratory Services (NALS) to initiate the formal accreditation process with the Standards Council of Canada (SCC).
Additional support from WorkSafeBC enabled NALS to complete proficiency testing through the AIHA IHPAT program. By May 2021, NALS was officially deemed “Proficient” in metals analysis using the NIOSH 7303 method.
In October 2021, NALS achieved full ISO/IEC 17025:2017 accreditation through the SCC. Simultaneously, it earned parallel accreditation in water-microbiology testing via the Enhanced Water Quality Assurance (EWQA) program.
With substantial sustainability funding from PacifiCan in late 2022, NALS expanded its accredited analytical capabilities to include:
- Gravimetric analysis of airborne particulate matter on filter media
- An additional 25 metals under the NIOSH 7303 air-monitoring method
Today, NALS is one of the very few university-based environmental laboratories in Canada with this prestigious designation. This ensures that clients across Northern BC have access to reliable, high-quality analytical results, right here at home.
(We gratefully acknowledge NDIT, UNBC ORI, WorkSafeBC, and PacifiCan for their pivotal contributions at every stage of this journey.)
Our certificates of accreditation and scopes can be visited below: