Micom has become the only Quebec laboratory accredited ISO 17025 by the A2LA for transportation simulation testing!
Montreal, February 3, 2022
The year 2021 ended well for Micom Laboratories by becoming the first Quebec laboratory to be accredited ISO 17025 by A2LA (American Association for Laboratory Accreditation) for transportation simulation testing. A2LA is one of the largest American accreditation bodies in the world, independent and internationally recognized. This organization ensures compliance with ISO 17025, among others, for the ISTA and ASTM transport simulation standards. Micom has been ISTA accredited for more than 15 years, which satisfied most of its customers. The new accreditation will give even more value to our customers in general and especially to those who need to submit our test results to regulatory bodies such as Health Canada and the Food & Drug Administration.
Adding ASTM-D4169 to our scope of accreditation – A benefit to the packaging industry
« Many of our customers need to demonstrate that their packaging meets the requirements of one or more distribution cycles of ASTM D-4169 which are different from the ISTA test methods. There was a need in Quebec for test services accredited to this standard and Micom stepped up to the plate. Very few laboratories are ISO 17025 accredited for that type of testing in Canada. Local manufacturers often have to resort to using US laboratories to run their tests which gets complicated from a logistics standpoint.” – says Michel Comtois, President of Micom Laboratories.
Obtaining this unique accreditation in Quebec provides Micom’s customers with several advantages:
- Accreditation to ISO 17025 is a formal recognition by an American organization with international recognition. This facilitates the use of the test results by regulatory agencies such as the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) and Health Canada.
- 14 additional ASTM methods (all related to packaging testing) are added to the scope of accreditation including two leak detection tests (ASTM F2096 and ASTM F1929)
- Micom is the only laboratory in Quebec offering high altitude simulation tests for packaging (ASTM D6653). This method can be combined with vibration tests, which allows us to simulate transportation by truck at high altitude or by air.
The Benefits of Being Accredited
Being accredited is a process that guarantees conformity and is regulated by a recognized organization. “Accreditation is synonymous with both the quality and competence of an organization, based on one or more international standards. Accreditation is the recognition of an organization by an authoritative body such as the A2LA”1.
In addition, it is a means to guarantee the competency of a company to perform specific tasks. “A2LA is a third-party organization that performs accreditation according to various international standards, ensuring an impartial and objective assessment of your organization’s functions.” 2
A2LA Accreditation Agreements
A2LA’s accreditation programs are internationally recognized and are based on criteria that are accepted worldwide. International recognition agreements include the following:
- International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC) Mutual Recognition Arrangement (MRA)
- International Accreditation Forum (IAF) Multilateral Recognition Arrangement (MLA)
- Asia-Pacific Accreditation Cooperation (APAC) Mutual Recognition Arrangement (MLA)
- Inter-American Accreditation Cooperation (IAAC) Multilateral Recognition Arrangement
Additional information:
Michel Comtois
President of Micom Laboratories
555 Morgan Blvd
Baie-D’Urfé, QC
H9X 3T6
[1] About A2LA
[2] About A2LA
My career has been focused on simulating real life in the lab under controlled yet accelerated conditions. My passion for lab testing lead me to start Micom Laboratories Inc. 16 years ago. Through time I made sure Micom has the necessary equipment to simulate various environmental parameters such as the sun, vibrations, heat, cold, thermal shocks and humidity. I wanted to be able to move things back and forth, apply stresses to the products and materials we test and see how they react to the various stimuli. To do so we test products and materials against known standards and specifications (certification) and in many cases by creating my own test protocols and specifications (this is the cherry on top of the sundae…). This is what led me to participate in many standards writing committees and to become chairman of some of these committees.