Assessment Data from Overseas

As well as being authorised by the National Association of Testing Authorities (NATA) to test to Australian and International Standards, we can also give opinion on the adequacy of overseas testing documentation for claims of compliance with Australian Standards.

Many of our customers have previously tested their products to other standards, and expert opinion on the test documents is a valuable service for international customers. This service of document evaluation costs only a few percent of the cost of actual physical compliance testing.

Below are listed some examples of the opinions available from source documents:

1. Full test report or compliance certificate:
   We can prepare a letter stating that adequate testing has been competently performed by an accredited laboratory.**
   This depends on the the Labratory working within the terms of its accreditation to recognised standards of equal or greater rigour than Australian Standards.
2. CE Declaration of Conformity
   With details of tests undertaken, we can prepare a letter stating testing has been carried out to appropriate standards, but will not comment on the competence of the testing laboratories.
3. Full report from in-house (not accredited) laboratory:
   With details of the tests performed, we can prepare a letter acknowledging the sighting of the test reports and the appropriateness of the standards but cannot comment on the competence of the testing laboratories.
4. Summary of in-house tests, no individual results:
   We will provide no opinion, but the summary will enable further requirements to be detailed.
5. CE declaration of conformity, certificate only:
   We will provide no opinion but the summary will enable further requirements to be detailed.
6. Compliance certificates to ISO 9000 series of Quality Assurance Standards:
   We will provide no endorsement. ISO 9000 etc. is not a product performance or safety Standard – it comments on the management practices of the manufacturer only.

We understand that many variations of the above will arise and recommend that where uncertainty exists, each case is assessed to find the most effective course of action.

* Some of the requirements of a recognised test report are:

• the official emblem of the national accrediting body must appear on the report
• the laboratory’s accreditation must include details of the tests undertaken
• full details of the test document or standard must appear on the report (date, issue no., clauses, etc.).

**NATA has memoranda of understanding with accreditation authorities overseas and lists these bodies on its website. The NovitaTech test laboratory does not keep copies of overseas standards not in general use in this country. If comparisons are needed, a copy of the relevant test document must be provided.