ASTM International is known globally for its standards, which have driven technological development and promoted a safer world for more than 125 years. But the organization also provides many services that strengthen laboratories, testing facilities, and manufacturing environments.

These programs are diverse, from certifications that protect athletes and public safety personnel – to proficiency testing for industries like metals and textiles, reference materials for cement and petroleum, and a suite of technological platforms that promote quality control (QC), quality assurance (QA), and efficiency.

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Tim Brooke, ASTM’s vice president of laboratory services and certification, explains that while these initiatives have enabled ASTM to broaden its scope, they are rooted in the Society’s standards and the efforts of its members.

“Without the core ASTM standard, in this case mostly test methods, you don’t have anything,” Brooke says. “These products and services are what I call ‘wraparound’ products and services. We wouldn’t have these programs without our members. They provide subject matter expertise, insight, guidance, and direction for us to be able to develop new programs and services.”

Brooke adds that the value of ASTM’s lab services and certifications stems from this connection. “Coming to ASTM means coming to the source. No one else develops ASTM standards. Our programs and services provide a means of applying these documents, from the organization and the subject matter experts who write ASTM standards.”

Lab Services

ASTM’s lab services were developed with a holistic vision. Imagine you have responsibility for operating a laboratory. Whether it be a third-party testing lab or one supporting a production operation, there is pressure for the lab to improve accuracy, reduce costs, and improve turnaround time. As a lab manager, you might also worry about employee turnover or new requirements that consume time and cause inefficiencies. These challenges can quickly pile up, leading to circumstances that might affect the quality – or financial security – of a lab.

Christopher McCullough, ASTM’s general manager, program development, laboratory services, saw such instances firsthand prior to joining ASTM.

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“I have seen laboratories struggle, and I have a good sense of what they need to make their lives easier,” McCullough explains. “When I came to ASTM, that was my goal: make life easier so labs can do what they need to do. We keep their goals in mind when we develop new products and services. We ask, ‘Is this product or service going to help improve analyst competence? Is this product or service going to help them validate that their equipment is operating correctly?’ Most of our products and services are aimed at addressing those two points of possible failure.”

Driven by this vision, ASTM was driven by a goal of being a comprehensive QA/QC solution provider, leading to the current range of offerings available to a laboratory.

Some of ASTM’s many lab services include:

• Proficiency Testing Programs (PTPs): PTPs are statistical quality assurance programs that allow labs to improve performance and fulfill mandatory accreditation requirements. Program reports can be reviewed anytime, with 24/7 access to ASTM’s custom PTP web portal. More than 50 programs exist for areas including petroleum, petrochemicals, plastics, textiles, concrete, and metal powders.
• Reference materials: Reference materials are used by industries such as petroleum, cement, and concrete, and they function for method validation, calibration, and quality control. These high-quality samples can be used to validate an analytical process or instrument or to evaluate an analyst’s performance.
• Training and eLearning: ASTM has a broad roster of training products and services to support several areas, including building and construction, cannabis, environmental regulations and methods, light sport aircraft, rubber, and statistics. Trainings can be in person or virtual, offering practical training straight from experts and eLearning content, including videos, designed to bolster the skills of individual staff or full teams.
• ASTM Insight SQC: This software platform provides tools for labs to manage comprehensive QC analytics, control charting, and audit preparation on an online platform. From auto-scheduling and configurable control strategies to automated flagging of warning/out of control violations and easily retrievable asset records, ASTM Insight SQC aims to help labs save time and function more efficiently.
• Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs): ASTM SOPs provide step-by-step guides for laboratory analysts to use when performing ASTM test methods. Developed by the subject-matter experts who write ASTM standards, SOPs are updated whenever test methods are revised.

While ASTM is always developing new programs, McCullough says that all lab services are strengthened by their proximity to the broader organization. “We are the ones managing the method-development process, so we can get a jump on products and services that help labs conform to method requirements. When there is a modification to a test method, we make that modification in our system from the get-go. Labs that participate in our programs can trust that they are being kept current with the latest versions of test methods.”

Certifications

ASTM’s other major area of focus is certifications. Certifications primarily focus on two key areas: products and personnel.

The organization’s primary venue for product certification is the Safety Equipment Institute (SEI), an ASTM affiliate. With more than 75 certification programs and over 1,700 certified products across the world, the SEI provides annual product testing and annual quality assurance audits at manufacturing facilities. After products are tested and found to be compliant, producers can apply the SEI certification mark to their products.

“Our certification program involves two main focus items: auditing and product testing,” says Anna Seiple, program director of SEI. “For auditing, we send auditors to manufacturing facilities all over the world to do quality management system assessments. We also partner with test labs all over the world for testing products to various standards. For verification, we schedule testing at a third-party laboratory, depending on what the product is.”

SEI certifies equipment in several key areas:

• Fire and emergency services: breathing apparatuses, helmets, HAZMAT suits, and radios
• Sports, athletics, and recreation: face and eye protectors, shin guards, baseballs, and helmets for sports from baseball to bull riding
• Law enforcement: chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) protective ensembles; bomb suits, law enforcement restraints, and emergency medical operations protective clothing
• Industrial and occupational safety: safety eyewear and face protectors, head protection; helmets, boots, gloves, and garments
• Cannabis and hemp: quality management system (QMS) document review, good manufacturing practices (GMP) program assessment, and process review
• Additive manufacturing quality: personnel, facility safety, process, and feedstock

Broadly, SEI serves workers and community members. And as with other ASTM services, their programs are based on standards. “Our program managers participate in the standards-development process with the products that we certify,” Seiple says. “It is good to be affiliated with a standards-development organization so that we can be involved with those processes.”

When it comes to personnel certification, ASTM oversees programs for several industries, including construction materials testing, petroleum laboratory professionals, and environmental professionals.

Additive manufacturing (AM) is also a key area of focus, with the “Machine Operator Certification” addressing personnel who work in this emerging industry. Recognizing the growth of AM as a field, this certification program applies to personnel operating metal laser powder bed machines and features a written exam, practical exam, and review of a visual acuity test. The program is managed in conjunction with ASTM’s Additive Manufacturing Center of Excellence (AM CoE).

For cannabis and hemp organizations, the ASTM CANNQ/HEMPQ Certification program is managed by SEI to assist organizations in verifying that their facilities adhere to industry standards, good manufacturing practices, and stay ahead of regulatory requirements.

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One of ASTM’s newest programs is the ASTM Certified Environmental Liabilities Professional. This program is for professionals providing estimation, valuation, auditing, and attestation to one or more portfolios of environmental liabilities. The audience for the program includes corporate officers performing financial reporting or due diligence, members of corporate or government agency remedial programs, legal and accounting teams, or specialists who provide support services to any of the above.

Regardless of the program, Brooke explains that ASTM works to promote standards and strengthen their effectiveness when applied. “The goal is to lead with the standards, educate people about their value, and provide programs and services that enable users to apply the standards,” he says. “Standards are meant to be used, not simply exist as documents, and our goal is to help users apply them more effectively.” ■

JP Ervin is content editor of Standardization News.