Australia paves the way in international test reliability

Sixty years ago this month, Australia developed a system of ensuring laboratory competence that has been adopted by more than 70 countries and led to the formation of the National Association of Testing Authorities (NATA).

The association was formed in February 1947 and set up as a non-government, not-for-profit association. It is the largest and oldest organisation of its kind in the world.

Test reliability is fundamental to almost every aspect of domestic life. It impacts on pathology services, transport and defence systems, environmental monitoring and protection, issues of public health and safety, occupational health, forensic services, construction and general commerce in industry agriculture and resources.

There is also a global dimension to confidence in testing and measurement, as many goods and services are traded across national borders with test data accompanying the goods. The need for international acceptance of test data has spurred the need for mechanisms to enhance the confidence in such data.

NATA's accreditation covers the full gamut of testing and measurement needs in Australia. This ranges from tests on construction integrity of off-shore platforms through to verification of software for security systems.

Growing areas of 'social testing' include the need for NATA accreditation of pathology laboratories to secure Medicare benefits for tested patients. It also covers laboratories involved in forensic services, where again NATA was the international pioneer in developing accreditation criteria for crime scene examination. Most recently, NATA has added accreditation for research and development bodies to its range of activities.

"NATA is evolving all the time. It's an organisation which increasingly finds itself working in spheres it would never have dreamed of when it was first established. And as with forensic science services, for instance, NATA is becoming increasingly involved in sciences that have a direct social impact," CEO, Tony Russell said.