Published on New York State Department of Health, Wadsworth Center (https://wadsworth.org)

Requirements for Laboratory Certification/Certification Manual

This page contains the following requirements for certification:

  • Proficiency testing requirements
  • Certification manual
  • Statutes and Regulations

Proficiency testing requirements

In order to become ELAP certified, your laboratory must demonstrate proficiency for all requested analytes listed in Certification Manual Item 316 below.  

For continuing accreditation, achieve passing scores in at least two (2) of three (3) consecutive proficiency tests (PT). The PT study close dates successive PT samples for a field of accreditation must be at least five (5) months apart and no longer than seven (7) months apart from the prior study.

Also, at least one of the scores must be less than six (6) months old. Corrective action or supplemental PTs must be at least seven (7) days from the close date of the prior study.

Therefore, you may take any combination of the following actions:

  1. Request that the TNI Accredited providers[1] send test scores from analyses performed within the previous eighteen (18) months on samples directly to the ELAP Office.
  2. Purchase samples of each requested Field of Proficiency Testing compound from one of the TNI Accredited providers[2] and have the provider submit your scores directly to the ELAP Office.
  3. Wait until the analytes are tested in the next regularly scheduled NYS DOH Wadsworth Center PT Program study found in Item 310 of the Certification Manual.

Scores (evaluation reports) are required to be released within twenty-one (21) days after the study's close date. Changes to a lab's accreditation status are acted on within 60 calendar days of the release date of the test scores to the ELAP Office.

Certification Manual

General Information Items 100 - 176

Fields of Accreditation Items 180 - 180.8

Methods and Analyses Items 198 - 199

Quality Assurance Plans and Records Items 200 - 236

Sample Collection and Field Analyses Items 241 - 249

Quality Control Requirement Items 271.1 - 280

Proficiency Testing Items 300 - 330

Statutes and Regulations

New York Public Health Law Article 5, Title 1 Subsection 502 Environmental Laboratories

  • Follow the link[53], click "PBH", click "Title 1" under "Article 5" and finally click "502"

Subpart 55-2 - Approval of Laboratories Performing Environmental Analysis[54]

Subpart 55-3 - Environmental Laboratory Approval Fee[55] (formerly, Item 170)