TNI
Established in 1995, The NELAC Institute (TNI) had the objective to develop a set of requirements for environmental testing laboratories to ensure ethical and accurate data reporting to support the National Environmental Laboratory Accreditation Program. To promote public health and safety as well as create a basis for environmental decisions and remediations, TNI focuses on drinking water, air, microbiology, tissue, non-potable water, soil, and chemical matrices.
Why Should You Adopt the TNI Standard?
Both private and public labs analyze samples that produce data that affects decision making for public health and safety, all labs no matter the size, must be held to a quality driven standard. Ensuring the competency of a laboratory to produce data of known and documented quality is the main purpose behind the quality systems-based laboratory standard. The TNI Standard ensures data consistency and laboratory efficiency for ethical and accurate sample reporting. Adopting and taking advantage of the TNI standard will enable labs to generate a sustainable quality system meeting stakeholder needs while protecting public and environmental health.
What are the Benefits of Using the TNI Standard?
Benefits of using a TNI Quality System span both within the organization and to the public. Successful accreditation of an internationally recognized standard showcases to clients, the community and the government that an organization has demonstrated the technical capability to provide the environmental testing services they are accredited for. With demonstrated capability and quality standards, competent organizations minimize the risk of producing unreliable data and reducing the need for expensive re-testing, saving the organization valuable resources. Quality system standards help to ensure data integrity for the organization and allow them to defend their data. Reliable and integral data also gives the public confidence in the decisions being made about their public health and safety, benefiting the community as well as the organization.
Is TNI Required by my State or Lab?
The EPA (The Environmental Protection Agency) gives each state power over their own regulations. This gives primacy to state governments to uphold public health and safety of its constituents. States who have chosen and enacted laws to become NELAP accredited are required to meet TNI standards. States with NELAP accreditation include Florida, Illinois, Kansas, Louisiana, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah, and Virginia. Each state functions differently under their governing bodies and regulations. States that do not have their own specific requirements can choose to adopt those of another NELAP accredited state. For more details on what is required for your Lab’s environmental data reporting, check your state’s regulations on environmental lab requirements.
NELAP Accreditation Across the Country
What Labtopia Can Do for You
Labtopia’s team of TNI Technical Assessors are available to assist with any part of your quality system.
- Provide guidance on data reporting requirements per your state
- Assist with defining your scope of accreditation
- Quality Management System drafting and implementation
- Draft or revise technical supporting procedures
- Review and revision on existing procedures
- Assist with creating a Proficiency Testing Program
- Quality system training
- On-going quality system support
- Internal Audit
- Management Review
Contact Labtopia today to help you meet TNI requirements and improve your data quality!