ASTM INTERNATIONAL

Helping our world work better

Keep Your
Lab on Top
with ASTM
Proficiency Testing

www.astm.org/ptp
2 ASTM International

Embracing the Accreditation Process

Are you accreditation ready?
Does your lab say what it does?
Are there written policies, procedures,
and arrangements that meet the
requirements of ISO 17025?
Does your lab do what it says?
Are you in compliance with your
own quality system, test methods,
and ISO 17025?
Can your lab prove its
performance with records?
This includes documents such as
training records, standards preparation
records, workbooks, client and audit
reports, and more.
Does your lab participate in
proficiency testing?
Participation in at least one proficiency
testing event is required to achieve initial
accreditation. Once accredited, labs
must participate in ongoing proficiency
testing programs in order to maintain
accreditation.

“Accreditation can
eliminate barriers to
trade, which can help
create more business for
your organization.”
Rob Knake
American Association
for Laboratory Accreditation (A2LA)
Keep Your Lab on Top with ASTM Proficiency Testing www.astm.org/ptp 3

Why maintain accreditation

with proficiency testing?
Accreditation proves that your lab excels at its services,
giving your customers confidence, and driving the
success of your business. It can help your lab eliminate
waste, increase efficiency, produce accurate and
reproducible data, and reduce costs.
To both meet and maintain accreditation, labs from
around the world come to ASTM for their proficiency
testing needs. More than 4,600 labs receive samples
over the year and test according to ASTM or other
committee-approved test methods.
“A lot of our customers
Our global reach means you can demonstrate your are looking at our
accredited lab’s testing capabilities to all customers, performance in
regardless of location. proficiency testing
programs, and it’s one of
the factors that’s used to
award or not award
a contract.”
Chris McCullough
Bureau Veritas/Inspectorate
4 ASTM International

How It Works
We coordinate preparation and distribution of the samples,
and provide you with reporting instructions, worksheets, and
electronic data reporting forms for submitting your testing data.

1
Receive
2 3 4 5
Perform tests Electronically ASTM provides Compare your
“Labs need to have
samples for in your submit data to final statistical results with
each test cycle. own facility ASTM within summary top competing some means of
using the six weeks. reports with labs around the
specified all laboratory world. Submit validating their data
ASTM or other data in your results to in comparison to their
standards cited. approximately accreditation
20-25 business bodies like peers. Participation in
days. Each test
method has its
A2LA, AMRL,
and more.
a PTP provides this. It
own linegraph also provides a means
and histogram.
All data is kept
of substantiating
confidential results in the event
and shared with
your lab only.
of disputes.”
Fred Boldt
Tech Plas Consulting
Keep Your Lab on Top with ASTM Proficiency Testing www.astm.org/ptp 5

Benefits of
Approximately ASTM Proficiency
58% of program Testing Programs
participants are Satisfy lab accreditation requirements
located outside Lab QA Tool
the U.S. Data confidentiality
Manage precision and inconsistencies
Compare internal test methods
Monitor lab strengths and weaknesses
Residual sample material
for internal QA
Compare with competing labs
Demonstrate testing capability
to customers
Provide educational opportunities

24/7 Access to Our Improve peer communication

Custom Portal It is mandatory that

ͽͽ Review programs at any time
ͽͽ View important dates relative to the program test cycle labs participate in
ͽͽ Download lab instructions and worksheets a proficiency test
ͽͽ Enter data program for tests
ͽͽ View reports from the past year they are accredited
ͽͽ View your lab’s submitted data
ͽͽ Access data coordinator tool for multiple lab locations
to perform.
6 ASTM International

ASTM Proficiency Testing Programs

Formed more than 25 years ago by ASTM International Committee
D02 on Petroleum Products, Liquid Fuels, and Lubricants, our
Proficiency Testing Program now offers more than 50 statistical
quality assurance programs in a variety of areas.
Aromatic Hydrocarbons Metals ͽͽ Crude Oil ͽͽ Flammability
ͽͽ Diesel Exhaust Fluid Testing ͽͽ Multiplastics - Mechanical Properties
Cement and Concrete ͽͽ Aluminum (Chemical Analysis)
ͽͽ Engine Oil Lubricants* ͽͽ Plastic Film
ͽͽ Determination of Gold Bullion
ͽͽ Aggregates ͽͽ Fuel Ethanol* ͽͽ Polyethylene Plastics
ͽͽ Mechanical Testing of Metals
ͽͽ Blended Cement ͽͽ Gear Oil* ͽͽ Polypropylene Characterization
ͽͽ Plain Carbon and Low-Alloy Steel
ͽͽ Masonry ͽͽ General Gas Oils ͽͽ Thermal Analyses (DSC, DSC (OIT)
(Chemical Analysis)
ͽͽ Hydraulic Fluids and Oil* and TGA)
ͽͽ Portland Cement ͽͽ Stainless Steel (Chemical Analysis)
ͽͽ Pozzolan ͽͽ In-Service Diesel Oil
ͽͽ Steel Reinforcing Bar ͽͽ In-Service Hydraulic Fluids/Oils
Textiles
Petroleum Products ͽͽ Industrial Gear Oil*
Electrical Insulating Liquids and Lubricants ͽͽ Lubricating Grease* ͽͽ Knit Fabrics
ͽͽ Motor Gasoline* ͽͽ Yarns and Threads
ͽͽ In-Service Insulating Fluid ͽͽ #2 Diesel Fuel
ͽͽ Naphtha ͽͽ Woven Fabrics
ͽͽ Insulating Fluid Quality ͽͽ #6 Fuel Oil
ͽͽ Octane Testing
ͽͽ Automatic Transmission Fluid*
ͽͽ Petroleum Wax*
Engine Coolants ͽͽ Automotive Lubricants Additives
ͽͽ Reformulated Gasoline (RFG)*
ͽͽ Aviation Turbine Fuel (Jet A)
ͽͽ Diesel Exhaust Fluid ͽͽ Turbine Oil
ͽͽ Aviation Turbine Fuel (Military F24)
ͽͽ Engine Coolants ͽͽ Ultra-Low Sulfur Diesel
ͽͽ Base Oil*
ͽͽ Plastics
ͽͽ Biodiesel*
ͽͽ Elemental Analysis of Thermoplastics
ͽͽ Cetane *This program is accredited in
accordance with ISO/IEC 17043:
2010 Conformity Assessment
Are you interested in an all new PTP or custom program? - General Requirements for
Proficiency Testing. Certificate
Contact Tim Brooke | tbrooke@astm.org | tel +1.610.832.9729 Number: 4209.01
Keep Your Lab on Top with ASTM Proficiency Testing www.astm.org/ptp 7

Case Study
The Importance of Proficiency
Testing to Inspectorate, a Bureau
Veritas Group Company
Inspectorate provides testing, inspection, and
certification services in an extensive range of
industries. With labs all over the world, Inspectorate
acts as a third-party tester to establish product
quality for companies.
They regularly use ASTM Proficiency Testing
Programs to reduce bias and maintain ISO
accreditation. Because Inspectorate often tests
products regulated by the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency, utilizing proficiency testing is
essential to meeting regulatory requirements and
validating the accuracy of the tests performed in
their labs.

“Because the sample material varies from one

50+
cycle to another, participating in proficiency
testing allows us to test a wider variety of product
Programs
characteristics, which better represents the
samples we are testing for customers.”
Offered
Chris McCullough
Inspectorate, a Bureau Veritas Group Company
ASTM INTERNATIONAL
Helping our world work better
Over 12,000 ASTM standards operate globally.
Defined and set by us, they improve the lives of
millions every day.
Combined with our innovative business
services, they enhance performance and help
everyone have confidence in the things they buy
and use – from the toy in a child’s hand to the
aircraft overhead.
Working across borders, disciplines and industries
we harness the expertise of over 30,000 members
to create consensus and improve performance
in manufacturing and materials, products and
processes, systems and services.
Understanding commercial needs and consumer
priorities, we touch every part of everyday life:
helping our world work better.

Get your lab’s Proficiency Testing Program started today!

sales@astm.org | tel +1.877.909.ASTM | www.astm.org/ptp