(a) Certification. (1) A person publishing a document setting forth guidance or requirements for the certification of manufacturing systems as fastener quality assurance systems by an accredited third party may petition the Director, NIST, to approve such document for use as described in section 3(7)(B)(iii)(I) of the Act (15 U.S.C. 5402(7)(B)(iii)(I)).

(2) Petitions should be submitted to: FQA Document Certification, NIST, 100 Bureau Drive, Gaithersburg, MD 20899.

(3) The Director, NIST, shall approve such petition if the document provides equal or greater rigor and reliability as compared to ISO/IEC Guide 62, including revisions from time to time. A petition shall contain sufficient information to allow the Director, NIST, to make this determination.

(b) Accreditation. (1) A person publishing a document setting forth guidance or requirements for the approval of accreditation bodies to accredit third parties described in paragraph (a) of this section may petition the Director, NIST, to approve such document for use as described in section 3(7)(B)(iii)(I) of the Act (15 U.S.C. 5402(7)(B)(iii)(I)).

(2) Petitions should be submitted to: FQA Document Certifications, NIST, 100 Bureau Drive, Gaithersburg, MD 20899.

(3) The Director, NIST, shall approve such petition if the document provides equal or greater rigor and reliability as compared to ISO/IEC Guide 61, including revisions from time to time. A petition shall contain sufficient information to allow the Director, NIST, to make this determination.

(c) Laboratory accreditation. (1) A person publishing a document setting forth guidance or requirements for the accreditation of laboratories may petition the Director, NIST, to approve such document for use as described in section 3(1)(A) of the Act (15 U.S.C. 5402(1)(A)).

(2) Petitions should be submitted to: FQA Document Certifications, NIST, 100 Bureau Drive, Gaithersburg, MD 20899.

(3) The Director, NIST, shall approve such petition if the document provides equal or greater rigor and reliability as compared to ISO/IEC Guide 25, including revisions from time to time. A petition shall contain sufficient information to allow the Director, NIST, to make this determination.

(d) Approval of accreditation bodies. (1) A person publishing a document setting forth guidance or requirements for the approval of accreditation bodies to accredit laboratories may petition the Director, NIST, to approve such document for use as described in section 3(1)(B) of the Act (15 U.S.C. 5402(1)(B)).

(2) Petitions should be submitted to: FQA Document Certifications, NIST, 100 Bureau Drive, Gaithersburg, MD 20899.

(3) The Director, NIST, shall approve such petition if the document provides equal or greater rigor and reliability as compared to ISO/IEC Guide 58, including revisions from time to time. A petition shall contain sufficient information to allow the Director, NIST, to make this determination.

(e) Electronic copies of ISO/IEC Guides may be purchased through the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), Internet: http://www.ansi.org. Copies of the relevant ISO/IEC Guides are available for inspection in the U.S. Department of Commerce Reading Room, 14th Street and Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20230, Room B-399.

(a)(1) An accreditation body accrediting third parties who certify manufacturing systems as fastener quality assurance systems as described in section 3(7)(B)(iii)(I) of the Act (15 U.S.C. 5402(7)(B)(iii)(I)) shall affirm to the Director, NIST, that it meets the requirements of ISO/IEC Guide 61 (or another document approved by the Director, NIST, under section 10(b) of the Act (15 U.S.C. 5411a(b)) and § 280.101(a) of this part), including revisions from time to time.

(2) An accreditation body accrediting laboratories as described in section 3(1)(B) of the Act (15 U.S.C. 5402(1)(B)) shall affirm to the Director, NIST, that it meets the requirements of ISO/IEC Guide 58 (or another document approved by the Director, NIST, under section 10(d) of the Act (15 U.S.C. 5411a(d)) and § 280.101(d) of this part), including revisions from time to time.

(b) An affirmation required under paragraph (a)(1) or (a)(2) of this section shall take the form of a self-declaration that the accreditation body meets the requirements of the applicable Guide, signed by an authorized representative of the accreditation body. No supporting documentation is required.

(c) Affirmations should be submitted to: FQA Document Certifications, NIST, 100 Bureau Drive, Gaithersburg, MD 20899.

(d) Any affirmation submitted in accordance with this section shall be considered to be a continuous affirmation that the accreditation body meets the requirements of the applicable Guide, unless and until the affirmation is withdrawn by the accreditation body.

A laboratory may be accredited by any laboratory accreditation program that may be established by any entity or entities, which have affirmed to the Director, NIST, under § 280.102 of this subpart, or by the National Voluntary Laboratory Accreditation Program for fasteners, established by the Director, NIST, under part 285 of this chapter.