As many of you are aware, in 2005, after a 10-month review process, the IICRC was approved as a standard writing body by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), an organization that coordinates the voluntary standardization and conformity assessment system used across all U.S. industries.

This accreditation was a major advancement for the IICRC. Having an outside organization review and audit our policies and procedures has provided IICRC policies additional credibility. Since then, all new and revised IICRC standards follow ANSI guidelines in development and are ANSI approved.

Five years later, the IICRC is working towards becoming an ANSI-accredited certification body. As with the standard accreditation, the path to certification accreditation is lengthy, but one the organization will be better for doing in the long run. Dedicated volunteers and consultants are moving us toward this goal every day, evaluating our certification processes and procedures and making recommendations for changes in order to meet the strict requirements set forth by ANSI.

Why now? The IICRC has grown and changed over its history and as we take on new challenges in a new environment, both economic and regulatory, we knew that this was a task we wanted to pursue now. States and municipalities are continually considering legislation that impacts our industry, and having our certifications accredited by ANSI will help ensure the IICRC continues to have a seat at the table during these discussions.

What does the ANSI accreditation process entail? It requires that we review all of our certification procedures, including course materials, test development, instructor approval, classroom teaching and subsequent test proctoring, and make adjustments as required by ANSI. The IICRC established an Education Taskforce as well, made up materially interested parties including, but not limited to, registrants, academics, directors, etc., who will help create a global view that includes all various stakeholders in the process as the IICRC continues to serve the industry through education and certification.

We firmly believe that seeking ANSI accreditation for our certifications is in the best interest of registrants and consumers. Securing ANSI accreditation will not only meet the requirements that regulators have already enacted or may put into place in the future, but add an additional layer of rigor to the IICRC’s current respected and credible certifications.