The National Association of Testing Authorities, Australia (NATA) was established in 1947 in response to a call for the formation of a national testing services body to ensure the munitions which the government was manufacturing during the Second World War met a sufficiently high standard.
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NATA is a private not-for-profit company, governed by a Board that has representation from its members, and from industry, government and professional bodies.
In 1988, NATA's role as an accreditation body was recognised by the Australian Government in a Memorandum of Understanding which was renewed in 2014.
Its head office is situated in Rhodes, New South Wales and it has offices in four other capital cities of Australia. It employs 180 staff and over three thousand volunteer technical experts who assist NATA in the assessment of facilities and on its various technical committees.
Scope
NATA provides accreditation services to inspection bodies and producers of certified reference materials. It offers both "traditional" testing programs and "specialised" programs in areas such as medical and veterinary testing, forensic science, medical imaging, reference material production and proficiency testing.
NATA monitors members' compliance with the OECD Principles of Good Laboratory Practice (GLP).
NATA formally recognises whether facilities produce reliable technical results.
International activities
NATA represents Australia in a number of high level International fora related to laboratory, inspection body, reference material producer and proficiency testing service provider accreditation practices and policies.
NATA represents Australia through: