We're lucky here in New Zealand. We can usually take for granted that the things we eat are safe. That the things we buy will do what we want them to do. And that the materials around us every day aren't doing any harm to ourselves or the economy.
Except, it's not luck. It's a carefully designed system of standards and conformance put in place by Government to protect public health, safety and the environment. IANZ plays a vital and important role in keeping that system robust and relevant, so New Zealand can keep on being the kind of place we all love living in.
Safeguarding our health, our environment and our economy requires standards - and people committed to upholding them.
IANZ works closely with many Government departments to support regulation and the adoption or development of international standards.
We then partner with laboratories, inspection bodies, building consent authorities and medical imaging providers around New Zealand to ensure they are meeting these standards through 'accreditation'.
Our accreditation assessors are highly qualified and experienced individuals who typically have worked in the industry they are assessing. We also engage technical experts from industry to support us on particular assessments.
An onsite assessment can take as little as one day or as long as a week, depending on the size of the organisation and the scope of their accreditation.
During an accreditation assessment, our assessors are checking that the organisation meets the international standard and can demonstrate that they are competent.
Not all laboratories or inspection bodies are accredited, so when you see reports or certificates that carry the IANZ symbol, you can have confidence in results that are trusted in New Zealand.
IANZ also works alongside Government agencies to support the development of international trading opportunities for New Zealand exporters. We do this by providing technical advice on policy and standards as well as liaising with other accreditation bodies (like us) around the world.
It's also an important part of our role to ensure that when the world thinks of New Zealand products, they think quality. By ensuring that those who test or inspect export products, meet the required standard for each country, we're protecting our export reputation and the economy.
When another country sees that a product has a report or certificate with the IANZ symbol, they can have confidence in results that are world class.
It's an important part of our job at IANZ to remind Kiwis that we exist and why we matter. Because if we don't, they may not know that they're protected by accreditation. They might not realise that they have a right to expect quality. And they won't know which organisations partner with IANZ to ensure their wellbeing.
For our clients, the IANZ accreditation symbol provides assurance that their results are as good as any in the world.
For you and your family, it means the products you buy, consume, use or are surrounded by every day, that are tested or inspected by an IANZ accredited company, are safe, accurate and aren't doing you harm.
Not all laboratories or inspection bodies are accredited, so when you see reports or certificates that carry the IANZ symbol, you can have confidence in results that are trusted in New Zealand.
There are many industry sectors supported by IANZ accreditation, including:
Consumer Products
- Toy safety
- Energy efficiency
- Electrical safety
Transport / Fuels
- Roading signage/barriers (testing)
- Fuels/lubricants (testing)
- Roading materials (testing)
- Vehicle inspection (import)
Construction Engineering
- Gas cylinder (testing)
- Surface coating (testing)
- Ores/metals (testing)
- Building/civil materials (testing)
- Methamphetamine contamination (inspection, testing)
- Fire protection (inspection, testing)
- Building Consent Authorities
Environment
- Asbestos (inspection, testing)
- Radioativity monitoring
- Environmental soil quality
- Air quality
- Biosecurity testing
Health
- PPE testing
- Air quality/asbestos
- Workplace drug testing
- Radiology services
- Medical diagnositc testing
- Chemical safety
Food, Water, Agriculture
- Soil fertility testing
- Wool certification
- Food safety testing (meat, dairy, seafood, horticulture)
- Wine testing (export)
- Food safety inspection (export, domestic)
- Drinking water testing
- Drinking water treatment (inspection)
- Animal health / veterinary medicines
Chair, Professional Director, Northland
Professional Director, Auckland
Director and Consultant, Wellington
Professional Director, Auckland
Professional Director, Wellington
Professional Director, Auckland
Professional Director, Christchurch
October 2024
IANZ is a trading entity of, and the provider of accreditation services for, the Accreditation Council. The Accreditation Council was created as a statutory body in 1972, under the then Testing Laboratory Registration Act. It was known at that time as the Testing Laboratory Registration Council, and IANZ traded as TeLaRC New Zealand, only the second broad-spectrum accreditation body in the world (following in Australia’s footsteps). The Council continues to fulfil its statutory functions today under the Standards and Accreditation Act 2015.
In 1977, IANZ became a founding member of the International Laboratory Accreditation Conference (ILAC), which in 1996 became a formal organisation (a Cooperation) with a charter to establish a network of mutual recognition agreements among accreditation bodies.
In 2000, we were one of 36 ILAC members who signed the ILAC Mutual Recognition Arrangement in Washington DC. This meant that IANZ endorsed test reports from IANZ accredited laboratories were accepted by accreditation bodies in these countries without further testing - a significant milestone in the removal of technical barriers to international trade.
In 1992, IANZ was a founding member of the regional group, Asia Pacific Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (APLAC; now APAC). In 1997, the seven members signed the inaugural APLAC Mutual Recognition Arrangement.
Through ILAC and APAC, IANZ accreditation is recognised in 118 economies. This year, our team aims to support more than 800 organisations to maintain 950 accreditations.
IANZ has a head office in Ellerslie, Auckland and employs over 50 trusted protectors and curious experts who are achieving together to build a culture of quality and safety for everyone.
To read more about us, check out our latest annual report and statement of performance expectations in the resources section above.
IANZ protects the health and wealth of New Zealand by ensuring that the companies who test or inspect the products and services we buy, use, consume, or are surrounded by every day, are safe, accurate and aren't doing us harm. We do this by ensuring testing laboratories, inspection bodies, building consent authorities and medical imaging providers meet international standards and can demonstrate that they are competent.
For their customers, the IANZ accreditation symbol provides assurance that their results are trusted in New Zealand and around the world. For you and your family, it means the products you buy, consume, use or are surrounded by every day, that have been tested or inspected by an IANZ accredited company, are safe, accurate and aren't doing you harm.
There are also a number of commercial benefits for IANZ clients, including:
Recognition
Commercially valuable recognition of quality and competence
Assurance
Knowing you are doing the right things and managing your risk
Direction
Simple, actionable advice and direction on what to change
Not all laboratories or inspection bodies are accredited, so when you see reports or certificates that carry the IANZ mark of competence, you can have have confidence in results that are trusted in New Zealand.
Accreditation also gives the organisations we partner with a competitive advantage and access to new market opportunities, which is why we encourage them to proudly display their IANZ accreditation symbol.
