The guidance in Approved Document E (2003) is that organisations carrying out pre-completion testing should “preferably have UKAS accreditation (or a European equivalent) for field measurements”. The 2004 amendment adds that “The ODPM also regards members of the ANC Registration Scheme as suitably qualified to carry out pre-completion testing”.
When pre-completion testing was introduced in 2003 there were not enough UKAS/ANC test organisations to undertake the work. There are now over 50 UKAS/ANC organisations, and CLG (previously ODPM) recommend that UKAS/ANC organisations should be used unless no such organisation is available when required. Builders who employ test organisations should be made aware of this at an early stage.
Although organisations that are not UKAS accredited or ANC registered may work to the same standards as the other organisations, their operation has not been subjected to a check by a third party.