ACCREDITATION CRITERIA FOR FABRICATOR INSPECTION PROGRAMS FOR

WOOD WALL PANELS

AC196

April 2017
(Effective June 1, 2017)

PREFACE

The attached accreditation criteria have been issued to provide all interested parties with guidelines on
implementing performance features of the applicable standards referenced herein. The criteria were
developed and adopted following public hearings conducted by the International Accreditation Service,
Inc. (IAS), Accreditation Committee and are effective on the date shown above. All accreditations issued
or reissued on or after the effective date must comply with these criteria. If the criteria are an updated
version from a previous edition, solid vertical lines (|) in the outer margin within the criteria indicate a
technical change or addition from the previous edition. Deletion indicators (→) are provided in the outer
margins where a paragraph or item has been deleted if the deletion resulted from a technical change.
These criteria may be further revised as the need dictates.

IAS may consider alternate criteria provided the proponent submits substantiating data demonstrating
that the alternate criteria are at least equivalent to the attached criteria and otherwise meet applicable
accreditation requirements.

Copyright © 2017

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 ACCREDITATION CRITERIA FOR FABRICATOR INSPECTION PROGRAMS
FOR WOOD WALL PANELS

1. INTRODUCTION
1.1. Scope: These criteria set forth the requirements for obtaining and maintaining International
Accreditation Service, Inc. (IAS), Fabricator Inspection Programs for Wood Wall Panels. These
criteria supplement the IAS Rules of Procedure for Accreditation of Fabricator Inspection
Programs and is to specify a quality assurance program for IAS-accredited fabricators of wood
wall panels. Fabricators complying with these criteria will have demonstrated that they have the
personnel, organization, experience, knowledge and commitment to fabricate wood wall panels
in accordance with specified requirements. IAS–approved fabricators operate under a
documented management system developed in concert with an inspection agency that conducts
unannounced inspections to verify continued compliance with these criteria.

Fabricators complying with these criteria will be recognized as approved in accordance with
Chapter 17 of the International Building Code.

Compliance with these criteria fulfills the requirements for periodic special inspection required by
Section 1705.11.2 of the IBC (Section 1707.3 of the 2009 and earlier editions of the IBC).

These criteria are limited to fabrication only and do not apply to the fabricated products or the
design or performance characteristics of the products.

1.2. Normative and Reference Documents: Publications listed below refer to current editions
(unless otherwise stated).
1.2.1. International Building Code®, International Code Council.
1.2.2. ISO/IEC 17000, Conformity assessment - Vocabulary and general principles.

2. DEFINITIONS
For the purposes of these accreditation criteria, the definitions given in ISO/IEC Standard 17000, and
the definitions that follow, apply
2.1. Accreditation: Third-party attestation related to a fabricator conveying formal demonstration of
its competence to carry out specific conformity assessment tasks.
2.2. Accreditation Body (AB): An approved, third-party organization that is independent of the
grading and inspection agencies, and the lumber mills, and that initially accredits and
subsequently monitors, on a continuing basis, the competency and performance of a grading or
inspection agency related to carrying out specific tasks.

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2.3. Approved Fabricator: An established and qualified person, firm or corporation approved by the
building official pursuant to Chapter 17 of the International Building Code (IBC) published by the
International Code Council.
2.4. Assessment: Process undertaken by an accreditation body to assess the competence of a
fabricator, based on particular standard(s) and/or other normative documents and for a defined
scope of accreditation.
2.5. Contract Documents: Documents that describe the fabricator’s responsibilities for a given
project. These documents include work orders, drawings, and project specifications.
2.6. Corrective Action: Implemented action of solutions necessary to eliminate or reduce the root
cause of an identified problem.
2.7. Inspection Agency: An agency furnishing inspection services, accredited by IAS in accordance
with the IAS Accreditation Criteria for Inspection Agencies (AC98).
2.8. Management System: A set of interrelated or interacting elements that organizations use to
direct, control and coordinate how policies are implemented and objectives are achieved.
2.9. Nonconformance: An action employed that renders a member or component unacceptable for
the intended use as specified in contract specifications or these criteria.
2.10. Procedure: An implemented and written document that describes who does what, when,
where, why and how.
2.11. Product: Result of activities or processes.
Note 1: A product may include service, hardware, processed materials, or a combination
thereof.
Note 2: A product can be tangible (e.g., assemblies or processed materials) or intangible (e.g.,
knowledge or concepts), or a combination thereof.
2.12. Project: A process consisting of a set of coordinated and controlled activities undertaken to
achieve customer requirements.
2.13. Quality Assurance: A planned and systematic pattern of all actions necessary to provide
adequate confidence that a product will conform to established requirements.
2.14. Quality Control: The act of examination, testing or measurement that verifies processes,
services or that documents conform to specified criteria.
2.15. Quality Plan: A written document prepared by the Quality Manager (however named) that
describes the procedures and policies implemented to assure product quality meets specific
contract documents. As a minimum, quality plans must meet the requirements of AC196.
2.16. Surveillance: Set of activities, except reassessment, to monitor the continued fulfillment by
accredited fabricators of requirements for accreditation.
2.17. Wood Wall Panels: Factory-assembled, conventionally framed wood wall panels meeting the
requirements of Chapter 23 of the IBC.

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3. ELIGIBILITY
Accreditation services are available to fabricators of “conventionally framed wood wall panels,”
complying with the design and construction requirements of Chapter 23 of the IBC.

4. REQUIRED BASIC INFORMATION

4.1. Fabricator inspection programs for wood wall panels must demonstrate compliance with the
following requirements:
4.1.1. The requirements of these accreditation criteria;
4.1.2. IAS Rules of Procedure for Accreditation of Fabricator Inspection Programs.

4.2. General Requirements

4.2.1. Quality System
4.2.1.1. The approved fabricator shall establish and implement a fully documented
management system. This documented management system shall describe the
fabricator’s procedures for ensuring that fabricated products meet the specified
requirements.
4.2.1.2. The fabricator, in concert with an IAS-accredited inspection agency, shall prepare
and submit to IAS its documented management system, including a cross-reference
matrix ensuring that the data in Section 4.3, the statements in Section 4.4, and the
written procedures noted in Section 4.5 of these accreditation criteria have been
incorporated.
4.2.1.3. The submitted management system document shall be signed and dated by an
authorized representative of the fabricator.
4.2.1.4. The submitted cross-reference matrix shall be signed and dated by an authorized
representative of an IAS-accredited inspection agency, attesting that the agency has
reviewed the fabricator’s documented management system. The purpose of the
agency’s review is to ensure that there is adequate detail for the agency to properly
perform its inspection functions.
4.2.2. Quality Manager: The fabricator shall designate a quality manager who is
independent of production, and who, irrespective of other responsibilities, shall have
defined responsibility and authority for the following:
4.2.2.1. Maintaining the fabricator’s documented quality assurance management system.
4.2.2.2. Monitoring the effective implementation of the fabricator’s documented management
system.

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 4.2.2.3. Assuring that periodic internal audits are conducted and documented, and that
corrective actions are implemented.
4.2.2.4. Assuring that annual management reviews are conducted and documented.
4.2.2.5. Ensuring that all production and quality records are properly maintained.
4.2.2.6. Reviewing all fabrication procedures and specifications before they are used in
fabrication operations.
4.2.3. In-house Quality Control Inspector: The fabricator shall designate an in-house
quality control inspector who must:
4.2.3.1. Be familiar with codes and specifications which apply to the fabrication work
performed.
4.2.3.2. Be familiar with production drawings, material specifications, material grading and
tolerance levels.
4.2.3.3. Be responsible for overall workmanship and compliance to plans and specifications.
4.2.3.4. Be responsible for ensuring that only fabricated items that meet the required
specifications are labeled or otherwise identified as complying.
4.2.3.5. Be responsible for ensuring that all required inspections are properly carried out at
appropriate stages of fabrication.
4.2.3.6. Be responsible for ensuring that the final products can be traced back to the
incoming raw materials, the quality assurance records and the individual fabrication
personnel.
4.2.4. Fabrication Personnel: The fabricator shall ensure that the following conditions are
met:
4.2.4.1. All fabrication personnel are qualified to perform their assigned tasks based on
education, training and/or experience. Appropriate records of training and experience
must be maintained.
4.2.4.2. All fabrication personnel have an identifying number, letter or symbol for the purpose
of traceability.

4.3. Required Data

The following information shall be included in the management system submittal:
4.3.1. The name, street address and telephone number of the fabrication facility.
4.3.2. A floor plan of the fabrication facility.
4.3.3. A list of major production equipment, keyed to the floor plan.
4.3.4. A list of typical items fabricated.
4.3.5. A list of qualified fabrication personnel.
4.3.6. The names of the quality manager and his designated deputy in case of his absence.

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 4.3.7. The names of the in-house control inspector and his designated deputy in case of his
absence.
4.3.8. An organizational chart of the fabricator, including the names of the responsible quality
assurance personnel. This chart shall show the relationships among the management,
quality manager, in-house quality control inspector, deputy in-house inspector and
fabrication personnel.
4.3.9. Specifications and means of identification for all incoming raw materials.
4.3.10. A list of approved vendors, including any testing agencies used to verify fabrication
procedures.
4.3.11. A list of test and measuring equipment used for the quality functions of the fabricator.

4.4. Required Statements

The following statements shall be provided in the management system submittal:
4.4.1. A policy statement that includes the following elements:
4.4.1.1. All activities of the organization shall be directed in such a manner as to ensure that
the quality requirements of these criteria will be met.
4.4.1.2. The elements of the quality assurance program shall be disseminated to all
responsible personnel.
4.4.2. The documented management system shall be reviewed, at a minimum, annually.
4.4.3. IAS shall be notified, in writing, prior to any cancellation of the inspection agreement
with the inspection agency.
4.4.4. Copies of reports of inspections conducted by the inspection agency, if they note major
quality deficiencies, shall be forwarded by the fabricator to IAS within 10 days of the
major deficiency being reported.
4.4.5. The fabricator shall notify the inspection agency when the fabrication facility is to be
closed for extended time periods other than for normally scheduled periods for
maintenance or vacations. IAS and the inspection agency shall be notified prior to
resumption of operations.
4.4.6. IAS shall be notified in writing if the required, unannounced, follow-up inspections have
not been conducted by the inspection agency.
4.4.7. The fabricator shall promptly investigate and respond to IAS or a building official when
apprised of complaints regarding the noncompliance of fabricated product with stated
specifications.

4.5. Required Written Procedures

The fabricator shall submit written procedures for the following:

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4.5.1. Contract Review: Review of new work to ensure that the needed resources exist to
fulfill the contract requirements.
4.5.2. Document Control: Control of documents and data relating to the quality functions of
the fabricator. This control shall include the following:
4.5.2.1. A means of document approval.
4.5.2.2. A means to ensure that only current, approved documents are used.
4.5.2.3. A means of ensuring that documents are available at all locations where necessary
for the proper functioning of the quality system.
4.5.3. Purchasing
4.5.3.1. Determining that purchased products will conform to specified requirements.
4.5.3.2. Evaluation of subcontractors for their ability to meet subcontract requirements (if
applicable).
4.5.4. Product Traceability: Traceability of the finished product to:
4.5.4.1. Incoming raw materials.
4.5.4.2. Responsible fabrication personnel.
4.5.4.3. Plans and specifications.
4.5.4.4. Quality records.
4.5.4.5. Production records.
4.5.5. Process Control
4.5.5.1. For developing fabrication drawings and specifications that conform with the contract
requirements.
4.5.5.2. Verification of the following:
4.5.5.2.1. Proper materials.
4.5.5.2.2. Proper assembly.
4.5.5.2.3. Dimensions and accuracy.
4.5.6. Inspection and Testing
4.5.6.1. Inspection of incoming raw materials and review of certificate of compliance to
ensure compliance with purchasing documents.
4.5.6.2. Inspection of finished product.
4.5.7. Control of Inspection, Measuring and Test Equipment
4.5.7.1. The maintenance schedule and calibration procedures for fabrication equipment.
4.5.7.2. Ensuring traceability of calibration to nationally recognized standards.
4.5.8. Control of Nonconforming Product: Methods of identifying, segregating, and
assigning the disposition of nonconforming:
4.5.8.1. Incoming materials.
4.5.8.2. Product in production.

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 4.5.8.3. Finished product.
4.5.9. Corrective Action: Investigating, documenting and correcting non-conformance.
4.5.10. Handling and Storage: Identifying and storing incoming materials and finished
products.
4.5.11. Internal Audits: The frequency, method of documentation and the content of internal
audits to determine the effectiveness of the management system. An in-depth internal
audit of the implementation of the complete documented management system shall be
conducted at appropriate intervals but not less than once per year.
4.5.12. Control of Quality Records: Methods for storing, maintaining and accessing quality
control records. Records shall be maintained for a minimum of two years, and shall
include at a minimum:
4.5.12.1. In-house quality inspection reports, forms, checklists.
4.5.12.2. Mill test reports and certificates of compliance from vendors, for incoming raw
materials.
4.5.12.3. Copies of inspection reports by the inspection agency.
4.5.12.4. Records of internal audits and management reviews.
4.5.12.5. Training and qualification records.
4.5.12.6. Evaluations of vendors and subcontractors.
4.5.13. Training: Procedure for training all personnel who have an effect on the quality of the
finished product.

5. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION (AS APPLICABLE)

ANSI/ISO/ASQC Q9001, Quality Systems—Model for Quality Assurance in Design, Development,
Production, Installation and Servicing.

6. LINKS TO ADDITIONAL REFERENCES

6.1. IAS – www.iasonline.org
6.2. International Code Council – www.iccsafe.org

These criteria were previously issued September 2002, June 2003, May 2004, October 2008, September 2013, September 2014
and July 2016

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