AMERICAN SOCIETY OF CRIME LABORATORY DIRECTORS
LABORATORY ACCREDITATION BOARD
Code of Conduct
for ASCLD/LAB Volunteers
All volunteers affiliated with of the American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors/Laboratory
Accreditation Board (ASCLD/LAB®) shall abide by this Code of Conduct as a condition of service.
ASCLD/LAB volunteers include unpaid team captains/lead assessors, inspectors/assessors and members of
standing and ad hoc committees.
1.
Compliance with policies and procedures: ASCLD/LAB volunteers shall comply with
ASCLD/LAB’s by-laws, policies and procedures as they may apply to each volunteer’s role and
duties. In the absence of clear guidance on policy or procedures that may apply in given situations,
volunteers shall seek clarification from appropriate authorities within ASCLD/LAB.
2.
Confidential Information: ASCLD/LAB volunteers shall regard all information pertaining to
ASCLD/LAB’s operations as confidential information, including information regarding
ASCLD/LAB’s business plans, financial status, employees, affiliation with other organizations,
laboratories inspected or assessed by ASCLD/LAB, and all accreditation-related information and
decisions. Unless required by a court of competent jurisdiction or authorized by the Executive
Director or an ASCLD/LAB Accreditation Program Manager, ASCLD/LAB volunteers (a) shall not
share, disclose or release confidential information to other ASCLD/LAB volunteers except on a needto-know basis, and (b) shall not share, disclose or release confidential information to individuals not
affiliated with ASCLD/LAB or other organizations without appropriate authorization.
3.
Professionalism: (a) Each volunteer shall strive to uphold ASCLD/LAB’s tradition of excellence in
providing forensic laboratory accreditation services. Members of inspection/assessment teams or
proficiency review committees shall exhibit a high professional standard of conduct when inspecting
or evaluating forensic laboratories. Team captains/Lead Assessors and inspectors/assessors shall
objectively and fairly gather, evaluate and report information and shall not allow prior experiences or
affiliations to unfairly affect their judgment. Volunteers shall not offer opinions beyond their
established areas of expertise or authority.
(b) ASCLD/LAB’s accreditation programs and policies and procedures shall be the only guidelines
utilized in conducting accreditation inspections.
Team captains/Lead Assessors and
inspectors/assessors shall consider each forensic laboratory on its merits and shall, to the greatest
practicable extent, determine findings and recommendations affecting accreditation in a manner
consistent with established practice for similarly situated laboratories. Standards for proficiency
testing shall be applied consistently to all member laboratories and practitioners of accredited
disciplines.
4. Conflicts of interest: ASCLD/LAB volunteers shall make every reasonable effort to avoid or prevent
conflicts of interest. Upon the request of the Executive Director, or designee, volunteers shall disclose
such information as the Board of Directors may deem reasonable to determine qualifications or
ascertain conflicts of interest as an ASCLD/LAB volunteer, including paid employment and other
business and professional relationships and affiliations. Volunteers shall not divide their loyalty to
ASCLD/LAB and its business purposes or interests with any loyalty or obligation they may have or
feel they have to other organizations or person(s) having business purposes or interests that may
Code of Conduct for Volunteers
Approval Date: November 22, 2011
Approved By: Executive Director
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Effective Date: November 22, 2011
AL-OD-4026-Ver 2.1
conflict or compete with those of ASCLD/LAB or which may affect or appear to affect their judgment
as a volunteer of ASCLD/LAB. Prior to accepting a volunteer assignment from ASCLD/LAB, active
inspectors who participate in non-ASCLD-LAB inspections or pre-accreditation inspections are
required to notify the Executive Director, or designee, of the circumstances by letter or e-mail in which
such information as may be necessary to assess potential conflicts of interest shall be included. If,
under any circumstance, a real or apparent conflict of interest is present, the volunteer must disclose
the conflict and act to eliminate or effectively mitigate the conflict.
5.
Upholding the Code of Conduct: ASCLD/LAB volunteers are obligated to abide by this Code. Any
volunteer who has reasonable grounds for believing this Code is not being honored in good faith by
another volunteer, paid staff member or member of the Board of Directors has an obligation to report
such belief to an ASCLD/LAB official (e.g., Team Captain, Lead Assessor, Board member, Executive
Director, or Accreditation Program Manager) who shall take appropriate action in response thereto. A
knowing failure to report a breach of this Code by another is a breach itself of the Code of Conduct.
6.
Availability of Inspectors: Trained ASCLD/LAB volunteer inspectors/assessors shall make
themselves reasonably available for service on ASCLD/LAB inspection/assessment teams, subject to
approval by their parent agencies and the needs of ASCLD/LAB.
7.
Post-employment affiliations: Upon termination of their affiliation with ASCLD/LAB, volunteers
are obligated to return or destroy all documents or other materials developed or obtained in their
capacity as ASCLD/LAB volunteers, as directed by the Executive Director. Volunteers are bound
forever not to share, disclose or release confidential information, as set forth above.
8.
Sanctions: Volunteers are subject to possible sanctions for violating this Code of Conduct. The Board
of Directors or its designees are authorized to assess the circumstances of alleged breaches of this
Code and to impose such sanctions as it deems appropriate.
ATTEST: As a volunteer of ASCLD/LAB, I understand the terms of this Code of Conduct and agree to be
bound by it as a condition of service.
Signature
Witness signature
Name (Print or type)
Name (Print or type)
Date
Date
Class of Volunteer
Team Captain/Lead
Assessor
Inspector/Assessor
Proficiency Review
Committee Member/Chair
TAC Member
Other Volunteer
Code of Conduct for Volunteers
Approval Date: November 22, 2011
Approved By: Executive Director
TAC Disciplines (category
of testing, if applicable
PRC Committee
Title/Role
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Effective Date: November 22, 2011
AL-OD-4026-Ver 2.1