Bioaeronautical Sciences Research Laboratory Receives American Board of Forensic Toxicology Accreditation

The accreditation of the Civil Aerospace Medical Institute's (CAMI's) Bioaeronautical Sciences Research Laboratory by the American Board of Forensic Toxicology (ABFT) was announced at the 56th American Academy of Forensic Sciences (AAFS) annual meeting. The standards used in such accreditations are based on the report of the Accreditation Committee of the ABFT and the joint AAFS/Society of Forensic Toxicologists (SOFT) Forensic Laboratory Guidelines Committee. This AAFS/SOFT-sponsored accreditation program is designed to "enhance and maintain standards of practice for the detection, identification and quantitation of alcohol, drugs and other toxins in biological specimens".

Previous inspections by the College of American Pathologists (CAP) resulted in no deficiencies, leading to the re-accreditation of the laboratory with distinction. This latest accreditation makes the CAMI laboratory the only laboratory in the nation to be accredited by both the ABFT and the CAP.

The DOT FAA CAMI laboratory, located at the Mike Monroney Aeronautical Center in Oklahoma City, OK, has long served as the primary national toxicology-testing site for aviation accidents investigated by the FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board. Such testing also includes toxicological evaluation of biological samples collected from subjects involved in railway, maritime, pipeline, and highway accidents.