1.1 This practice establishes minimum qualifications for agencies engaged in the testing and inspection of soil and rock. Minimum requirements for field and laboratory personnel are defined. The practice also covers the establishment and maintenance of a quality system.

1.2 Criteria are provided for evaluating the capability of an agency to properly perform designated tests on soil and rock, and for establishing essential characteristics pertaining to an agency's organization, personnel, facilities, and quality system. This practice may be supplemented by more specific criteria and requirements for particular projects.

1.3 This practice can be used as a basis to evaluate testing and inspection agencies, or both, and is intended for use for the qualifying or accrediting, or both, of testing or inspection agencies, public or private, engaged in the testing and inspection of soil and rock as used in engineering design and construction.

1.4 This practice is not intended to apply to agencies engaged in chemical testing of soil, rock, and contained fluid. The minimum requirement for those agencies can be found in Specification D5522.

1.5 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

1.6 This practice offers a set of instructions for performing one or more specific operations. This document cannot replace education or experience and should be used in conjunction with professional judgment. Not all aspects of this practice may be applicable in all circumstances. This ASTM standard is not intended to represent or replace the standard of care by which the adequacy of a given professional service must be judged, nor should this document be applied without consideration of a project's many unique aspects. The word "Standard" in the title of this document means only that the document has been approved through the ASTM consensus process.