Why COA & MSDS Documentation Matters for
NABL-Accredited Labs in India
Every bulk chemical supply from Fusion Biotech comes with a complete Certificate of Analysis and Material Safety Data Sheet. Here’s why this documentation is non-negotiable for hospital labs and diagnostic centres seeking — and maintaining — NABL accreditation.
What Are COA and MSDS Documents?
Before diving into why they matter, it is important to understand exactly what these two documents are and what information they contain. Though both relate to chemical products, they serve entirely different purposes.
Certificate of Analysis (COA)
Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS / SDS)
- Chemical name, grade & lot number
- Purity percentage (e.g., 99.5%)
- Test methods used (HPLC, titration, etc.)
- Results of quality testing
- Expiry / retest date
- Manufacturer’s signature & stamp
- Storage conditions
- Physical & chemical properties
- Health & safety hazard information
- First aid measures
- Fire-fighting procedures
- Handling & storage guidelines
- Personal protective equipment (PPE)
- Disposal and environmental impact
Together, these two documents give a diagnostic lab everything it needs to verify that a chemical is what it claims to be, that it is safe to use, and that it has been handled and stored correctly — all of which are central to producing accurate, reliable test results.
Why NABL Requires These Documents
The National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL) is the apex body for laboratory accreditation in India. Labs accredited under NABL’s ISO/IEC 17025 standard — or under the NABL medical laboratory standard — must demonstrate full traceability of all reagents and chemicals used in their testing processes.
This means every chemical used in a test — from a simple saline solution to a complex immunoassay reagent — must be traceable back to a documented source with verified purity and composition. Without a COA, a lab cannot prove that its reagents were of the correct grade for the test performed. Without an MSDS, it cannot demonstrate that its safety and handling procedures are based on manufacturer-certified data.