Military Packager Accreditation Scheme.

Overview

MPAS is an updated accreditation scheme which defines the requirements for Military Packaging Organisations and Designers, replacing the old ‘Military Packaging Capability Accreditation Scheme (MPCAS)’, also known as DR14.

What is MPAS?

Defining the requirements for Military Packaging Organisations and Designers, this updated accreditation scheme replaces the old ‘Military Packaging Capability Accreditation Scheme (MPCAS)’, which was also known as DR14.

The outgoing scheme was administered by the MoD’s ‘Defence Packaging’ division which, as the Packaging Authority (PA), undertook contractor audits and trained and assessed designers as nominated signatories. It had responsibility for equipment and munitions excluding food, fuels & lubricants and medicines. Note: MPAS does not include packaging requirements for Munitions, Fuel, Lubricants, Pharmaceuticals and Food.

MPAS is self-administered by the MoD and will assure, as MPCAS/ DR14 did before, that Military Level Packaging meets the MoD requirements for safe handling, storage and transportation etc., within the military supply chain in a cost effective manner.

Any military packaging contractors previously accredited to MPCAS/DR14 were obliged to transition across to MPAS by September 2013. Any new contractors will now fall fully under the MPAS requirements. An easy way to identify if MPAS is a contractual requirement is if ‘Defcon 129’ or ‘JSP886 (Volume 7 Part 802)’ is invoked within the contract requirements flowed down from the MoD.

In summary, MPAS is based on the ISO 9001 standard, supplemented by 8 additional military packaging specific requirements defined in the controlling procedure MPAS Part 1.

It is intended to ensure packaging contractors can demonstrate through the third party certification audits that they have effective packaging design / design and manufacturing processes, procedures and facilities and that the packaging designers have suitable experience, training and demonstrable competence.

The audits shall be carried out as part of a normal ISO 9001 certification process by a UKAS-accredited certification body which has also been approved under MPAS as an Approved Certification Body (ACB).

What are the benefits?

• Can be carried out as part of a normal ISO 9001 certification process by a certification body approved under MPAS as an Approved Certification Body, which LRQA is. 
• Provides a route map of compliance to packaging companies already certificated to ISO 9001 that wish to trade with the Ministry of Defence (MoD). 
• Allows packaging contractors to any interested stakeholders prove that they have effective design systems, procedures and facilities and that the packaging designers have suitable experience, training and demonstrable competence in Accordance with MPAS Part 2. 
• Enables packaging contractors to be registered on MPAS Part 3 Register of MPAS Certification and Accreditation. 
• Enables packaging contractors to tender for MoD contracts which invoke DEFCON 129 and JSP886 (Volume 7 Part 802). 

Why choose LRQA?

Existing capability

MPAS is simply a new version of what LRQA has done for many years, when military packaging forms part of an organisation’s scope of approval.

Proven Track Record

LRQA is the main provider of third party certification to the UK MoD and its supply chain. We have many clients in the military, aviation, space and defence sectors.

Resource Capability

With nearly 30 years’ experience in certificating organisations, we are ideally placed to help you to become approved to MPAS.