Qualification in Laboratory Safety - QLS

Obtain certification and advance your career in laboratory safety with our specialized credential.

Professionals involved in any phase of laboratory safety, including compliance, training, developing, and/or managing safety programs for laboratory employees, trainees, and/or students.
Examination Resources
Eligibility Routes
Required Documentation
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Eligibility Routes

Each credential has specific eligibility requirements. It’s your responsibility to confirm that your education, training, and/or experience meet the criteria. Submit the correct documentation with your application. Once submitted, the category and route of application cannot be changed.   

Check Your Eligibility

Qualification in Laboratory Safety – QLS

An applicant must be able to verify that they meet all eligibility requirements, including education, training, and/or experience. For complete information, see the Documentation section of the website. 

Education does not need to be from the United States. Details are available by reviewing the webpage titled Acceptable Education, also available in the routes below. 

To be eligible for this examination category, an applicant must satisfy the minimum requirements (for degrees, the stated degree or higher) of at least one of the following routes:

    • Valid technologist/scientist (ASCP or ASCPi) or specialist (ASCP or ASCPi) certification,  

    • AND 6 months of full-time acceptable experience in laboratory safety within the last 5 years that must be documented on this Experience Documentation Form in any of the following disciplines: 

    *Acceptable Clinical Laboratory:
    CMS CLIA certificate of registration, compliance, accreditation;
    OR DoD CLIP certificate of registration, compliance, accreditation;
    OR JCI accreditation;
    OR Accreditation under ISO 15189.

    ^in the U.S. or Canada 

    Experience

    To fulfill the experience requirement for the Qualification in Laboratory Safety examination, you must have laboratory or teaching experience, within the last 5 years, in 4 of the 7 following areas:

    • Biohazard control (e.g., bloodborne pathogens, infection control)
    • Chemical safety
    • Ergonomics
    • Fire safety
    • Physical environment (e.g., electrical, equipment, spills, waste management, emergency preparedness, shipping)
    • Safety management (e.g., risk assessment, monitoring, safety committee)
    • Training and education

    • Valid HT(ASCP or ASCPi) or MLT(ASCP or ASCPi) certification,  

    • AND 12 months of full-time acceptable experience in laboratory safety within the last 5 years that must be documented on this Experience Documentation Form in any of the following disciplines: 

    *Acceptable Clinical Laboratory:
    CMS CLIA certificate of registration, compliance, accreditation;
    OR DoD CLIP certificate of registration, compliance, accreditation;
    OR JCI accreditation;
    OR Accreditation under ISO 15189.

    ^in the U.S. or Canada 

    Experience

    To fulfill the experience requirement for the Qualification in Laboratory Safety examination, you must have laboratory or teaching experience, within the last 5 years, in 4 of the 7 following areas:

    • Biohazard control (e.g., bloodborne pathogens, infection control)
    • Chemical safety
    • Ergonomics
    • Fire safety
    • Physical environment (e.g., electrical, equipment, spills, waste management, emergency preparedness, shipping)
    • Safety management (e.g., risk assessment, monitoring, safety committee)
    • Training and education

  • *Acceptable Clinical Laboratory:
    CMS CLIA certificate of registration, compliance, accreditation;
    OR DoD CLIP certificate of registration, compliance, accreditation;
    OR JCI accreditation;
    OR Accreditation under ISO 15189.

    ^in the U.S. or Canada 

    #The foreign degree must be equivalent to a U.S. degree which will be determined by an acceptable transcript evaluation.

    Experience

    To fulfill the experience requirement for the Qualification in Laboratory Safety examination, you must have laboratory or teaching experience, within the last 5 years, in 4 of the 7 following areas:

    • Biohazard control (e.g., bloodborne pathogens, infection control)
    • Chemical safety
    • Ergonomics
    • Fire safety
    • Physical environment (e.g., electrical, equipment, spills, waste management, emergency preparedness, shipping)
    • Safety management (e.g., risk assessment, monitoring, safety committee)
    • Training and education
Application Fee (non-refundable): $250

Apply for QLS

Beginning January 1, 2026, application fees for all ASCP qualification examinations will increase by $10.


Information About Required Documentation

You must upload the appropriate documentation form when you apply online, verifying that you meet the training and/or experience requirements for your category and route of application. You will also need to submit an acceptable transcript or transcript evaluation verifying that you meet the academic requirements. Gather your documents before submitting your application and application fee.

Apply

Once you have confirmed that you meet the requirements and have gathered your documents, submit your online application.

Coming Soon! Digital Badges

In early 2026, the ASCP BOC will launch digital badging through Credly, a trusted provider that increases the visibility of ASCP BOC credential holders by securely showcasing and sharing professional credentials. Learn more about digital badges.

“Having my ASCP BOC Specialist in Laboratory Safety - SLS credential (currently offered as the Qualification in Laboratory Safety - QLS credential) gave me credibility both within and outside of my organization.”

– Dan Scungio, MLS(ASCP)SLSCM, CQA(ASQ)