ISO 17025:2005 (ACCREDITATION FOR TESTING & CALIBRATION LABORATORIES)
KEY ELEMENTS:
- Committing to Quality and Effective Strategic Planning
- Service Realization: Identifying and Managing Activities
- Resource Management: Applying Established Plans
- Measurement, Analysis & Improvement.
- Ensuring quality of examination results
- Accommodation and environmental conditions
- Laboratory equipment, reagents, and consumables
- Equipment calibration and metrological traceability
INTRODUCTION:ISO 17025 is the International standard for testing and calibration laboratories. It’s a set of requirements those laboratories use to show that they operate a quality management system and that they’re technically competent to do the work that they do.
BENEFITS:Implementation of ISO 17025 provides a system for continuous improvement of daily laboratory practices. Direct benefits include faster identification and resolution of issues, improved customer satisfaction, meeting of quality requirements of specialized customers, and an overall increase in laboratory business. Laboratory accreditation is highly regarded both nationally and internationally as a reliable indicator of technical competence. Many industries, such as the construction materials industry, routinely specify laboratory accreditation for suppliers of testing services.Finally, through a system of international agreements accredited laboratories receive a form of international recognition, which allows their data to be more readily accepted in overseas markets. This recognition helps to reduce costs for manufacturers and exporters that have their products or materials tested in accredited laboratories, by reducing or eliminating the need for retesting in another country.
APPLICABLE TO: This Standard is applicable to the laboratories where testing and calibrations to certify products are performed.
