Laboratories Accreditation according to ISO/IEC 17025:2017

  • ISO/IEC 17025 is the international standard that sets out the general requirements for the competent, impartial, and consistent operation of laboratories. It specifies the activities that must be included in laboratory operations to promote confidence in its ability to produce valid and consistently reliable testing, calibration, and sampling results.
  • The standard was published with collaboration between the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC).
  • ISO 9001 or ISO 14001 is recognition that an effective management system is in place, ISO/IEC 17025 includes recognition of the technical competence of laboratories. Accreditation is a formal declaration by an Accreditation Body, after assessment and confirmation, that a laboratory is effective in meeting the requirements of ISO 17025 to perform tests according to its accredited scope.

    • Why standard and accreditation IS useful?

    The standard and accreditation is useful for any organization that performs testing, sampling or calibration and wants reliable results. This includes all types of laboratories, whether they be owned and operated by government, industry or, in fact, any other organization irrespective of the industry and size, which are involved in sampling or measurement activities. The standard is also useful to universities, research centres, governments, regulators, inspection bodies, product certification organizations and other conformity assessment bodies with the need to do testing, sampling, or calibration. ISO/IEC 17025, together with ISO 9001, is the basis for ISO 15189, which specifies requirements for competence and quality, as well as accreditation of medical laboratories.

    Jiyamin Service provides the consultancy services, as per the requirements of ISO/IEC 17025:2017 and accreditation body, majorly on followings:

  • •Laboratory establishment as turnkey project
  • • Selection of Equipment/ Machines
  • • Documentation
  • • Trainings
  • • Adequacy Audit
  • • Internal Audits
  • • Competency measurement
  • • Capability measurement

    • Standard for Laboratory Accreditation followed by accreditation body

    ISO/IEC 17025 for accrediting testing and calibration laboratories

    ISO 15189 for medical testing laboratories

    ISO/IEC 17043 for Proficiency testing providers and

    ISO 17034 for Reference Material Producers

    BENEFITS OF LABORATORY ACCREDITATION

    Formal recognition of competence of a laboratory by an Accreditation body in accordance with ISO/IEC 17025:2017 has many advantages:

  • •A ready means for customers to identify and select reliable testing,measurement and calibration services that are able to meet their needs.
  • •Increased confidence in Testing/ Calibration Reports issued by the testing and calibration laboratories which emphasis on accuracy and reliable results.
  • •The results from accredited laboratories are used extensively by regulators for the public benefit in the provision of services that promote an unpolluted environment, safe food, clean water, energy, health and social care services.
  • •Better control of laboratory operations and feedback to laboratories as to whether they have sound Quality Assurance System and are technically competent.
  • •Helpful in participating in tenders that require independently verified laboratories.
  • •Users of accredited laboratories enjoy greater access for their products, inboth domestic and international markets.
  • •Potential increase in business due to enhanced customer confidence and satisfaction: Accredited laboratories receive a form of international recognition, which allows their data and results to be more readily accepted in overseas markets. Accreditation helps to reduce costs for manufacturers and exporters who have their products or materials tested in accredited laboratories, by reducing or eliminating the need for retesting in another country.
  • •Users of accredited laboratories enjoy greater access for their products, in both domestic and international markets.

    • Acceptance Of Test And Calibration Result.

    Adoption of ISO/IEC 17025 standards have helped countries employ a uniform approach to determine LABORATORY competence. It has also encouraged Laboratories to adopt internationally accepted testing,calibration and measurement practices where possible. This uniform approach allows accreditation bodies to establish arrangements between themselves through APAC and EA peer evaluation by an expert team appointed by APAC/ EA MRA/ MLA councils, based on mutual evaluation and acceptance of each other’s laboratory accreditation systems. Such international arrangements, called Mutual Recognition Arrangement, are crucial in enabling test and calibration data to be
    accepted between countries. In fact, each partner in such an agreement recognizes the other partner’s accredited laboratories as if they themselves had undertaken the accreditation of the other partner’s Laboratories. The international mutual recognition arrangements between accreditation bodies arrived based on peer-evaluation have enabled accredited Laboratories to achieve international recognition and allowed test and calibration data accompanying exported goods to be readily accepted in overseas markets.
    This effectively reduces costs for both the exporters and the importers, as it reduces or eliminates the need for products to be re-tested in another country. Accreditation Body, signatory to ILAC as well as APAC Mutual Recognition Arrangements (MRA) for accreditation of Testing (including Medical) and Calibration laboratories, which is based on mutual evaluation and acceptance of other MRA Partner laboratory accreditation system, facilitate acceptance of test / calibration results between countries to which MRA partners represent.