Audits & Approvals — ISO/IEC 17025: 2005

Atlantic Analytical is currently accredited for ISO/IEC 17025:2005

ISO/IEC 17025

ISO/IEC 17025, released in 1999, contains all the requirements that testing and calibration laboratories must meet to demonstrate that they operate quality management systems (QMS), are technically competent and can generate technically valid results. All ISO 9000 requirements that are relevant to the scope of testing and calibration laboratory QMS have been incorporated into ISO/IEC 17025, along with technical competency requirements.

ISO/IEC 17025 covers such matters as quality system; personnel; document control; review of requests, tenders and contracts; subcontracting of tests and calibrations; purchasing services and supplies; services to the client; control of records; internal audits; accommodation and environmental conditions; test and calibration methods and method validation; equipment; measurement traceability; sampling; handling of test and calibration items; and reporting the results.

ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation is a more thorough process than ISO 9000 registration because it recognizes a laboratory’s competence to produce technically valid results as well as its QMS conformance. When a laboratory is part of a larger facility, ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation can occur at the same time as ISO 9000, QS-9000 or ISO/TS 16949 registration if the auditor is working for both an accreditation body and a registrar.