Requirements of ISO 17025

ISO 17025 is the only international standard accepted by all laboratories to perform testing and calibration process. The general requirement of the ISO 17025 standard has been categorized into the following important points.

Scope of Accreditation: It includes the documentation of all the process employed in the laboratories for performing various testing and calibration process. It included all testing procedure involved either standard method, non-standard, or laboratory developed method.

The two other requirements of the standard are Normative References and Terms and condition which refers to the terms and condition included in the ISO 17000 Requirements and VIM apply.

Management Requirements: It refers to the organization requirement for the management and implementation of the international standard. It also include that the organization should satisfy the need of the customers in accordance with the international standard. The responsibility of the personnel performing the testing and calibration process should be defined. The laboratory managerial and technical personnel should carry out maintenance, implementation and improvement of the management system. It also includes document control, management system, document approval and issue, review of request , tenders and contracts, subcontracting of test and calibrations, purchasing services and supplies, service to the customer, customer complaints, control of non-conforming test and calibration process, and improvement and corrective measures, internal audit, control of records and all preventive measures in the regulation of the laboratory working environment.

Technical Requirement: It specifies the correctness and reliability of test and calibration methods and the factors associated with it. There are numerous factors associated with the validation of the results which include human, environment and accommodation areas, procedure of test & calibration method, equipment, measurement traceability, and sampling and handling of the items. The competence of all laboratory personnel should be specified in terms of experience and qualification.

Among all the requirement of ISO 17025 standard Management Requirement and technical requirements are the two essential requirements for every laboratory in order to comply with the ISO testing and calibration standard.