Lab standard focuses on management oversight
among the changes ushered in by a revised international standard
for testing and calibration laboratories.
Laboratories that are accredited under the 1999 version of the standard will only have minor adjustments to make to their existing procedures to ensure the new requirements on management are met,the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) stated.
ISO/IEC 17025:2005, which deals with the general requirements for laboratories that test products and that calibrate instruments, replaces the 1999 version. About half of the 50,000 laboratoriesworldwide are accredited under the standard, an international benchmark for approving testing and calibration laboratories. It is also the required standard for labs in the EU..
"Confidence in the competence of laboratories is frequently needed by businesses when testing new products, or ensuring that finished products are fit for sale, by government regulators andtrade officials that require assurance about domestic or imported products before they can be placed on the market, or for ensuring the quality and reliability of testing and analysis relating toenvironmental, health or safety hazards," stated the ISO's secretary-general, Alan Bryden.
The standard was updated to make it compatible with ISO 9001:2000, which sets requirements for management systems in businesses and other organisations. The changes became necessary because moreand more businesses are conforming to ISO 9001:2000, including those that testing and calibration laboratories serve.
While there are no essential changes to the technical requirements for testing and calibration, the modifications place more requirements on top management in their oversight of such laboratories.The new ISO standard also requires accredited laboratories to demonstrate a commitment to continually improve the effectiveness of their management systems. Labs must also demonstrate they have aprogramme to continually improve customer satisfaction and communications.
The standard also clarifies that while the two standards are compatible, they are not inter-changeable. Both standards can be used by laboratories, however only ISO/IEC 17025 can be used todemonstrate technical competence. Laboratories may choose to be accredited to both or one of the standards.
The International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC) has set a transition period of two years for laboratories to comply with the standard's requirements.
