ISO 17025:2017 General Certification Service, For Home

ISO/IEC 17025:2017 is an international standard specifying requirements for quality and competence in testing and calibration laboratories. The standard requires that such labs prioritise excellent quality practices and develop a reliable quality management system to establish and demonstrate their competence.

The full standard is called ISO/IEC 17025, since the certification was created by the International Organization for Standardization in conjunction with the International Electrotechnical Commission. However, many shorten this to ISO 17025 or simply 17025 certification when referring to the standard. 
Ultimately, ISO 17025 is for any organization that performs testing, sampling or calibration and wants to be sure of the reliability of their results. The simplest way we can put it: if you work in a testing environment that produces measurable results, then ISO 17025 is probably applicable. This may even mean you don’t necessarily call your facility a “lab,” but by ISO standards, you would be considered a laboratory if you are producing measurable results.

Who is ISO/IEC 17025 for?

ISO/IEC 17025 is applicable to many different testing and calibration facilities across a range of sectors. The forensics sector is an example of one area that has almost universally adopted ISO/IEC 17025 as the main indicator of quality in its labs. But laboratories in sectors as diverse as asbestos testing, acoustics, chemicals, fibre optics, food production, textiles, and even labs are certified to ISO 17025 standards.

Medical laboratories are one slight exception. Labs looking for an internationally recognised standard of quality in medical labs should look into ISO 15189 certification, as this is the standard that applies specifically to med labs. If you work in a medical lab, for example a pathology lab or in a clinical trial environment, you will find all the information you need about ISO 15189 in our dedicated knowledge hub.

ISO 17025 is of high importance for testing and calibration labs because it is globally recognized. Accreditation allows you to ensure and demonstrate the reliability of your results as well as the integrity, competence, and overall quality of your lab’s practices. It also includes demands for proficiency testing, which serves as another clear indicator of your lab’s competence. We discussed proficiency testing and its importance as part of ISO 17025 in a recent webinar.

It can be crucial to the perception of your organization as credible, trustworthy and competent to current and potential customers or business partners. That’s without even mentioning the fact that many government organisations around the world will have such accreditation as a strict prerequisite before looking to work with you.

Benefits of ISO/IEC 17025

•   Establishes a global benchmark for laboratory quality and reliability
•   Enhances confidence in test and calibration results, both domestically and internationally
•  Facilitates cooperation between laboratories and other bodies by generating wider acceptance of results
•  Reduces the need for retesting, saving time and resources