What does ISO IEC 17025 stand for?

ISO stands for the International Organization for Standardization and IEC stands for the International
Electrotechnical Commission. Together, the two organizations work to develop, maintain, and promote
standards in the fields of science and technology. ISO/IEC 17025 refers to the specific standard that lays
out the requirements for testing and calibrations in laboratories. The standard specifies both
management and technical requirements including how to run effective quality management systems,
ensure competency of staff and equipment, document organization, and steps for corrective action.

What does it mean to be ISO 17025 Accredited?

An ISO/IEC 17025 accredited laboratory is one that has met ISO/IEC 17025 standards by passing an audit
conducted by an accrediting body. ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation is intended for organizations like second
or third party laboratories, government labs, university labs, research labs, regulators, inspection bodies,
and product certification organizations. Really, ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation is for any organization that
tests, samples and calibrates and needs to prove reliable results.

Why has ISO/IEC 17025 Been Revised?

ISO/IEC 17025 standard has been updated throughout the years. There have been three revisions, one in
1999, 2005, and 2017. Significant changes were made in the 2005 version, which was released to
emphasize the responsibilities of upper-level management and contain requirements for corrective
actions and continual improvements to the system. The ISO/IEC 17025 was revised in 2017 because it
had not been updated since 2005 and many technologies and market conditions had changed and
developed. The 2017 version of the ISO/IEC 17025 standard takes into account the technical changes
we’ve seen in the past decade, the development of new IT techniques, and vocabulary changes.
Additionally, it updates ISO standard 9001 which details the criteria for a quality management system.

What does it mean for a Lab to be Accredited?

An ISO/IEC 17025 accredited laboratory has proven that they produce valid results and can operate
competently. Results from an ISO/IEC accredited laboratory can be accepted across the country and
internationally without further testing which improves confidence in a laboratory result and boosts
international trade. Most counties deem technical competence based on ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation
and often a supplier or regulatory body won’t accept testing or calibrations results from a laboratory that
isn’t ISO/IEC 17025 accredited.

What is the difference between Accreditation and Certification?

Accreditation and certification are sometimes used interchangeably but they are actually two different
things. Certification is a term used to verify that a person has adequate credentials to perform certain
tasks or to verify that a product meets specifications. Usually, certification is represented by a written
assurance of a third party. Accreditation is a term used to refer to the formal recognition by an
authoritative body that an organization or person has the competency to work and meets standards set
forth by recognized governing bodies. Therefore, an ISO/IEC 17025 accredited organization like Chem
Service is formally recognized as having competent quality management systems and reliable results,
unlike non-accredited certified organizations. Because Chem Service is ISO/IEC 17025 accredited, the
standards it produces, testing it does and calibrations it runs are trusted and accepted by national and
international suppliers and regulatory bodies. Visit Chem Service today to browse organic and inorganic
reference standards that you can trust to be the highest quality.