Glossary · Safety standards

ISO/IEC 17025

Also known as: ISO/IEC 17025:2017, EN ISO/IEC 17025

ISO/IEC 17025 is the international standard specifying general requirements for the competence, impartiality and consistent operation of testing and calibration laboratories. Accreditation to it gives confidence that a laboratory’s results are technically valid and traceable.

Standards
Compliance

In one sentence

ISO/IEC 17025 sets requirements for the competence, impartiality and consistent operation of testing and calibration laboratories.

Example

A machine builder has the stopping-time measuring device for its presses calibrated by a laboratory accredited to ISO/IEC 17025, so the measurements used in the safety distance calculation are traceable.

How it applies

Evidence: Test and calibration results from accredited laboratories carry more weight in a technical file, because method validation, measurement uncertainty and measurement traceability are assured by the laboratory's system.
Scope: Accreditation covers specific tests and calibrations listed in the laboratory's scope, not everything the laboratory does. Check that the test you rely on is in scope.
In-house testing: Manufacturers testing their own machines are not required to be accredited, but applying the principles, such as calibrated equipment, documented methods and competent staff, makes internal evidence more robust.
Technical documentation: Cite test reports with their identifier, laboratory, date and the configuration tested, so that evidence control can check their validity later.

ISO/IEC 17025 vs. product certification

ISO/IEC 17025 concerns the competence of a laboratory, not the conformity of a product. A test report from an accredited laboratory is evidence about a specific sample and test; conclusions about the product, and about conformity, remain the manufacturer's or a certification body's task. See calibration.