Principles behind

ISO/IEC 17025

J.E.J. (Ned) Gravel, CD, PEng, CAE, CA-LS, IPL

Principal, MOTIVA Training Inc.
www.motiva-training.com

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 Outline
• Brief history of development
• What the accreditation process
requires of assessors
• How the use of principles benefits labs
and assessors
• The eight principles
• Technical competence

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 About ISO/IEC 17025

“General requirements for the

competence of testing and calibration
laboratories”

It sets specific requirements for

laboratories to produce competent
(valid) results.

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 Development of 17025
• Prepared by ISO/CASCO WG 10 and amended by
WG25. Is now 5th version of the original standard
developed within ISO (ISO/IEC Guide 25).
• Groups of experts from around the world – some
have 30 years of experience – national and
international inputs: e.g., ANSI - NCSLI - SCC
(Canada) - most of Europe – other national and
international organizations
• Competence is the issue
• Also used for accreditation

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 Definition of Accreditation
• ISO/IEC 17000: third-party attestation that a
conformity assessment body fulfils specified
requirements and is competent to carry out specific
conformity assessment tasks
= recognition of competence
• Laboratory Accreditation: The formal recognition of
the competence of a laboratory to carry out specific
tests or specific types of tests

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What does accreditation
require of assessors?
• A determination of competence
• Assessment of technical competence by trained
assessors
• Assessor must be fully cognizant of each requirement
which applies to the scientific discipline within the scope

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17025 Assessor vs 9000 Auditor
17025 Assessor
• Have you defined and validated your
technical procedures? Are they
documented in accordance with the test
standard or method? Are you following 9000 Auditor:
them? • Have you defined your
• Do your procedures ensure valid processes, policies and
results? procedures?
• Do you understand the science behind • Are they documented in
the procedures? accordance with the
• Can you foresee and cope with any standard?
technical problems that may arise? • Are you following them?
• Do you have the correct equipment? Do
you have adequate personnel?
• Have you calculated your uncertainties or
do you know the uncertainty inherent
in your testing procedure?

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 A concern:
Assessors may be required to defend a
requirement to the applicant but may not
be able to articulate why the
requirement exists.

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 Principles: if no map, need compass!

• Principles that underlie the requirements were

developed and presented to ISO/CASCO/WG25
• Ned Gravel represented Canada on this Committee

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How Principles Benefit Assessors and Labs

• Principles replace blind adherence to the

requirements of 17025
WITH
• Understanding that instills confidence in a system that
should produce competent (valid) results
= VALUE ADDED

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 Value added, cont’d
• Principles are not requirements and
CANNOT be used to justify ANY
assessment finding
• Principles help us understand why a
specific requirement exists.

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 • ISO 9000:2005: “MODEL FOR
EXCELLENCE”…has great strength in its
clear basis on principles

• ISO/IEC 17025:2005 PRINCIPLES…

give an understanding of the basis for
requirements

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Principles behind ISO/IEC 17025
• Capacity
• Exercise of Responsibility
• Scientific Method
• Objectivity of Results
• Impartiality of Conduct
• Traceability of Measurement
• Repeatability of Test
• Transparency of Process

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 Capacity
Concept that a laboratory has the resources
(PEOPLE with the required skills and
knowledge, the ENVIRONMENT with the
required facilities and equipment, the QUALITY
CONTROL, and the PROCEDURES) in order to
undertake the work and produce competent
results.

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 Exercise of Responsibility
Concept that persons in the organisation have the
authority to execute specific functions within the overall
scope of work – and that the organisation can
demonstrate accountability for the results of the work.

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 Scientific Method
Concept that the work carried out by the organisation
is based on accepted scientific approaches,
preferably consensus-based, and that any deviations
from accepted scientific approaches can be
substantiated in a manner considered generally
acceptable by experts in that field.

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 Objectivity of Results
• Concept that the results produced within the scope
of work of the organisation, are mainly based on
measurable or derived quantities.
• Concept that subjective test results are produced
only by persons deemed qualified to do so and that
such results are noted as being subjective or are
known by experts in the field of testing to be mainly
subjective.

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 Impartiality of Conduct

Concept that the pursuit of competent results

through the use of generally accepted scientific
approaches is the primary and overriding influence
on the work of persons executing tests - all other
influences being considered secondary and not
permitted to take precedence.

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 Traceability of Measurement
• Concept that the results produced, within the scope of
work of the laboratory, are based on a recognised
system of measurement that derives from accepted,
known quantities (SI system) or other intrinsic or well-
characterised devices or quantities.
• Concept that the chain of comparison of measurement
between these accepted, known quantities or intrinsic
devices or quantities, and the device providing the
objective result, is unbroken for the transfer of
measurement characteristics, including uncertainty, for
the whole of the measurement chain.

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 Repeatability of Test
Concept that the test which produced the objective
results, will produce the same results, within accepted
deviations during subsequent testing, and within the
constraints of using the same procedures, equipment
and persons used during a previous execution of the
test.

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 Transparency of Process
Concept that the processes existent within the
laboratory producing the objective results, are open to
internal and external scrutiny, so that factors which
may adversely affect the laboratory's pursuit of
objective results based on scientific method, can be
readily identified and mitigated.

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 Tools to help you
(http://www.motiva-training.com/index.php/tools-for-labs-qms/free-publications-for-labs)

• Free sample Feedback Procedure and forms

• Free sample Continual Improvement Procedure
and forms
• Free sample Internal Audit and Management
Review Procedure and forms
• Free implementation guide for 17025

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 Want More Information?
Drop us a line at info@motiva-training.com or call (613) 834-0712

J.E.J. (Ned) Gravel, CD, PEng, CA-LS, CAE, IPL

Principal
MOTIVA Training - Reaching People
nedgravel@motiva-training.com

See us on LinkedIn at http://ca.linkedin.com/in/nedgravel/

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