Quality
Quality is of paramount importance to any business, organisation
and/or government department. ISO 9001:2000 is the most successful
Standard in ISO (the International Organisation for Standardisation)
history and is accepted worldwide.
ISO 9001:2000 Quality Systems is a flexible system that any
organisation or government department can adopt to help guarantee
the quality that its customers expect.
ISO 9001 will help improve quality and make sure that the services
provided meet customer requirements.
ISO 17025 replaces ISO/IEC Guide 25 and EN 45001. This Standard is
now used to assess a laboratory’s competence for the purposes of
accreditation.
Accreditation to ISO 17025 specifically addresses the establishment
of traceability for measurements, as well as requiring a range of
other technical and management requirements including:
- using validated methods of analysis;
- using internal quality control procedures;
- participating in proficiency testing schemes;
- becoming accredited
There are increasing burdens on organisations, companies and
departmental governments to meet regulatory, trade and quality
requirements. This is endorsed by the international accreditation
standard ISO/IEC 17025, as a basis for laboratory accreditation.
Common standards
ISO 9001:2000
The ISO 9001 Standard lays down the requirements of a quality
management system (QMS) so as to consistently meet customer
requirements and aims to enhance customer satisfaction.
ISO 17025:2005
ISO 17025 contains the requirements that testing and calibration
laboratories have to meet if they wish to demonstrate that they
operate a quality system, are technically competent and are able to
generate technically valid results.