Calibration Standard Gets Make-over

23 May 2005

The new version of the standard on laboratory competence has now been published. ISO/IEC 17025:2005 replaces the 1999 edition that has become familiar to over 25000 accredited testing and calibration facilities world-wide and many more who aim to conform with it but are not independently acknowledged as doing so.

As outlined in our previous stories on the development of this updated version, there are no changes to the technical requirements. The modifications relate mainly to the management requirements in order to harmonize with the quality management standard ISO 9001:2000. It is thought that the changes will have little impact on most laboratories but, as is normal when a new standard is released, accreditation bodies will allow laboratories up to two years to implement it.

• ISO announcement