The Joint ISO-ILAC-IAF
Communiqué on the Management System Requirements of ISO/IEC 17025, General
Requirements for the competence of testing and calibration laboratories, first
issued in 2005, has been updated to confirm that laboratories accredited to ISO/IEC
17025 operate a recognised quality management system. A copy is available from
the ILAC website.
Accredited laboratories are often requested by clients to undertake the
additional step of gaining certification to ISO 9001 to demonstrate that they
are in full control of their processes. The communiqué clarifies that
laboratories accredited to ISO/IEC 17025 are recognised as meeting the
requirements of ISO 9001.
The communiqué is therefore designed to reduce the need for redundant audits of
accredited laboratories, allowing them to focus on delivering reliable and high
quality services to their customers.
