ISO 17034: complete guide, articles and resources

What is the ISO 17034 standard?

The ISO 17034 standard sets out the general requirements for the competence of reference material producers (RMPs). Published in 2016, it is the global benchmark for accrediting producers of certified reference materials (CRMs) used by testing and calibration laboratories.

The standard covers impartiality, confidentiality, structural and resource requirements, process requirements (RM production planning, processing, homogeneity testing, stability testing, value assignment, uncertainty estimation, certification), and management system requirements.

Reference materials are essential to laboratory work: they are used for calibration, method validation, quality control, and traceability of measurement results. NIST in the US, NRC in Canada, LGC in the UK, and BAM in Germany are major RMP producers.

Who is ISO 17034 for?

The standard targets reference material producers: national metrology institutes (NIST, NRC, BAM), commercial RMP suppliers (LGC, Sigma-Aldrich, Restek), and specialised producers in pharmaceutical, environmental, food, and clinical reference materials.

Why get certified?

ISO 17034 accreditation is required for reference materials used by ISO 17025 and ISO 15189 labs, gives international recognition via ILAC, structures metrological traceability of measurement results, and conditions participation in regulated activities.