ISO/IEC 17025: complete guide, articles and resources

What is the ISO/IEC 17025 standard?

The ISO/IEC 17025 standard sets out the general requirements for the competence of testing and calibration laboratories. First published in 1999 and revised in 2017, it is the global benchmark for accrediting measurement laboratories.

The standard covers impartiality, confidentiality, structural and resource requirements (personnel, facilities, equipment), process requirements (methods, sampling, handling, validation, measurement uncertainty, metrological traceability), and management system requirements.

ISO 17025 accreditation is delivered in the US by A2LA, ANAB, IAS, and PJLA, in the UK by UKAS, and by equivalent bodies internationally. It is required for many regulated activities: environmental testing, food and pharmaceutical analysis, calibration, product testing, forensics, and clinical laboratory measurement (in addition to ISO 15189).

Who is ISO/IEC 17025 for?

The standard targets testing laboratories (chemical, microbiological, mechanical, electrical, environmental analysis) and calibration laboratories (metrology for mass, length, temperature, pressure, electrical quantities). It includes industrial labs, contract labs, government labs, and university labs.

Why get certified?

ISO 17025 accreditation gives international recognition to laboratory results (ILAC mutual recognition agreements), conditions access to many regulated markets, reduces duplicate testing between customers and suppliers, and structures measurement uncertainty control.