Establish measurement traceability to the International System of Units for laboratory results.
Quality & Productivity
ISO/IEC 17025 Laboratory Accreditation and Measurement Traceability
Prepare a testing or calibration laboratory for ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation, covering measurement traceability, uncertainty budgets, method validation and the management system audits assessors expect.
🗓️Duration5 training days
📚Content4 modules · 8 sessions
🎓On completionAccredited attendance certificate
About the programme
Course Overview
ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation tells a laboratory's customers, regulators and courts that its test and calibration results can be trusted, but reaching that standard means far more than writing a quality manual: it means demonstrating measurement traceability to the International System of Units, calculating a defensible uncertainty budget for every method, and running a management system that an assessor can audit against objective evidence rather than intent. This course takes participants through the technical and management requirements side by side, starting with establishing traceability through calibration certificates and reference materials, then building uncertainty budgets using the sources of error specific to a given test or measurement method. Sessions cover validating and verifying methods before they go into routine use, participating in proficiency testing and interlaboratory comparisons to demonstrate ongoing competence, and handling non-conforming work and customer complaints in a way that satisfies both the standard and the accreditation body. The final modules address running internal audits and management reviews that generate real evidence, and preparing the laboratory for an on-site assessment without last-minute documentation exercises. Participants leave with an uncertainty budget template and an internal audit checklist mapped to the standard's clauses.
Expected Learning Outcomes
Calculate an uncertainty budget identifying the dominant sources of error for a given method.
Validate or verify a test or calibration method before releasing it into routine use.
Design a proficiency testing and interlaboratory comparison programme for ongoing competence.
Handle non-conforming work and customer complaints in line with ISO/IEC 17025 requirements.
Run internal audits that generate objective evidence against the standard's clauses.
Prepare a laboratory for an on-site accreditation assessment without last-minute rework.
Who Should Attend
Laboratory managers preparing a testing or calibration facility for first-time accreditation.
Quality managers maintaining ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation across multiple laboratory sites.
Technical staff responsible for calculating uncertainty budgets and validating methods.
Metrologists and calibration technicians establishing traceability for measurement equipment.
Internal auditors assigned to audit laboratories against ISO/IEC 17025 requirements.
Regulatory and compliance staff overseeing laboratories that support certification decisions.
Course Modules
Select any module to see its sessions and points.
01Measurement traceability and the accreditation framework
2 sessions · 8 points
Session 1Understanding ISO/IEC 17025 structure and scope
- Interpret the general, structural, resource, process and management system requirements.
- Define the scope of accreditation in terms of tests, methods and measurement ranges.
- Distinguish testing laboratory requirements from calibration laboratory requirements.
- Map accreditation body policies and application documents to the standard's clauses.
Session 2Establishing measurement traceability
- Trace measurement results back to the International System of Units through calibration chains.
- Select calibration providers and reference materials that maintain an unbroken traceability chain.
- Verify calibration certificates for scope, uncertainty and traceability statements.
- Manage equipment calibration intervals based on drift history and risk of measurement failure.
02Uncertainty of measurement and method performance
2 sessions · 8 points
Session 1Building an uncertainty budget
- Identify sources of uncertainty specific to a given test or calibration method.
- Combine uncertainty contributions using appropriate statistical methods into a budget.
- Express and report expanded uncertainty alongside test and calibration results.
- Review uncertainty budgets when equipment, methods or environmental conditions change.
Session 2Validating and verifying methods
- Distinguish method verification of a standard method from full validation of a new method.
- Design validation studies covering accuracy, precision, range and robustness.
- Document validation evidence sufficient to withstand assessor and customer scrutiny.
- Decide when a validated method must be revalidated after a significant change.
03Demonstrating ongoing competence
2 sessions · 8 points
Session 1Proficiency testing and interlaboratory comparison
- Select proficiency testing schemes appropriate to the laboratory's accredited scope.
- Interpret z-scores and other performance statistics from proficiency testing rounds.
- Investigate and close out unsatisfactory proficiency testing performance with corrective action.
- Plan interlaboratory comparisons for methods without an available proficiency scheme.
Session 2Handling non-conforming work and complaints
- Identify non-conforming work arising from equipment failure, method deviation or human error.
- Assess the impact of non-conforming work on previously issued results and notify customers.
- Investigate customer complaints and technical queries with documented root cause analysis.
- Distinguish corrective action from a mere reissue of a corrected test report.
04Internal audits and preparing for assessment
2 sessions · 8 points
Session 1Running internal audits and management review
- Plan an internal audit programme covering every clause and accredited method over a cycle.
- Train internal auditors to gather objective evidence rather than confirm existing paperwork.
- Structure a management review addressing risk, opportunity and accreditation body feedback.
- Track corrective action closure and effectiveness following internal audit findings.
Session 2Preparing for the on-site assessment
- Rehearse witnessed testing or calibration activities as an assessor will observe them.
- Prepare technical records and uncertainty budgets for assessor review during the visit.
- Respond to assessment findings with root cause analysis and evidence of correction.
- Plan surveillance and reassessment cycles to sustain accreditation between full assessments.
What the participant receives
4 course modules
A structured syllabus
8 training sessions
across 5 days
32 detailed points
Applied, detailed content
Accredited attendance certificate
On completing the programme
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