Laboratory Accreditation &

our experience
 The “tion” words - ISO
• Registration • Accreditation • Certification
• ISO 9001 • ISO 17025 • Certification is
Management • Formal recognition of usually a product
system standard is competence to carry guarantee
generic out specific tests or • TUV certifications
• Formal recognition calibrations are examples
of a management • Accreditation is having
system a Management System
• Not a certification and demonstrating
Not a guarantee for competency
the quality
Mutual Recognition
Agreement
(MRA)
Eliminate conformity
assessment as a Technical
Barrier to Trade through

recognition of Competence
between Accreditation Bodies
 Why Seek Accreditation?
• Legal requirements
• Customer requirements ~ Reduce risk of invalid testing/calibration results
(data quality)
• Marketing advantage
• International Trade (in a University environment validity of data)

 More reliable results

 More credibility for our laboratories
 More credibility for our users’ publications
 Motivators for Accreditation
“Research and Development labs are
increasingly urged to provide evidence
for the quality and traceability of their
results” (Grochau et al., 2018, p. )

Implementation of a quality
system on ISO 17025 and
accreditation are completely
achievable in a University
environment (Zapata-Garcia et al.,
2007)

Grochau et al., 2018

 Accreditation benefits & difficulties

Grochau et al., 2018

 Our experience

• Is it a lot more work?

• Is it worth it?
• Will our users notice any difference?
• Cost: IA: $11k, 1st year: $8k, 2nd year: $11k, 3rd year: $1k (*Discount)

KAUST
 References

Grochau IH, ten Caten CS, Forte MMC (2017) Current American landscape in laboratory
accreditation according to ISO/IEC 17025. Accred Qual Assur 22:57–62

ISO/IEC 17025 (2005) General requirements for the competence of testing and calibration
laboratories. International Organization for Standardization (ISO), Geneva

Zapata-Garcıa D, Llaurado M, Rauret G (2007) Experience of implementing ISO 17025 for

the accreditation of a university testing laboratory. Accred Qual Assur 12:317–322

KAUST