Laboratories
Laboratory Quality Management System ISO/IEC 17025
A programme in building and implementing the quality management system of testing and calibration laboratories to the requirements of ISO/IEC 17025:2017: the general and structural requirements, the resource, process and management system requirements, the documents and records the system rests on, and the steps towards accreditation.
Overview
About the programme
Duration
4 days
Training hours
12 hours
Delivery
Training hall · Virtual · At your premises
Language
Arabic or English
Objectives
Training outcomes
- Explain the structure of ISO/IEC 17025:2017, its terms and the basic measurement concepts, and the main changes from the 2005 edition.
- Apply the impartiality, confidentiality and structural requirements to the organisation of the laboratory.
- Manage resources to the standard: personnel competence, facilities and environmental conditions, equipment, metrological traceability, and externally provided products and services.
- Apply the process requirements along the sample’s path through the laboratory: review of requests and contracts, method selection, receipt and handling of samples, technical records and reporting.
- Build the management system documents and records, and run internal audits, corrective action and management review.
- Understand the steps of laboratory accreditation and the role of the accreditation body.
Content
What the programme covers
Day 1: the standard and its concepts
- Why laboratories are qualified and accredited, and how ISO/IEC 17025 relates to ISO 9001.
- Terms of the standard and measurement concepts: metrological traceability, calibration, verification, uncertainty and the decision rule.
- Structure of the 2017 edition and the main changes from 2005: risk-based thinking, the process requirements, and management system options A and B.
Day 2: general, structural and resource requirements
- Clauses 4 and 5: impartiality and confidentiality, legal entity, responsibilities and authorities, and the scope of laboratory activities.
- Clause 6: personnel competence, qualification and supervision, facilities and environmental conditions, equipment and calibration programmes, metrological traceability, and purchasing and external services.
Day 3: process requirements
- Clause 7: review of requests, tenders and contracts, selection and verification of methods, sampling, and handling of test or calibration items.
- Technical records, an overview of ensuring the validity of results, reporting, complaints, nonconforming work, and control of data and information management.
Day 4: the management system and accreditation
- Clause 8: management system documentation, control of documents and records, actions to address risks and opportunities, improvement, corrective action, internal audits and management review.
- The document hierarchy: quality manual, procedures, work instructions, forms and records.
- The steps to accreditation of testing and calibration laboratories and the role of the accreditation body, including the Saudi Accreditation Center, followed by the assessment.
Who it is for
Target audience
Laboratory managers, quality managers and quality officers, technicians and analysts in laboratories setting up their quality system or preparing for accreditation, and staff of organisations that rely on results from accredited laboratories.
Method
Delivery method
Short lectures followed by work on the clauses of the standard: participants compare their laboratory’s practice with each requirement and draft selected forms and procedures. Examples can be built on the laboratory’s own field (water, food, environment or calibration) if the organisation shares its scope with the centre before the programme. Delivered in person or online, in Arabic or English.
Questions
FAQ
How does this programme differ from the quality assurance and internal audit programmes?
This programme builds the system itself: understanding, implementing and documenting the requirements. The programme on quality assurance in laboratories and chemical analysis goes deeper into the validity of results: method validation, uncertainty, control charts and proficiency testing. The internal audit programme prepares participants to audit the system once it is in place.
Is the laboratory accredited after the programme?
No. The programme builds an understanding of the requirements of the standard and how to implement and document them; accreditation is granted by the accreditation body after it assesses the laboratory.
Can we bring our current system documents?
Yes. Participants can bring their current quality manual and procedures to compare them with the requirements of the standard during the exercises.
A programme tailored to your organisation
The duration and topics of the programme are adjusted to the organisation's needs, and it is delivered at its site, in a training hall arranged by the Center, or virtually.