New rule document for testing laboratories published
After completion of the consultation process, Deutsche Akkreditierungsstelle (DAkkS) has published the new “Rule for application of DIN EN ISO/IEC 17025 for the accreditation of testing laboratories” (R-17025-PL) on its website and put it into force.
For administrative practice, the rule fleshes out the provisions of DIN EN ISO/IEC 17025:2018, the standard for testing laboratories, at the necessary points. This standard specifies general requirements for the competence of these laboratories and serves as the central basis for their accreditation. In addition to DAkkS rule R-17011 and where required for testing laboratories, the new rule also sets out the requirements of DIN EN ISO/IEC 17011:2018 applicable to the accreditation procedure in greater detail.
Important to know: the provisions of the new rule build directly on the text of the standard. The rule does not reiterate the content of the standard and provides no comprehensive explanations, information or reasons for the specifications contained in the document. The standard itself is a document protected by copyright that is available for purchase from the publisher Beuth-Verlag.
What changes as a result of rule R-17025-PL?
The new rule R-17025-PL entails no substantive changes in terms of accreditation practice, but rather provides more detailed definitions where necessary. The essential basis for the accreditation of testing laboratories is the standard itself.
Requirements of international rules of the organisations European co-operation for Accreditation (EA) and International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC) for the accreditation of testing laboratories, which were previously part of horizontal DAkkS rules, have been incorporated into the new rule R-17025-PL. This applies in particular to the requirements in the documents EA-2/15 M on the accreditation of flexible scopes and ILAC-P10 on metrological traceability of test results.
The categories for flexible scopes of accreditation will in future be designated A, B and C, replacing the previous classifications as III, I and II. In terms of content, the new and previous categories are almost identical, the only change being the addition of one statement to category B as compared to category I. The changed designations of the categories make it more clearly evident that the categories are hierarchically structured.
A gradual introduction of the new category designations for flexibility is planned from the second half of 2023. From then on and during a subsequent transition period, the previous and new designations will apply equally. Information on their introduction, including application documents and sectoral arrangements in accordance with the DAkkS organisational structure, will be published on the website in good time.
The DAkkS body of rules
With rule R-17025-PL, DAkkS is moving forward with the next important element of its new approach to rules. Further rules concerning the basic standards for the various conformity assessment activities are currently being prepared. Consultations on these draft rules are also planned, with a view to giving interested parties the opportunity to express their opinion.
