Laboratory performance audits in accordance with the ISO 17025 standard

COFRAC, or Comité Français d'Accréditation, is responsible for recognising the technical competence of conformity assessment bodies (laboratories, certification bodies, etc.) in France. COFRAC is responsible for accrediting these bodies in accordance with current international standards and benchmarks in order to guarantee their impartiality, independence and reliability. COFRAC accreditation gives customers of accredited bodies confidence in the quality of the services provided. COFRAC also plays an important role in promoting accreditation to companies, public authorities and the general public.

It is important to choose a laboratory that is COFRAC accredited to ISO 17025 because this standard defines the requirements for the technical competence and impartiality of testing and calibration laboratories. COFRAC ISO 17025 accreditation therefore guarantees that the laboratory has been assessed and recognised for its ability to carry out tests and calibrations in the fields covered by its scope of accreditation, in compliance with the requirements of the standard. Choosing a COFRAC ISO 17025 accredited laboratory therefore ensures that the results provided by the laboratory are reliable, accurate and relevant to the user's needs. In addition, COFRAC ISO 17025 accreditation is recognition of the laboratory's competence at international level, which can facilitate recognition of test or calibration results abroad.

There are several ways of checking the validity of a laboratory's COFRAC ISO 17025 accreditation. Here are a few steps to follow:

• Check for an accreditation certificate: the COFRAC-accredited laboratory must be able to provide a valid accreditation certificate, indicating the scope of accreditation and the period of validity.

View the Filab accreditation certificate.

• Consult the list of accredited bodies: COFRAC publishes a list of accredited bodies on its website. By using the search engine available on the website, you can check whether the laboratory is on this list.

• Identify the scope of accreditation: the scope of accreditation is important because it specifies the tests or calibrations for which the laboratory has been assessed. It is therefore important to identify whether the laboratory's scope of accreditation actually covers the tests or calibrations for which you wish to use its services.

• Check the period of validity: it is important to check that the accreditation is still valid and has not expired in the meantime. The period of validity is specified on the accreditation certificate.

• Contact COFRAC: if you have any doubts about the validity of a laboratory's accreditation, you can contact COFRAC directly, who will be able to confirm whether the laboratory is indeed accredited and whether its accreditation is valid.

The audit forCOFRAC ISO 17025 accreditation of an analysis laboratory takes place in several stages. Here are the main ones:

1. Preparing for the audit: before the audit, the laboratory must prepare a certain number of documents, such as the quality manual, standard operating procedures, work instructions, etc. These documents will be examined by the auditor to check that they comply with the standard. These documents will be examined by the auditor to check that they comply with ISO 17025.
2. Documentary audit: during this stage, the auditor examines the documents prepared by the laboratory to ensure that they meet the requirements of ISO 17025. The auditor may also ask questions of laboratory staff to clarify certain points.
3. On-site audit: this stage consists of assessing the laboratory's technical skills and compliance with the requirements of ISO 17025. The auditor makes direct observations of the laboratory's activities, examines test or calibration records, interviews staff and may carry out tests or calibrations in the presence of laboratory staff.
4. Audit report: at the end of the audit, the auditor draws up an audit report describing the audit findings, any non-conformities and recommendations. The laboratory may then be required to take corrective action to rectify any non-conformities identified.
5. Accreditation decision: finally, after receiving the audit report, the COFRAC accreditation committee takes a decision on the laboratory's accreditation. If accreditation is granted, the laboratory receives an accreditation certificate and can then use the COFRAC logo on its documents.

To obtain ISO 17025 certification, follow these steps:

1. Study the standard: Understand the technical and management requirements of ISO 17025.
2. Initial assessment: Identify the gaps between your practices and the standard.
3. Compliance: Implement the necessary corrective actions.
4. Documentation: Establish documentation that complies with the standard.
5. Implementation: Apply the new practices on a daily basis.
6. Internal audit: Check compliance through an internal audit.
7. Choice of body: Select an accreditation body.
8. External audit: Have your laboratory audited by an accredited body such as Filab.
9. Certification: Obtain certification after passing the audit.
10. Ongoing monitoring: Maintain certification with regular audits.

These steps will guide you towards ISO 17025 certification for your laboratory.