Thesis (M.Sc.) - Cairo University - Institute of Statistical Studies and Research - Department of Statistical Quality Control and Quality Assurance

Some misunderstandings occurred in the general community about the roles and significance of accreditation and certification with respect to laboratories and their quality management systems. There is a particular need to explain the differences between accreditation and certification when laboratories require some independent recognition of their competence in accordance with ISO/IEC 17025 or of compliance of their quality management system with ISO 900. Users of laboratories services also need to understand the different purposes of the two standards and the significance of specifying compliance with either of them when they commission services from a laboratory. Some organizations which have laboratories to conduct an internal check of their measuring equipment. These organizations have their quality management systems certified according to the ISO 9001 standard and so all its departments and sub- departments must also comply with the requirements of this standard. The laboratory which is a part of organization certified according to ISO 9001, is that enough for the laboratory to have international recognition with its test report or calibration certificate or it should accredited according to ISO 17025 or apply both of the two standards. Applying ISO 17025 uses criteria and procedures specifically developed to determine technical competence. Specialist technical assessors conduct a thorough evaluation of all factors in a facility that affect the production of technical data. The criteria are based on an international standard, which is used for evaluating laboratories throughout the world

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