What does UKAS accreditation mean for a laboratory?
authoritative third party. The United Kingdom Accreditation. Is the laboratory you commission for your testing technically competent? Service (UKAS) is the sole accreditation body recognised by Government to assess, against internationally recognised standards, organisations that provide testing services.
What are UKAS assessments in a lab?
UKAS assessments are conducted to gather objective evidence that a laboratory is competent; assessing the competence of a laboratory will include the competence of the personnel, the validity of test methodologies and the validity of outcomes/test results.
How do you become an accredited laboratory?
In order for a laboratory to become accredited it must not only prove it has a quality system that meets the specific requirements, it must also prove it is technically competent, i.e. meets the claimed measurement accuracies and traceability, for the testing or calibrations listed on its Scope of Accreditation.
Why do labs need to be accredited?
An accredited laboratory inspires confidence in its customers. Laboratory accreditation is the internationally accepted framework for increasing test quality and reducing the frequency of laboratory errors. Using standards ensures that the laboratory is implementing the steps that the accrediting agency requires.
Is UKAS accreditation a legal requirement?
UKAS is aware of the existence of non-accredited certification bodies offering services that could potentially be accredited. In many sectors, accreditation is voluntary and there is no legal requirement to be accredited or to hold accredited certification therefore the organisation is not operating illegally.
Why is UKAS accreditation important?
UKAS ensure that certification bodies meet the ISO 17021 standard for conformity assessment. Companies that achieve UKAS accreditation should be shouting about it. The internationally-recognised accreditation gives your business a competitive advantage, opening access to new markets within the EU and beyond.
Which is better certified or accredited?
Certification provides written assurance that a person, product, or process conforms to specified requirements and standards. Certification, also like accreditation, is an attestation made by a third party. Accreditation is generally considered to be a higher level of recognition than certification.
Is accredited the same as certified?
Accreditation vs Certification Certification represents a written assurance by a third party of the conformity of a product, process or service to specified requirements. Accreditation, on the other hand, is the formal recognition by an authoritative body of the competence to work to specified standards.
Which is the accreditation body for laboratories?
The laboratory accreditation process begins with a request for accreditation. ANAB provides laboratory accreditation to ISO 17025 and multiple standards in many industry-specific programs.
How do I get UKAS accreditation?
Application forms – to apply for accreditation please download and complete the relevant application form(s) from our webpage. UKAS Agreement – applications forms need to be submitted to [email protected] with a signed copy of the UKAS agreement.
Is lab accreditation mandatory?
Hence, accreditation is voluntary since laboratories aren’t required to hold ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation to execute calibration testing. However, formal recognition is a globally accepted proof of conformance to the standard’s requirements.
Which is the national accreditation body for the UK?
UKAS is the UK’s National Accreditation Body, responsible for determining, in the public interest, the technical competence and integrity of organisations such as those offering testing, calibration and certification services.
Do you have to comply with UKAS publications?
UKAS has also published or adopted other publications concerned with specialised aspects of testing and calibration. Even if a publication is applicable to only part of a laboratory’s activities, compliance with the requirements in the publication is still mandatory.
What are the international standards for laboratory accreditation?
In addition, the following international standards include criteria that are used in the accreditation of specific laboratory activities: ISO 15195:2018 Laboratory medicine – Requirements for the competence of calibration laboratories using reference measurement procedures (Used in combination with ISO/IEC 17025:2017)
Why does a laboratory need ISO / IEC 17025 accreditation?
Accreditation to ISO/IEC 17025 plays an important role in supporting the provision of accurate and reliable results from laboratory testing, calibration, sampling and measurement services across many sectors. The technical competence of a laboratory depends on a number of factors including: The qualifications, training and experience of the staff