ISO 17025 - Contractor certification?

[Casana]

We use a contractor to come on site and perform calibrations on our equipment, using our purchased calibration standards. They come once a month and aside from calibrating using our standards, they perform minor maintenance (such as changing an o-ring). His work is supervised by our employees.

I know the standard says we must use an ISO 17025 certified laboratory for outside services. Could I state that this contractor is our (temporary) employee for that one day a month or must they become ISO 17025 certified? Feels ridiculous to ask a one person business to become certified!

 

[Jim Wynne]

If you're using an outside service, the rule for the provider being 17025 accredited applies.

 

[Casana]

This is where I'm confused: If I hire a temporary worker, confirm their capabilities, then have them do the calibrations is that an 'outside service' or not?

 

[Jim Wynne]

I understand that this is a bit of a gray area, but if you're bringing in a contractor to specifically do calibration, you will sooner or later run into a CB auditor who will call you on it.

 

[Casana]

I understand that this is a bit of a gray area, but if you're bringing in a contractor to specifically do calibration, you will sooner or later run into a CB auditor who will call you on it.

Sounds like calibrations cannot be done by anyone other than a full employee then, and cannot be done by a temporary employee.
Need to figure out a plan B then. Thanks for the comments!

 

[Sidney Vianna]

Sounds like calibrations cannot be done by anyone other than a full employee then, and cannot be done by a temporary employee.

The intent of the requirement has nothing to do with the employment status of the people performing the calibration. The intent is to have a ROBUST calibration process, done by competent personnel, either by an "internal" or external lab. If you can establish your own internal lab and hire a temporary person to perform the actual calibration, based on your own process, including technical procedures, and are able to demonstrate this person's competence, a CB auditor should never question if the person is a full time or part-time employee.