ISO/IEC 17025 Registrars - I'm confused about "accredited" registrars for ISO 17025

[WCHorn]

I'm confused about "accredited" registrars for ISO 17025. I'm not satisfied with our current registrar and I want to use a different registrar. Which are the accreditation bodies for registrars and is there a source for a comprehensive list of registrars? Internet searches seem hit and miss.

Thank you,
Carl

 

[Sidney Vianna]

Re: ISO/IEC 17025 Registrars - I'm confused about "accredited" registrars for ISO 170

Hi Carl, hope all is well.

ISO/IEC 17025 is not a standard to which the registrars get accredited to, via, for example, ANAB, RvA or UKAS. If you go to the ANAB website and check their directory, you will see that they do not accredit registrars to this standard.

Typically labs get ACCREDITED to ISO 17025, via a lab accreditation body, such as A2LA, IAS, NAVLAB, etc...Check attached communique'.

 

[Hershal]

Re: ISO/IEC 17025 Registrars - I'm confused about "accredited" registrars for ISO 170

Thanks Sidney, you are absolutely correct.....

Laboratories become accredited to (in the U.S.) ANS/ISO/IEC 17025 by accrediting bodies (ABs).....internationally to ISO/IEC 17025.....

Accreditation (e.g., ANS/ISO/IEC 17025) and Registration (e.g., ISO 9001) are not the same, and so the need for the difference in bodies required.

The best website to find another accrediting body in the U.S., where WCHorn is at, is:

http://www.aplac.org

Be sure that you review ALL the ABs listed for the U.S., or other countries should you desire. Discuss your needs with, and obtain quotes from, ALL the ABs that can service you - BEFORE - you sign with any AB. This is smart shopping and makes the AB.

Hope this helps.

Hershal

 

[Helmut Jilling]

Re: ISO/IEC 17025 Registrars - I'm confused about "accredited" registrars for ISO 170

I'm confused about "accredited" registrars for ISO 17025. I'm not satisfied with our current registrar and I want to use a different registrar. Which are the accreditation bodies for registrars and is there a source for a comprehensive list of registrars? Internet searches seem hit and miss.

Thank you,
Carl

Please clarify for us. Are you a Test Lab which is currently accredited to ISO 17025?

 

[suedoe]

more confused about 17025 accreditation bodies

These responses don't tell the whole story........how do you find the ABs--Accreditation Bodies for the US? The aplac.org link directs us to IAS, A2LA and NVLAP.....they aren't the only ABs are they? What about L.A.B.? And what about Orion Registrars, NSAI, or Perry Johnson, etc. who claim they can get you 'certified"?? I understand that you need accreditation and not registration, but I am still not clear who those people actually are, in the U.S.!!

thanks
Sue

 

[Hershal]

Re: ISO/IEC 17025 Registrars - I'm confused about "accredited" registrars for ISO 170

suedoe, you are correct that there are others.....but the question then becomes "Do you only need paper on the wall?" in which case, there are several options.....if one needs recognition as it is known, whether from APLAC or ILAC, then there are four in the U.S......IAS, A2LA, NVLAP, and ACLASS.

Other recognized options available in North America include Canada (SCC or CLAS) and Mexico (EMA), which are also signatories.....

Hope this helps.

Hershal

 

[lindal]

Re: more confused about 17025 accreditation bodies

These responses don't tell the whole story........how do you find the ABs--Accreditation Bodies for the US? The aplac.org link directs us to IAS, A2LA and NVLAP.....they aren't the only ABs are they? What about L.A.B.? And what about Orion Registrars, NSAI, or Perry Johnson, etc. who claim they can get you 'certified"?? I understand that you need accreditation and not registration, but I am still not clear who those people actually are, in the U.S.!!

thanks
Sue

I have a question about this too. One of our testing houses is accredited through BSI for their quality system, but is their conformance to 17025 is accredited by Perry Johnson Laboratory Accreditation, inc.

I am preparing for an audit and am usually concerned when I see PJ anywhere, I didn't know that they were qualified to "certificate" labs. Is this normal? I'm used to seeing accreditation by A2LA or NVLAP.

Should I just relax?

 

[Rmuse]

Re: more confused about 17025 accreditation bodies

Sue,

Hershal is correct in that right now there are only 4 recognized Accreditation Bodies in the US. They are ACLASS, A2LA, IAS and NVLAP. Most companies are running into trouble with a Perry Johnson accreditation because PJL is not an ILAC signatory. This means that a great number of companies will not acknowledge your accreditation. This is especially true in the last year or so. Some companies are just now realizing this now becasue the regulators, OEM, specifiers, etc are recently requiring accreditation by an ILAC signatory.

Roger Muse
ACLASS Accreditation Services

 

[Mr Niceguy]

Re: ISO/IEC 17025 Registrars - I'm confused about "accredited" registrars for ISO 170

From a UK perspective, with only UKAS as the national AB, I was interested in this thread. From the UKAS website I find that the ILAC mutually recognised ABs in the USA are the 4 mentioned above ACLASS, A2LA, NVLAP, IAS and no other. Therefore my first thoughts were that, when faced with a testing/calibration certificate originating with Perry Johnson, I could not accept its equivalence. On going to the PJ website my second thoughts were that I might be premature not to accept its equivalence. At least the full scopes of the labs are published with expiration dates. But then there were third thoughts ! PJ say they they are recognised as ABs by NACLA and give the link - but NACLA don't list them as recognised on their website. They are listed as full members of APLAC on the APLAC website but not as signatories of the APLAC Mutual Recognition Arrangment. All in all a few inconsistencies.

 

[WCHorn]

Re: ISO/IEC 17025 Registrars - I'm confused about "accredited" registrars for ISO 170

Please clarify for us. Are you a Test Lab which is currently accredited to ISO 17025?

I work for a manufacturer that has captive laboratory that is accredited by a non-signatory to ILAC (PRI/NADCAP). We need the accreditation to avoid subcontracting a lot of testing to ISO 17025 accredited laboratories. Technically, we are not required by out customers or contracts to have accreditation by ab ILAC signatory, but I've heard that that will change in the not-too-distant future.