Procedure, Frequency and Acceptance Criteria for Replicate, Recalibration, Before-After and Intermediate Checks

[Richie Rich]

Hello Everyone,
In my calibration laboratory, we are required to carry out replicate calibration, recalibration of retained items, intermediate checks and in-out / before-after / inservice checks as per Clause 7.7 of ISO/IEC 17025:2017. Could someone out there guide me regarding its detailed procedure, frequency and acceptance criteria for these checks? Or maybe point me to a standard?

Thanks in advance.
Peace.
Richie Rich

 

[dwperron]

The criteria for the frequency will be based on risk to your process - what is the risk of a particular standard being out of tolerance to your process? If dealing with a high use standard like a multifunction calibrator there is a lot more risk than there is with a gauge block, so the frequency would be higher.
The detailed procedure is one you must come up with, as you alone can determine what is important for your lab to be checking based on risk to your processes. You go after the items that can cause the most trouble for you if they are out of tolerance, and you figure what level of error is "acceptable" when you set your acceptance criteria.

 

[Subhasis Mallik]

Enclosing a reference document, which may be useful for you to decide on these aspects.
Thanks.
Moderator Note: A copyright-protected document was removed. It carried this warning in its copyright notice:
"...you must not modify, copy, reproduce, republish, frame, upload to a third party, store in a retrieval system, post, transmit or distribute this content in any way or any form or by any means without express written authority from NATA. "

 

[Richie Rich]

Hello @Subhasis Mallik The moderator has removed the reference document due to copyright issue. Could you please name the reference document, so I could look it up?

Thanks in advance.
Peace.
Richie Rich

 

[Subhasis Mallik]

Actually this document has no copyright issue since it is available in Australian Accreditation Agency called NATA (National Association of Testing Authorities, Australia) as free downloads for anybody.

Since I can not put any link so far, you may help the members here by putting the link.

Search for NATA Australia in Google search and go the home page of National Association of Testing Authorities, Australia.

Then go to the "Accreditation Information" in main menu.

Then look at the sub-menu list at left and go to "Accreditation Criteria and Guidance" block and then further to "OECD Principles of Good Practices" and then you will see list of lots of downloadable materials.

In that list look for BOLD HEADER as "GENERAL ACCREDITATION GUIDANCE" and the document name below that as "General Equipment Table".

You will be able to download the document which is to be used as a guide only by laboratory, with necessary validation or justification.

Thanks for your interest.

Best regards.
Subhasis

 

[Subhasis Mallik]

You can also put search in google as "general equipment table nata" to download it directly.

 

[Richie Rich]

Actually this document has no copyright issue since it is available in Australian Accreditation Agency called NATA (National Association of Testing Authorities, Australia) as free downloads for anybody.

Since I can not put any link so far, you may help the members here by putting the link.

Search for NATA Australia in Google search and go the home page of National Association of Testing Authorities, Australia.

Then go to the "Accreditation Information" in main menu.

Then look at the sub-menu list at left and go to "Accreditation Criteria and Guidance" block and then further to "OECD Principles of Good Practices" and then you will see list of lots of downloadable materials.

In that list look for BOLD HEADER as "GENERAL ACCREDITATION GUIDANCE" and the document name below that as "General Equipment Table".

You will be able to download the document which is to be used as a guide only by laboratory, with necessary validation or justification.

Thanks for your interest.

Best regards.
Subhasis

Hello @ Subhasis Mallik Thanks for the clear instructions. I found the document and it was useful for me.

 

[Jim Wynne]

Actually this document has no copyright issue since it is available in Australian Accreditation Agency called NATA (National Association of Testing Authorities, Australia) as free downloads for anybody.

Please read again the bit I quoted earlier from the document:

"...you must not modify, copy, reproduce, republish, frame, upload to a third party, store in a retrieval system, post, transmit or distribute this content in any way or any form or by any means without express written authority from NATA. "

While the document might be available for free downloading for personal use, it doesn't mean that it can be posted in a public forum.

 

[Subhasis Mallik]

Noted with thanks.