Sanctioned interpretation #10 - ISO 17025

[batteryguy]

The company we use for most of our calibrations is accredited to ISO17025, but they charge extra (almost double) for an ISO17025 calibration. Their regular calibration certificates do have the ILAC-MRA symbol on them. Its not clear to me that the ISO17025 calibration is actually performed differently than their regular calibration. Is it a requirement that we pay for the ISO17025 calibration to meet the intent of sanctioned interpretation #10, or does the ILAC-MRA stamp on the calibration certificate cover this requirement?

"SI 10 the laboratory shall be accredited to ISO/IEC 17025 or its national equivalent (e.g., CNAS-CL01 in China) by an accreditation body (Signatory) of the ILAC MRA (International Laboratory Accreditation Forum Mutual Recognition Arrangement – www.ilac.org) or national equivalent and include the relevant inspection, test, or calibration service in the scope of the accreditation (certificate); the certificate of calibration or test report shall include the mark of a national accreditation body"

 

[John C. Abnet]

Is it a requirement that we pay for the ISO17025 calibration to meet the intent of sanctioned interpretation #10, or does the ILAC-MRA stamp on the calibration certificate cover this requirement?

Good day @batteryguy ;
The short answer is "no".

It all sounds fishy to me. Your organization's obligation is to be able to demonstrate that the source you are using is "...accredited to ISO/IEC 17025..."

Period.

Hope this helps.
Be well.

 

[Jim Wynne]

The idea of charging more for "accredited" calibration service is a damnable (and now common) practice that started back in the nineties, I think, and is just a way of squeezing more money out of customers. This bit is relevant: "and include the relevant inspection, test, or calibration service in the scope of the accreditation (certificate)." I have no idea why "certificate" is in parentheses (maybe we need another SI for that), but for your calibration certificate to pass muster with an auditor, it needs to have all of the relevant evidence of accreditation on it, including, but not limited to, evidence that the calibration provider is qualified to calibrate the device in question, traceability information, as-found and as-calibrated data and information regarding the provider's 17025 accreditation.