IJCA Vol 5 Issue 1 - Flipbook - Page 56
The International Journal of Conformity Assessment
b. ISO/IEC 17025 – Calibration Laboratories
Calibration laboratories establish and maintain
the link between measurement instruments and
national or international measurement standards.
Through the application of metrological principles,
calibration laboratories ensure that instruments
used in industry, testing, and inspection produce
accurate and traceable results.
Examples include:
A temperature calibration laboratory calibrates
thermometers against a reference platinum
resistance thermometer traceable to SI units.
A pressure calibration laboratory ensures
that pressure gauges used in aviation or oil
and gas applications produce precise and
consistent measurements.
2026 | Volume 5, Issue 1
Examples include:
For electrical products, measurements of
voltage, current, and insulation resistance
must be traceable to ensure compliance with
applicable safety standards.
For automotive components, assessments of
dimensional accuracy and material strength
rely on calibrated measurement systems to
con昀椀rm product performance.
Through the application of metrological principles,
product certification results are scientifically
sound, comparable across schemes, and suitable
for international acceptance.
e. ISO/IEC 17024 – Personnel Certi昀椀cation Bodies
Calibration laboratories are central to the
metrology infrastructure, providing the critical
link between national metrology institutes and
practical measurement use in industry.
Personnel certi昀椀cation bodies assess individual
competence based on objective performance criteria
and measurable outcomes. Metrology supports
these assessments by ensuring that measurements
used during practical examinations and evaluations
are accurate, traceable, and consistent.
c. ISO/IEC 17020 – Inspection Bodies
Examples include:
Inspection bodies assess the safety, quality,
or compliance of products, processes, and
installations. Metrology ensures that inspection
activities are supported by accurate and traceable
measurements, allowing inspection results to be
objective, repeatable, and technically defensible.
Examples include:
In pre-shipment inspection of commodities
such as rice and edible oil, weighing
balances, moisture meters, 昀氀ow meters,
and densitometers must be calibrated and
traceable to verify weight, quantity, moisture
content, and purity before shipment.
In vehicle inspection programs, emissions
analyzers and brake testers rely on accurate
calibration to support regulatory compliance
and public safety.
By applying metrological principles, inspection
bodies can produce consistent and reliable results
that support regulatory decisions and stakeholder
confidence.
d. ISO/IEC 17065 – Product Certi昀椀cation Bodies
Product certi昀椀cation bodies verify that products
meet speci昀椀ed technical, safety, and performance
requirements. Metrology supports product
certi昀椀cation by ensuring that the measurements
used during evaluation and testing are accurate,
traceable, and 昀椀t for purpose.
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In welder certi昀椀cation, calibrated equipment is
used to measure weld dimensions and assess
mechanical strength.
In laboratory analyst certi昀椀cation, practical
assessments rely on traceably calibrated
pipettes and balances to evaluate technical
competence.
By relying on validated measurement systems,
personnel certification bodies can demonstrate
that certification decisions are based on reliable
and impartial evidence.
f. ISO/IEC 17021 – Management System
Certi昀椀cation Bodies
Management system certi昀椀cation bodies (e.g.,
ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 45001) evaluate
organizational processes, controls, and
performance against de昀椀ned management
system requirements. Metrology supports
these evaluations by ensuring that monitoring
and measurement data used to assess system
effectiveness are accurate, traceable, and reliable.
Examples include:
In quality management systems, Clause 7.1.5
of ISO 9001 requires organizations to control
and calibrate monitoring and measuring
resources.
In environmental management systems,
