International Organization for Standardization (ISO)/International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) 17025
Global laboratory standards for reliable results
The International Organization for Standardization, or ISO, is an organization that establishes standards and requirements for international businesses, including various testing laboratories. This non-governmental organization consists of 50,000 experts from 149 countries dedicated to establishing and maintaining industry standards.
The International Electrotechnical Commission, or IEC, is a global organization that is dedicated to improving world trade through the latest technology. IEC has worked with ISO to establish many global business standards, including ISO/IEC 17025.
ISO/IEC 17025, which is sometimes simply written as ISO 17025, is a set of standards used by laboratories dedicated to testing and calibration. This set of standards, in conjunction with Forensic Quality Services standards, is specifically designated for DNA testing labs.
Mission
"ISO (International Organization for Standardization) is a global network that identifies what International Standards are required by business, government, and society, develops them in partnership with the sectors that will put them to use, adopts them by transparent procedures based on national input, and delivers them to be implemented worldwide."
ISO/IEC 17025 specifically standardizes laboratory practices of testing and calibration.
Significance of Compliance
ISO-accredited organizations—like Forensic Quality Services for instance—will evaluate a laboratory facility to determine if it is in compliance with ISO/IEC 17025 standards. If the lab is found to be in compliance, it is deemed a lab certified to comply with ISO/IEC 17025. Test results from such a lab are typically accepted internationally.
Standards of Compliance
"ISO/IEC 17025 specifies the general requirements for the competence to carry out tests and/or calibrations, including sampling. It covers testing and calibration performed using standard methods, non-standard methods, and laboratory-developed methods."
For a DNA testing lab, this means that ISO/IEC 17025 is a set of standards that has been internationally established to ensure high-quality and technically acceptable laboratory and business practices. Specifically, a lab that is in compliance with ISO 17025 is a lab that produces reliable reports and is overseen by qualified and competent staff, meeting all international standards.
Resources
For more information about ISO and ISO/IEC 17025, click on any of the links below.
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