Equipment management according to ISO 17025

As part of the process of bringing a quality management system into line with the requirements of the standard ISO 17025 -2017, a laboratory must control all equipment identified as critical. A piece of equipment is considered critical if a metrological error on it has an impact on calibration, analysis or test results.

A piece of equipment is made up of several components: the measurement system (the sensor), the entire information transmission system (cabling, radio transmission, etc.), the indicator (connector + signal processing electronics) and the software (which may or may not be integrated into the indicator) used to communicate the information to the user (software or human).

Guaranteeing control of this equipment means providing confidence in the final information used by the laboratory in its calibration, analysis or testing. This confidence is achieved by ensuring that all equipment is in good working order at the time of use.

Of course, metrological operations are important for guaranteeing measurement results, but maintenance also has a role to play in equipment control.

We must therefore be able to ensure that :

• measuring equipment works and gives the expected result;

• analysis or test equipment is accurate and maintained;

• Intermediate equipment is operational and meets requirements;

• non-metrological equipment is available;

• computer hardware and associated software perform the tasks assigned to them.

The management of laboratory equipment is therefore the responsibility of :

• perform the necessary technical operations to ensure correct operation and measurement (calibration, verification, maintenance, etc.);

• know the status of your equipment when you need it (inventory, calibration and maintenance schedule, etc.);

• know the history of all work carried out on its equipment (life sheets, non-conformance sheets, etc.);

• master the use of its equipment (training, operating instructions, operating modes, etc.).

To reduce the risk of non-compliance, equipment must be used by personnel who have been trained in its use. The effectiveness of this training must be assessed, and the maintenance of skills monitored.

This article defines a technique for controlling your instrumentation to ensure the metrological performance you...