International equivalence of calibration certificates

Since the dawn of time, trade frauds have always guided human exchanges. This is not an expression of despair on my part, but a fact based on documents of good life in common, such as the Bible or the Koran. In both, we find the basis of legal metrology, forbidding fraudulent trade by means of false or "fake" measuring instruments (Bible Deuteronomy 25:13 and Leviticus 19:36; Proverbs 11; Koran Sura 83).

In a "globalized" market, it is therefore logical for some to try to exploit these recognition agreements to their advantage, without taking on the burdens associated with them, such as ISO/CEI 17025 accreditation for calibration laboratories.

The purpose of this article is to draw the reader's attention to what he is entitled to expect, and what he needs to check, in order to be a protected "consumer". Since the entire metrological function cannot be totally outsourced, as it is not an integral part of the production process, it is important for equipment users to ensure the quality of the information transmitted to them prior to use and validation.

This article covers only the fields of conformity assessment, a relatively recent concept when compared with the texts quoted in the first lines of this introduction.