Standards & frameworks

ISO accreditation

Formal recognition by a national accreditation body that a laboratory, certification or inspection body is competent under the relevant ISO standard.

Overview

Laboratories are commonly accredited to ISO/IEC 17025, and certification bodies to ISO/IEC 17021 and 17065. Accreditation underpins trust in test results and certificates.

As an industry standard it binds through regulation that cites it, contracts that require it or audits that test it. The authorities most closely connected to it are ISO.

Check the official sources below for legal scope, applicable dates and exceptions. This entry is an explanatory reference, not legal advice.

Why it matters

Without accreditation, test results and certificates may not be accepted by regulators or customers.

Who it affects

Laboratories, certification and inspection bodies.

Where it sits

Ten linked steps connect where you operate to the proof that you complied.

  1. 01Jurisdiction
  2. 02Industry
  3. 03Activity
  4. 04Authority
  5. 05Regulation
  6. 06Requirement
  7. 07Guidance
  8. 08Control
  9. 09Evidence
  10. 10Enforcement

Connections

The terms most closely tied to ISO accreditation. Select one to open it.

This term

What to do about it

  1. 1Decide whether it applies through regulation, contract, audit or certification.
  2. 2Run a gap assessment against your current controls.
  3. 3Crosswalk it to the regulations and contracts that reference it.
  4. 4Collect evidence continuously for the audit period.
In Regulation Layer

From requirement to evidence.

Accreditation requirements are tracked as obligations with assessment dates.

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