NVLAP is transitioning its
requirements for accreditation to ISO/IEC 17025:2017. Subsequently,
laboratories accredited to ISO/IEC 17025:2005 will no longer be recognized as
of November 30, 2020 and will be mandated to migrate their Quality System to
the new standard.
Laboratories accredited
by NVLAP under ISO 17025:2005 have the following options:
- If not due for an assessment this year, the lab may get renewed now under ISO 17025:2005, without substantial changes in its quality system and documentation. But this will trigger migration to 2017 version within a year as all laboratories are mandated to be assessed to the new version before December 2020.
- If you not due for assessment this year, the lab may choose to its Quality System to ISO 17025:2017 and submit the documents renewal (will require substantial work). The next assessment in 2021 will be conducted to the new version.
- If the lab is due for an assessment with your renewal now, you do not have an option, but to migrate to ISO 17025:2017.
For more information about the new ISO 17025:2017, please see this page.
NVLAP has created a
checklist, NVLAP General Criteria Checklist (ISO/IEC 17025:2017), which
contains the clauses of the 2017 revision.
You can download this through logging on to NVLAP portal. This will give an idea of the quantum and
complexity of work needed to migrate.
Lumentra has helped lighting test labs in the US and China to achieve NVLAP accreditation in 2018. This year we have become the first independent lighting testing lab to get accredited to NVLAP under ISO 17025:2017 (Lab Code 500084-0). We provide a range of services to assist laboratories in migrating to ISO 17025:2017, including education, document review, gap analysis, complete re-writing of manual, internal audit, and migration to hyperlinked electronic documentation that is easy to maintain and update.
We
will be glad to assist you in the process and help accelerate the migration of
your quality system to the new ISO 17025 revision. Please contact us at services@lumentra.com.