{"id":28215,"date":"2025-12-09T16:53:23","date_gmt":"2025-12-09T14:53:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.vsl.nl\/?p=28215"},"modified":"2025-12-23T16:31:32","modified_gmt":"2025-12-23T14:31:32","slug":"calibration-of-laboratory-equipment-iso-iec-17025-accreditation-in-five-steps","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vsl.nl\/en\/articles\/calibration-of-laboratory-equipment-iso-iec-17025-accreditation-in-five-steps\/","title":{"rendered":"Calibration of laboratory equipment: ISO\/IEC 17025 accreditation in five steps"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Calibration of laboratory equipment: <\/strong><\/h1>\n

ISO\/IEC 17025 accreditation in five steps<\/strong><\/h4>\n

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Blog<\/p>\n

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Calibration of laboratory equipment: <\/strong><\/h2>\n

ISO\/IEC 17025 accreditation in five steps<\/strong><\/h2>\n

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The international standard ISO\/IEC 17025 demonstrates that a laboratory is technically competent to perform specific calibrations. For medical laboratories working under ISO 15189, the link is obvious: reliable, patient\u2011related results start with correctly calibrated equipment. Working with an ISO\/IEC 17025\u2011accredited calibration lab safeguards accuracy, traceability and international recognition of measurement results.[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1765290569635{margin-bottom: 0px !important;padding-right: 5% !important;}”]<\/p>\n

Who grants accreditation in the Netherlands?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

In the Netherlands, the Dutch Accreditation Council (Raad voor Accreditatie, RvA) assesses laboratories against ISO\/IEC 17025 and grants accreditation per scope (specific calibration or testing activities). It is therefore not a generic certificate, but a recognition of technical competence within a clearly defined scope. Through the international ILAC network, mutual recognition is arranged, which is essential for institutions that collaborate internationally.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/3″ css=”.vc_custom_1757065002125{margin-top: 0px !important;margin-right: 0px !important;margin-bottom: 0px !important;margin-left: 0px !important;padding-top: 0px !important;padding-right: 0px !important;padding-left: 0px !important;}” el_class=”full_width_responsive tablet_expert”]

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\n\t\t\t<\/i> vsl@vsl.nl<\/a>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/section>\r\n<\/div>[\/vc_column][\/vc_row][\/vc_section][vc_section][vc_row full_width=”stretch_row” equal_height=”yes” content_placement=”top” el_class=”dg-padding-mid brand_element_small” css=”.vc_custom_1764854850780{background-color: #F7F7F7 !important;}”][vc_column el_class=”full_width_responsive dg-padding-none”][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1766499668777{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]<\/p>\n

Four technical requirements for calibration<\/strong><\/h3>\n

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Traceability of measurement results<\/strong>
\nEnsure an unbroken chain of comparisons to international standards. For example, a temperature probe can be verified against a reference thermometer that is traceable to the international temperature standard (ITS\u201190) via a national metrology institute. <\/p>\n

Management of equipment, references and environmental conditions:<\/strong>
\nRegister measuring instruments and references in a CMMS (e.g. Ultimo) with unique IDs, periodic maintenance tasks and drift monitoring. Investigate possible deviations. By controlling the environmental conditions in the calibration room (temperature, relative humidity (RH)), you can keep the climate within specified limits. <\/p>\n

Validation and verification of calibration methods:<\/strong>
\nDemonstrate that calibration methods are suitable in terms of repeatability, reproducibility and accuracy by following guidelines such as DKD\u2011R 5\u20111 (temperature calibration) and EA\u20114\/02.<\/p>\n

Determining measurement uncertainty:<\/strong>
\nEvery calibration report for a medical laboratory device (e.g. a PCR instrument, ultra\u2011low freezers or incubators) must contain a substantiated calculation of the measurement uncertainty. An uncertainty budget identifies, quantifies and combines all sources (sensor limitations, operating conditions, drift over time) into a reliable interval.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][\/vc_section][vc_section el_class=”dg-padding-mid”][vc_row el_class=”dg-padding-mid-bottom”][vc_column el_class=”full_width_responsive dg-padding-none”][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1766499889223{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]<\/p>\n

The path to ISO\/IEC 17025 accreditation<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Obtaining ISO\/IEC 17025 accreditation for calibration activities requires a thorough technical approach, with traceability, validation, measurement uncertainty and staff competence at its core.<\/p>\n

Many technical services or laboratory technology departments follow a step\u2011by\u2011step approach towards ISO\/IEC 17025 accreditation. With these investments, they can serve their customers faster, more effectively, and at lower cost. The steps below can be used as a general guideline: <\/p>\n