What Are the Requirements of the ISO 17025 Standard?

A management system matching the scope of the laboratory's activities must be established, operated, and maintained. It must carry the responsibilities, duties, and resources needed to operate, maintain, and continually improve the management system.

The policies of the laboratory's quality-oriented management system must be documented in the quality manual.
The laboratory must continually improve the effectiveness of the management system (quality objectives, quality policy, corrective and preventive actions, audit results, data analysis, management reviews, etc.).
Technical and quality records must be retained for defined periods.
The laboratory must be subject to an internal audit at least once a year.
Top management must regularly review the laboratory's management system and its calibration or testing activities.
Laboratory staff must have the experience, knowledge, and skills required.
The laboratory's environment and layout must allow testing and calibration services to be carried out correctly.
The tests and examinations performed must use methods appropriate to the testing and measurement methods that can meet and perform against customer requirements.
The laboratory must have the equipment needed to perform tests and examinations correctly, and must run a calibration program that ensures traceability to the International System of Units (SI) for equipment calibration.
To monitor the validity of the testing and measurement activities performed, the laboratory must participate in proficiency-testing or inter-laboratory-comparison programs.
The testing and examination results produced by the laboratory must be reported in a correct, precise, clear, and impartial manner.

Management Requirements

Control of nonconforming tests and reporting of results. The standard applies to all activities that perform calibration and testing.

Technical Requirements

Sample acceptance, storage, and transport
Preventive and corrective action
Assurance of the quality of results
Review of records