Overview
Proficiency testing (PT) is widely recognised as an essential tool for demonstrating the competence of conformity assessment bodies. PT can provide evidence of competence and it can be an indicator of an underlying or emerging problem. ISO/IEC 17043 Conformity assessment — General requirements for the competence of proficiency testing providers is intended to promote confidence in the operations of PT providers. It contains requirements for PT providers to enable them to demonstrate that they operate competently and can generate valid evaluations of participant performance.
What are the key changes?
The revision of the ISO/IEC 17043 document was prepared by the ISO Committee on Conformity Assessment (CASCO).
The second edition cancels and replaces the first edition (ISO/IEC 17043:2010), which has been technically revised.
The main changes are as follows:
— harmonization with ISO/IEC 17025:2017, including technical requirements and structure;
— harmonization with ISO 13528:2022 in terms of terminology;
— incorporation of requirements from ISO/CASCO PROC 33 to ensure consistency between the ISO/CASCO publications;
— inclusion of the requirement that testing activities, calibration activities and PT item production conform to the relevant requirements of appropriate ISO conformity assessment standards;
— deletion of Annex C which provided guidance on the use of PT providers and revision of Annexes A (types of PT programs) and B (Statistics in PT schemes).
NATA will be providing a web page which will host all information and resources related to the revised Standard.
Stay tuned.