ISO/IEC 17025:2017 permits the laboratories to use externally provided products and services. So, ISO/IEC 17025:2017 gives in section 6.6.1 a note with examples for these products and services (e.g. calibration services, sampling services, testing services, facility and equipment maintenance services, proficiency testing services and assessment and auditing services).
Question: Does these section permits this use of services just in special cases like sudden breakdown of personnel or equipment, or does these section permits the laboratories to be free in choosing if these services will be done permanently by an external service provider if this service provider meets the requirements given by ISO/IEC 17025?
Relevant requirements can be found in the following clauses of ISO/IEC 17025:
Cl. 5.3
The laboratory shall only claim conformity with this document for this range of laboratory activities, which excludes externally provided laboratory activities on an ongoing basis.Cl. 6.6.1
a) are intended for incorporation into the laboratory’s own activities;
b) are provided, in part or in full, directly to the customer by the laboratory, as received from the external provider;
c) are used to support the operation of the laboratory.Cl 7.1.1.
c) where external providers are used, the requirements of 6.6 are applied and the laboratory advises the customer of the specific laboratory activities to be performed by the external provider and gains the customer’s approval;
NOTE 1 It is recognized that externally provided laboratory activities can occur when:
— the laboratory has the resources and competence to perform the activities, however, for
unforeseen reasons is unable to undertake these in part or full;
— the laboratory does not have the resources or competence to perform the activities.In application of cl. 5.3 of ISO/IEC 17025, the CAB can’t claim accreditation for externally provided laboratory activities performed on an ongoing basis.
The laboratory can choose to have pemanent externally provided services as those defined in the Note of cl. 6.6.1 of ISO/IEC 17025; Note 1 of Cl. 7.1.1.c will also apply.