A Certification Body (x) makes use of an ISO/IEC 17025 accredited laboratory (y) as an external resource (§6.2.2) for a part of the evaluation activities. The external laboratory is impartial with regards to the clients/products it evaluates and complies with the relevant clauses of ISO/IEC 17025.
A person is under contract with both CB (x) and accredited laboratory (y).
This person performs the review and authorization of the results at the accredited laboratory (ISO/IEC 17025, § 7.8.1.1) while also being the person performing evaluation tasks as an internal resource (§6.2.1) for the CB (x) using the test reports issued by laboratory (y).
The review/decision are performed by a different person, not involved in the evaluation activities.
Question: Is this an acceptable practice? Can this situation be acceptable, as this would also be allowed with a laboratory that was an internal resource?
September 2024
YES
The situation described, i.e. the same person performing evaluation tasks on behalf of a laboratory (“performs the review and authorization of the results”) and on behalf of the CB (performing evaluation tasks) is not a situation that involves this person, either directly or through any other employer (the laboratory in this case) in such a way that the credibility of the results could be compromised.