CHANGES IN MANAGING ACCREDITED LABORATORIES WITH RESPECT TO THE RISK-BASED APPROACH

Abstract

The purpose of the article is to specify the actions which accredited laboratories must take in order to comply with the requirements of the amended ISO/IEC 17025 standard with respect to the risk-based approach. The direction of development of the management system standards which are in the process of being amended and the major changes in the requirements for accredited laboratories have been presented. In addition to that, the requirements of the ISO/IEC 17025:2017 standard with respect to risk management have been analysed. Laboratories should plan and implement actions related to risks and opportunities. The ISO/IEC 17025:2017 standard does not, however, impose formal requirements to apply risk management methods or to document the risk management process. Nonetheless, accredited laboratories are certain to establish various formalised approaches in this area. The main elements of the risk management system have been presented and examples of risks which occur in laboratories have been given.