Overview
ISO 17025 is an International Standard that specifies the general requirements for competence to carry out inspections and has been adapted to providing scene of crime inspection Accreditation. Previously, accrediting bodies in the United States accredited crime scene units to ISO/IEC 17025, the international standard for analytical testing laboratories.
ISO/IEC 17020 is more appropriate for the forensic work performed by crime scene investigation units. It is expected that a number of forensic laboratories will become Accredited to both standards.
To obtain ISO 17020 Accreditation, your laboratory must document a quality management system (QMS). The growth in the use of management systems generally has increased the need to ensure that laboratories can operate to a QMS that is compliant with ISO 9001. When ISO 17020 was developed, it was written to incorporate all the ISO 9001 requirements that are relevant to inspection services and now specifically to crime scene investigation.
If your laboratory is accredited to (or complies with ISO 17020), it will also operate in accordance with ISO 9001, though you will not receive formal ISO 9001 certification.
Service Offering
FCL can help you in the following areas:
- integrating ISO 17020 and ISO 9001(and ISO 17025 if appropriate)
- implementing the guidance contained in EA-5/03 ‘Guidance for the implementation of ISO 17020 in the field of crime scene investigation’.
- developing and implementing scene of crime procedures;
- developing and implementing quality procedures;
- producing records demonstrating conformance with ISO 17020’s requirements
- auditing scenes of crime procedures
- training First Responders in scenes of crime procedures
FCL has implemented ISO 17020 in its own Forensic Laboratory for scenes of crime inspections.
Approach
Using the FCL approach to ISO 17025 Accreditation in a Laboratory covers:
- assist with corrective and preventive actions
- assist with the accreditation process itself.
- defined the scope of accreditation;
- develop and implement documentation;
- perform a gap analysis against ISO 17020;
- prepare for accreditation;
- undertake relevant training for your employees;
- undertake schedule of internal audits;
Benefits
The FCL approach gives you:
- a positive reputation for your laboratory having achieved ISO 17020 Accreditation;
- a public statement that your laboratory ash met the highest operational requirements for crime scene processing;
- assurance of the accuracy and integrity of your scenes of crime scene processing;
- competent workforce for performing tasks within your crime scene processing;
- demonstrable compliance verified by a third party Accreditation Service;
- international recognition for your crime scene processing;
- marketing advantage;
- processes and procedures for crime scene processing that are documented and tested;
- rigorous quality processes that equate to fewer failures and errors.
Next Steps
- FCL are justifiably proud of our 100% SUCCESS RATE, of achieving first time certification through an Accredited Certification Body for our Clients;
- FCL is committed to providing a consistently high value service to our Clients;
- David Lilburn Watson, who remains personally ‘hands-on’ throughout the process, manages this process.
- to understand how the FCL suite of offerings can be used to transform your business, please contact us
- we look forward to discussing your specific requirements, at your convenience;
- we offer a free Health Check for ISO 17020;
- whatever other type of consultancy you require, we can possibly offer a free Health Check.