Checking the ISO 17025 scope
The scope of ISO 17025 accreditation shows which activities a laboratory is accredited for. To check it, look at the certificate and scope in the RvA register (Dutch Accreditation Council). An organisation name in that register does not mean that every test from that company falls under ISO 17025 accreditation. Also compare the evidence you need with ISO 9001.
This matters most when you select a laboratory or assess a report you have received. Do not only ask “are you accredited?”. Ask “does this order, carried out at this location, fall under your current scope?”.
What do you check in the scope?
Use the table below as your own reading guide. The layout of a real scope differs by discipline. The current RvA policy rule BR001 describes how accreditation is delimited.
| Check point | Why it matters | Question for the laboratory |
|---|---|---|
| Legal entity | Trading names can look alike | Which organisation carries out the order? |
| Status and date | An old PDF may be out of date | Is this the current scope and status? |
| Activity | Accreditation applies to the described work | Which rule covers my test or calibration? |
| Material or measurand | A method may have a limited application | Does my sample or instrument fit the description? |
| Method | The order and the accredited method must match | Which method is actually applied? |
| Location | Not every site is automatically included | Where is my order carried out? |
| Range and limitations | The scope may state limits or conditions | Are my measuring points and conditions covered? |
For calibration, the scope may also include a Calibration and Measurement Capability (CMC): the recorded measurement capability with its associated uncertainty. Do not automatically treat this as the uncertainty of each individual client result. The issued report and the actual conditions remain relevant.
Fictional example: buying a water analysis
A factory orders an analysis of process water from the laboratory Rivierlab. The lab sends an accreditation statement, but the scope it attaches describes the offered method for drinking water only. The buyer has therefore not yet established that process water falls under the same accreditation.
The next step is to ask for written clarification. Can the laboratory point to an applicable scope rule? If not, it may still be able to carry out the study, but it must be clear on what basis it does so. The client then decides whether that meets the order conditions.
Keep the scope version you used together with the quotation and the confirmation. When a report arrives later, check that the method, the person carrying out the work and any reference to accreditation match what was agreed.
What does a flexible scope mean?
A flexible scope gives a laboratory room to manage or adjust activities within set limits. It is not general permission for every new test. With a flexible scope, ask for the current overview of activities and how your order fits within it.
The RvA publishes a separate document on this under ASR004, in its assessment documents . Use it together with the specific scope. Do not draw a conclusion based on the word “flexible” alone.
Record the outcome of your check
A short purchasing note can be enough to find your reasoning later. Record the date, the organisation you looked at, the scope rule, the research question and any conditions that remain open. Ask a technical expert to help if the method description is unclear.
An accreditation logo on a website does not prove that a specific order is covered. Check the current scope and read on the report which work was carried out under accreditation.
Frequently asked questions
May an accredited laboratory also do other testing?
An organisation can also offer work outside its scope. For you, it matters that the distinction is clear and that the order conditions are met. Accreditation claims must not hide that distinction.
Is a report invalid if I cannot find the laboratory at the RvA?
That does not automatically follow. The laboratory may, for example, have been assessed by a foreign accreditation body. Check the relevant body, the recognition arrangements and the requirements of your client or regulation.
Does a new method apply automatically?
Not automatically. The laboratory must determine whether it fits within the granted scope, which may be flexible, or whether an extension is needed. Ask for a reasoned confirmation for your order.