ISO / IEC 17025 “General requirements for the competence of testing and calibration laboratories” is the most important international standard for laboratories carrying out calibration and testing activities around the world. To reflect the latest changes in laboratory environment and work practices, a new edition of the standard, ISO/IEC 17025:2017, has been issued. The new edition focuses more on information technologies and incorporated the use of computer systems, electronic records and the production of electronic results and reports. It also introduces the risk and opportunity aspects. It is the first time that the standard has covered a risk-based thinking and adopt a process approach.

The Standards and Calibration Laboratory (SCL) has made the transition to ISO/IEC 17025:2017. The SCL has implemented the standard into its management system by reviewing its business processes thoroughly, disseminating the change in requirements to staff via internal seminars as well as updating the system and quality manual accordingly. From December 2018 to January 2019, the system was assessed by an assessment team of the Hong Kong Accreditation Service (HKAS) comprising an experienced lead assessor and overseas scientists in the relevant fields. The technical and quality aspects of the SCL were assessed thoroughly in a total of 15 assessment days. The SCL is one of the first accredited laboratories in Hong Kong to adopt ISO/IEC 17025:2017.

Since the SCL started early preparation for the change to the new standard, the SCL was able to complete the transition within a short period of time after the standard was published. To guide the overall implementation, a transition plan was drawn up where gap analysis, quality manuals and systems update, staff trainings, internal audits and re-assessments were scheduled. The update of the management system manuals was completed in mid-2018. The internal audit of the updated system was completed in October 2018, followed by the HKAS assessment in December 2018 to January 2019.