Hello everyone,
A calibration laboratory states that in its calibration certificates it indicates conformity or non-conformity based on a tolerance specified by the customer. The tolerance values given by the customer are significantly wider than those implied by the relevant standard or industry norms. When questioned about 7.2.1.1 (“the laboratory shall use appropriate methods”), the argument is that the decision rule based on the customer’s tolerance is allowed by ISO/IEC 17025, referring to the note in 7.8.6.1: “Where the decision rule is prescribed by the customer, regulations or normative documents, a further consideration of the level of risk is not necessary.”
My concern is that using a much wider customer-specified tolerance may conflict with the requirement to use “appropriate methods”, since the conformity statement could be misleading when compared to the normative expectations.
In your interpretation, is relying solely on customer-specified tolerances (even if they are much wider than normative ones) acceptable under ISO/IEC 17025? Or should the laboratory ensure that the method and decision rule remain technically appropriate beyond simply following the customer’s prescription? Thanks in advance for your insights.
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Dec 09, 2025

