FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 2006-01-17

Standards Council of Canada adopts revised standard for laboratory accreditation

OTTAWA -- The Standards Council of Canada (SCC) recently issued a new edition of the standard for approving the competence of testing and calibration laboratories. CAN-P-4E, General Requirements for the Competence of Testing and Calibration Laboratories, is an adoption of the joint standard of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), ISO/IEC 17025:2005.

“ISO 17025 was revised to be more compatible with ISO 9001:2000, the Quality Management System standard, placing particular emphasis on continuous improvement to the effectiveness of the management system, as well as customer satisfaction.” noted Pat Paladino, Director of Conformity Assessment with the SCC. “This alignment between the two standards will facilitate the process for accredited laboratories that also require certification to ISO 9001:2000, in addition to their laboratory accreditation.”

The SCC will begin assessing clients against the requirements of CAN-P-4E effective January 31, 2006. Based on deadlines set out by the international community, in order to retain their accreditation, laboratories must complete the transition to the revised standard by May 12, 2007.  Accredited clients are asked to consult the SCC transition page for complete details concerning the migration to CAN-P-4E.

The Standards Council of Canada is a Crown corporation with the mandate to coordinate and promote efficient and effective voluntary standardization in Canada. The SCC is involved in coordinating Canada's participation in the development of international standards and, as Canada's national standardization body, oversees the efforts of the National Standard System.  Its Program for Accreditation of Laboratories - Canada (PALCAN) has accredited over 400 laboratories in a variety of general testing and specialty areas. For more information on the Standard Council's accreditation programs, including PALCAN, visit www.scc-ccn.ca

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