SCC Requirements and Guidance for Accreditation of Laboratories Engaged in Test Method Development and Non-Routine Testing

Bulletin date:
Bulletin number:
2017-24

Action required

Effective immediately, all laboratories accredited under the Test Method Development and Non-Routine Testing program specialty area (PSA) must now refer to SCC Requirements and Guidance for Accreditation of Laboratories Engaged in Test Method Development and Non-Routine Testing and cease referring to CAN-P-1595:2011 - Requirements for Accreditation of Laboratories Engaged in Test Method Development & Non-Routine Testing - November 2011.

 

Affected customers

This change affects accredited and applicant laboratories who perform test method development and non-routine testing as part of their SCC accreditation. As well, the change affects assessors who perform SCC assessments in this PSA. Assessors are now trained on the new requirements.

 

Background

This change was made as part of SCC’s overall QMS modernization project. SCC, with input from various stakeholders, conducted a review of CAN-P-1595 with an eye towards eliminating some redundancies between that document, ISO/IEC 17025:2005, and CAN-P-1630.

 

New requirements

The following requirement has been added to the new document:

  • 4.11 - In TMD and NRT, it is not uncommon to deviate from procedures. It is important that the quality system supports the documenting of these deviations by assessing their severity and criticality.

     

As well as the following guidance statement:

  • 4.11 - When necessary, the deviation should be elevated to a more thorough assessment. This does not preclude from using established corrective actions processes as required by ISO/IEC 17025:2005 section 4.11.

     

The following requirements contained in CAN-P-1595 have been removed:

  • 4.6.2 (Purchasing supplies and services)
  • 4.7 (Service to the customer)
  • 5.4.3 (Laboratory-developed methods)

  • 5.4.4 (Non-standard methods)

     

Finally, some requirements have been slightly re-worded for clarity.

 

Deadline

The new document is in effect immediately. However, until September 1st, 2018, all findings raised against new or modified requirements will be raised as observations. After that date, they may be raised as NCRs.

 

Questions?

Please contact Cynthia Milito, Director – Accreditation Services, at cynthia.milito@scc-ccn.ca or +1 613 238 3222 for more information.