The ISO/IEC 17020:2012 specifies requirements for the competence of bodies performing inspection and for the impartiality and consistency of their inspection activities. It applies to inspection bodies that assess conformity with requirements in a wide range of industries, including healthcare, food safety, construction, manufacturing, product testing, transportation, and government services. This standard has specific steps to be met in order to obtain the desired level of accreditation.
Benefits of ISO/IEC 17020
The success of ISO/IEC 17020 ensures consistency in the execution and reporting of actions. Every person who carries out an action should be familiar with all the relevant standards that are required to ensure this uniformity in execution. In terms of dispute resolution, if two parties argue over whether a certain action was carried out according to ISO/IEC 17020:2012, then there will be no penalty for either party unless it can be proven that one party did not adhere to its standards. Lastly, ISO/IEC 17020:2012 also meets your accreditation requirements, which will help impress clients with your high level of compliance as well as reduce customer complaints.
Type of Inspection Body
A Type A inspection body is a third party who provides “third party” inspection service. The inspection process for a Type A body is the same as the one for an ISO/IEC 17020 organization. This includes having an audit team and a procedure to review documents when they are completed.
A Type B inspection body is formed as a separate and distinct part of an parent Organization. They cannot provide external certification, but they can audit the ISO/IEC 17020 standards themselves.
Lastly, Type C organizations are external “independent” organizations that provide their own inspections of products, services, etc.
Our team of experts will help you implement ISO / IEC 17020 in a way that suits your company’s size and needs. For more details about ISO / IEC 17020 implementation and certification, contact us today.