EA evaluation of DAkkS successful

Evaluated last week in Berlin by the European co-operation for Accreditation ( EA), German Accreditation Body (DAkkS) achieved a good interim result. The subject matter of the evaluation process was the accreditation of proficiency test providers in accordance with the international standard DIN EN ISO/IEC 17043.

Successful EA evaluation is a prerequisite for allowing DAkkS to become a signatory to the multilateral agreement (MLA) on the mutual recognition of accreditation in the field of proficiency testing.

With the number of valid certificates currently at 19, the accreditation of providers of proficiency tests – also known as interlaboratory comparison providers – is a small but important area of accreditation for DAkkS. In interlaboratory comparisons, identical samples from different laboratories are analysed and compared in order to draw conclusions about the methods, procedures and accuracy of measurement of the stakeholders involved.

Interlaboratory comparisons are of great importance with respect to the external quality assurance of the measurement procedures in place at laboratories in the testing, calibration and medical sectors, and their competence for the entire quality infrastructure is therefore very important, as it also is for accreditation procedures themselves.

Following intensive process quality audits and assessments, the international EA evaluation team in its interim report certified excellent competence on the part of DAkkS and issued a good overall report . If the procedure progresses according to plan, DAkkS could be admitted to the EA MLA on proficiency test providers as early as the next meeting of the competent EA committee in April 2018.