ISO/IEC 17020 specifies the requirements for the competence, impartiality and consistent operation of inspection bodies.
Inspection is the examination of an item such as materials, products, installations, plants, processes, work procedures or services, and the determination of their conformity with requirements. These requirements can come from standards, regulations, contracts or internal specifications. Inspection can cover aspects such as safety, quality, quantity and fitness for purpose.
The standard applies to inspection activities across the entire lifecycle of an item, from design to operation, and supports the delivery of reliable inspection results to clients, regulators and other stakeholders.
Why is ISO/IEC 17020 important?
Inspection plays a critical role in risk management. It helps detect defects, verify compliance and ensure that products, systems and processes are safe and fit for use.
ISO/IEC 17020 ensures that inspection bodies operate in a competent, consistent and reliable way. By defining requirements for competence and impartiality, it builds trust in inspection results and supports their acceptance across markets and regulatory environments.
ISO/IEC 17020 can be used as a requirements document for accreditation or peer-assessment or other assessments.
Benefits
- Promotes confidence about and acceptance of inspection results by clients, regulatory authorities through the requirements for competence, impartiality and consistent operation of inspection bodies
- Supports risk management by enabling early detection of issues, nonconformities and ensuring items are safe to use
- Facilitates international recognition and acceptance of inspection outcomes
- Improves consistency and reliability of inspection processes
- Recognised reference for accreditation and peer assessment of inspection bodies