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Procedure · SOP-08

Control of Nonconforming Work

Identifying, evaluating, containing and resolving work that departs from procedures or customer requirements.

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Purpose

To define how the Laboratory identifies, records, evaluates, contains and resolves nonconforming work, decides on its acceptability, notifies customers and recalls work where necessary, and authorises the resumption of work, so that incorrect results are not reported or, if already reported, are corrected.

What is inside

11 sections, about 3 pages when printed.

  1. 1. Purpose
  2. 2. Scope
  3. 3. References
  4. 4. Definitions
  5. 5. Responsibilities
  6. 6. Process overview
  7. 7. Procedure
  8. Records generated by this procedure
  9. Monitoring and performance indicators
  10. Assessment readiness notes
  11. Related documents

Records it generates

Applying this procedure produces the following records, which are the evidence an assessor samples.

  • –Nonconforming work reports with evaluation, decision, notification and resumption authorisation
  • –Look-back review lists
  • –Customer notifications and responses
  • –Certificate amendment records

What an assessor looks for

The document closes with these points, so you can check your own practice before someone else does.

  • –Whether staff can describe what they would do on discovering a problem, and whether the register shows they actually do it (an empty register is a red flag).
  • –Whether a reference standard found out of tolerance triggered a documented look-back and, where needed, customer notification.
  • –Whether decisions to accept nonconforming work are technically justified and recorded, not silent.
  • –Whether resumption of work was formally authorised.

Before you use it

  • Replace every square-bracket token, starting with [LABORATORY NAME], [ADDRESS] and [EFFECTIVE DATE]. The full token list is in GD-01 Read Me First.
  • Have the content technically reviewed against how your laboratory actually works, then approved by the responsible manager before it becomes a controlled document.
  • Update the Word fields after editing so the table of contents and page numbers are correct: select all, then press F9.
  • Record the document in your own document register and set its review date.
  • Delete the assessment readiness notes if you do not want them in your controlled version; they are guidance for you, not requirements.

Related documents

This is an original template published by ValiTrac. It does not reproduce the text of ISO/IEC 17025 or of any accreditation body publication, and it does not by itself confer or guarantee accreditation. Customise, review and approve it before use.