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Procedure · SOP-31

Use of the Accreditation Symbol and Reference to Accreditation

Rules for using the accreditation body's symbol and claiming accredited status on certificates and marketing.

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Purpose

To define how the Laboratory uses its accreditation body's symbol and refers to its accredited status on certificates, reports, labels, quotations, websites and marketing material, so that claims of accreditation are accurate, limited to the scope of accreditation and comply with the accreditation body's regulations and conditions of use.

What is inside

10 sections, about 3 pages when printed.

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

Records it generates

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

  • –Current accreditation certificate and schedule
  • –Approvals of symbol use on material
  • –Audit of symbol use
  • –Misuse records and corrective actions

What an assessor looks for

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

  • –Sampling certificates against the schedule: activity, range, uncertainty, location and whether non-accredited results are identified.
  • –Checking the website, brochures and labels for wording and correct symbol use.
  • –Confirming the current schedule is available to staff and reflected in the approved service list.

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.