ACCREDITATION TO PROVIDE PROFICIENCY TESTING

Proficiency testing is a laboratory comparison where many laboratories test or calibrate uniform samples and where results are subsequently compared and treated statistically.

Proficiency testing is an important element in the quality assurance at laboratories and can be used to determine the effectiveness and the comparability of the test or measurement methods and to identify problems in laboratory quality management.

DANAK accredits for the provision of proficiency testing according to DS/EN ISO/IEC 17043 conformity assessment - General requirements for proficiency testing.

It is not a requirement to be accredited for the provision of proficiency testing that the provider at the same time maintains a laboratory to provide any reference values or preparation of samples.

If the provider of proficiency testing also acts as an accredited testing or calibration laboratory, a joint assessment of the activities can be carried out.

Accredited proficiency testing is included in EA Multilateral Agreement (EA MLA). DANAK signed this MLA in april 2017 alongside Finland, Norway, England, France, Italy and Greece. 

DANAK sets the scope of accreditation based on the scopes of testing and calibration applicable to laboratories.

TESTING AND CALIBRATION AREAS FOR LABORATORIES

Proficiency testing within calibration relates to:

  • Acceleration and speed
  • Acoustics and ultrasound
  • Chemical
  • Density and viscosity
  • Geometry
  • Electricity DC and LF
  • Electricity HF
  • Flow
  • Force and torque
  • Hardness
  • Moist
  • Ionizing radiation
  • Magnetism
  • Mass
  • Optics
  • Pressure and vacuum
  • Reference materials
  • Temperature
  • Time and frequency
  • Volume

Proficiency testing within testing relates to:

  • Acoustic testing
  • Biological og biochemical testing
  • Chemical testing
  • Electric og electronic testing
  • Climatic testing
  • EMC testing
  • Fire technical testing
  • Forensic testing
  • Mechanical testing
  • Non destructive testing
  • Physical testing
  • Ionizing radiation and radio chemistry
  • Sampling
  • Microbiological testing
  • Sensory testing
  • Medical examination

RULES AND REGULATIONS:

Below are links or references to documents for the specific scheme.

EXECUTIVE ORDERS

ACCREDITATION STANDARD

  • DS/EN ISO/IEC 17043, 1st edition 2010-02-19 Conformity assessment - General requirements for proficiency testing

ACCREDITATION REGULATIONSR

GUIDELINES

In addition to the requirements documents above that providers of proficiency testing must adhere to, there are a number of international guidelines which are relevant and which are implemented through the accreditation provisions:

  • EA-4/14:2003: The Selection and Use of Reference Materials.
  • EA-4/18:2021: Guidance on the level and frequency of proficiency testing participation
  • ILAC G17:01/2021: ILAC Guidelines for Measurement Uncertainty in Testing 

  • ILAC G24:2022: Guidelines for the determination of recalibration intervals of measuring equipment

ACCREDITATION MESSAGES (ONLY IN DANISH)

Various accreditation messages have also been published that guide and describe the assessment practice and issues relevant to providers of proficiency testing:

ACCREDITATION MESSAGES - AMF