Under ISO 17025, what must laboratories identify regarding measurement uncertainty?

Under ISO 17025, laboratories are required to identify all contributions to measurement uncertainty. This standard emphasizes the importance of a comprehensive approach to assessing measurement uncertainty to ensure the reliability and accuracy of test and calibration results. Identifying all contributions means that laboratories need to consider various factors, including those from sampling, equipment, environmental conditions, and human factors, among others.

By recognizing all potential sources of uncertainty, laboratories can implement measures to mitigate them, thereby enhancing the credibility of their testing processes. This holistic view is critical to fulfilling the requirements of quality management systems and ensuring the trustworthiness of the results produced by the laboratory.

Focusing solely on specific aspects, such as just sampling or equipment-related contributions, would not provide a full picture and could lead to oversights that may undermine the integrity of the measurements. Identifying only human error would also miss other critical factors influencing measurement uncertainty, which could compromise the validity of the laboratory's findings.