Lincoln NB — The University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s Midwest Roadside Safety Facility (MwRSF) has contracted with Oxebridge Quality Resources to provide implementation of an ISO 17025:2005 quality management system. The MwRSF’s mission is to “improve highway safety by making the roadside less hazardous for motorists.” through the development of crash test roadside hardware, conducting safety performance evaluations of existing roadside features, and performing computer simulation modeling of vehicle impacts with roadside hardware.
ISO 17025 is the international standard applicable to test and calibration laboratories. For MwRSF, this means their testing activities will become compliant to an international standard which ensures the adequacy and accuracy of test results, through robust management system controls, proficiency testing and detailed uncertainty measurement calculations.
Oxebridge offers ISO 17025 Implementation Services based largely on the requirements set forth by the American Association for Laboratory Accreditation (A2LA), an accrediting body which issues ISO 17025 accreditations to calibration and test laboratories. Under ISO 17025 rules, accrediting bodies can issue interpretations which go beyond the text of ISO 17025 itself, so working with a consulting firm that understands the specific requirements of the accrediting body is important. However, Oxebridge implements ISO 17025 for clients regardless of the accrediting body they choose.
Unlike other Oxebridge programs, ISO 17025 is not done in a “rapid” fashion, as there are certain requirements which require the involvement of third parties, and other “built in holds” which prevent 40-day implementations. Therefore, an exact date for the Midwest Roadside Safety Facility’s final accreditation to ISO 17025 cannot yet be determined.
For more on the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s Midwest Roadside Safety Facility, visit http://engineering.unl.edu/specialty-units/mwrsf/.
For more on A2LA, visit www.A2LA.org.
For information on Oxebridge’s ISO 17025 Implementation Services for testing and calibration labs, click here.
Christopher Paris is the founder and VP Operations of Oxebridge. He has over 35 years’ experience implementing ISO 9001 and AS9100 systems, and helps establish certification and accreditation bodies with the ISO 17000 series. He is a vocal advocate for the development and use of standards from the point of view of actual users. He is the writer and artist of THE AUDITOR comic strip, and is currently writing the DR. CUBA pulp novel series. Visit www.drcuba.world
