Don’t know much about testing?
Here’s some genuine help to select the right type of company.
If you don’t really know much about the type of testing you need done so just ask one question when you select a testing company to avoid many potentially expensive issues for you:
Is the testing you are providing me UKAS accredited to ISO17025?
That’s it. Simple. Job done.
Some of the risks you face in using a non UKAS accredited company:-
UKAS accredited companies have taken the time and made the effort to prove to you they have technical competence through independent, thorough, regular assessments by UK Government experts in the field of testing you want. Unaccredited facilities have not done so, passing risk to you, so who should you choose in that case?
The legal identity of the company you’re dealing with may not have been verified so what are you to do when things go wrong?
The testing could be carried out with unsuitable, uncalibrated equipment and you would have no idea and no means of recourse to put things right, so what’s the point in getting anything tested in the first place?
The company you are using may not be independent, impartial and free from any vested interests in the test results they provide, so are you happy to be basing expensive decisions on potentially incorrect results?
An unaccredited company could send anybody to do your testing, not trained, not even employed by them and you would be none the wiser, are you happy about this risk?
The method of test used by an unaccredited company could be inappropriate and wrong leading to incorrect results, but you’re no expert, it looks ok, but the details of the method make the difference between good results and incorrect ones, costing you a lot of money, is that ok?
They may have never checked their method, equipment, and operators meet the testing standard required through a process of auditing, you could be getting any old inappropriate testing and yet not be aware of it, does that sound good for you?
If things do go wrong then at least they have a process to deal with it right? Wrong. Unaccredited companies are not under any obligation to you to investigate and rectify any mistakes. And what if the mistakes ended up in court – could you state with confidence that you paid effective due diligence to the selection of the testing agency that holds no form of proven competence? That’s you in legal trouble then, not them.
Any other forms of accreditation or certification, ISO9001, CHAS, Constructionline and such like focus on other areas such as health and safety, but do not, in any way, show that a company can provide technically competent, accurate, verifiable test results. That’s why there is a special standard just for testing laboratories: ISO 17025.
You didn’t ask for UKAS accredited testing so when things go wrong including you wasting money making expensive decisions on inaccurate testing results you have no come back at all.
We could go on and on. It doesn’t take away every risk but to reduce your risk just ask that the testing you require is accredited by UKAS to ISO17025 and ask to see their schedule of accredited tests, then all of these potential and serious issues largely reduce, it’s that simple.
You don’t have to take our word for it, just go to www.ukas.com for more info.
