A laboratory accreditation claim needs a scope check. Match the organisation, site and reported test with the accreditor’s official record, then keep any qualifications attached to the result.
Find the official record
UKAS provides a directory of accredited organisations. For a UKAS claim, compare the organisation name and accreditation number with the report, then identify the operating site. For another accreditor, use that body’s own official record.UKAS — Accredited organisation directory (opens in a new tab)
Record the date of your check. A current record does not automatically resolve historical status for work performed earlier; ask the accreditor or laboratory when that distinction matters. This guide asserts no particular laboratory’s accreditation.UKAS — How accreditation is obtained and its scope published (opens in a new tab)
Read the technical schedule
UKAS explains that the public schedule defines the accredited scope. A logo or company name alone does not show that a specific measurement is covered.UKAS — How accreditation is obtained and its scope published (opens in a new tab)
| Detail | Question |
|---|---|
| Material category | Does the scope include the material type? |
| Property or test | Is this measurement listed? |
| Method | Does the activity match the reported procedure? |
| Site and limitations | Are the operating location and restrictions covered? |
A technique listed for one material or property should not be expanded to every use of that technique. Ask a precise question about the report activity if the schedule wording is unclear.UKAS — How accreditation is obtained and its scope published (opens in a new tab)
Preserve outside-scope markers
UKAS guidance requires clear identification of unaccredited results or information on reports bearing its symbol. Read asterisks and footnotes, then keep those qualifications when copying the number into a summary.UKAS — Use of accreditation symbols (opens in a new tab)UKAS GEN 6 — Reference to accreditation (opens in a new tab)
Work outside a scope is not automatically incorrect, but the particular accreditation claim does not support that activity. Laboratory accreditation and management-system certification are also different claims; identify which document and organisation the statement concerns.UKAS GEN 6 — Reference to accreditation (opens in a new tab)
A concise record names the accreditor, organisation, site, scope entry and test matched. Accreditation coverage does not establish how the sample was selected across a lot; record sampling separately.UKAS — How accreditation is obtained and its scope published (opens in a new tab)NIST sampling principles (opens in a new tab)
Sources and further detail
- UKAS — Accredited organisation directory (opens in a new tab)
Official directory read; no particular laboratory accreditation asserted here.
- UKAS — How accreditation is obtained and its scope published (opens in a new tab)
Official description of accreditation certificate and public schedule.
- UKAS — Use of accreditation symbols (opens in a new tab)
Official conditions summary, including clear identification of unaccredited report content.
- UKAS GEN 6 — Reference to accreditation (opens in a new tab)
Edition 2, sections 6 and 7 checked for mixed-status reports and opinions. No full-standard compliance determination made.
- NIST/SEMATECH — Populations and sampling (opens in a new tab)
Statistical background on sample-to-population inference; the vial scenarios are original illustrations.
Revised from the existing source dossier on 3 October 2026. Supplied-report values are document transcriptions, not independent authentication or new measurements. Source notes identify the scope of each reference; this article has not undergone independent scientific peer review.