CompaLab organises inter laboratory comparisons, also named proficiency tests or round robin tests, to evaluate the capacity of the participants to perform identified tests, in accordance ISO 13528 and ISO/IEC 17043 standards. The scope of these proficiency testings programs is the tests on metals (especially steels / ferrous materials / ferroalloys / copper alloys / aluminium alloys) and coatings of metal (paint coatings and zinc coatings).
Any laboratory holding equipment and human resources that are necessary to perform these tests may participate, whatever its legal status.
Note: The participant is responsible to evaluate whether it has got the necessary equipment to perform the tests, particularly with respect to the capacity of its testing machines. CompaLab provides to the potential participants the necessary information in this respect and may individually answer to any related complementary question.
The service is an evaluation as described in the upper referenced standards. It may not be compared with an accreditation of the laboratory granted by an accreditation body in accordance with the ISO/IEC 17025 standard. It does not include any help, in any type, to the improvement of the quality of the services of the participant.
The test services covered by the evaluations are based on internationally recognised methods, most of the time described in ISO standards. Participants may use alternative methods, provided that they inform CompaLab.
Evaluation results are provided to the participants with reports that protect the confidentiality of individual results. If an alert signal is detected, the related participant remains the only responsible to decide whether a corrective action must or not be implemented.
Note:
- Information concerning decisions to take in case of alert signals is contained in ISO 13528 and ISO/IEC 17043 standards
- Information concerning the use of results of proficiency tests is contained in the ISO/IEC 17043 standard
See more details concerning: What an inter laboratory comparison is.
See more details concerning: Why participate to an inter laboratory comparison
See more details concerning: What inter laboratory comparisons are proposed
CompaLab charter
The ambition of CompaLab is to do its best to:
- Organise the inter laboratory comparisons in a rigorous, competent and impartial way;
- Fulfil the needs of the participating laboratories and continuously improve the quality of its services;
- Assure the confidentiality of the data;
- Optimise the organisation of the comparisons on the economic point of view;
- Start a quality management process for activities other that the organisation of inter laboratory comparison;
- Act in a sustainable way.
CompaLab implements a quality system designed to fulfil the requirements of ISO/IEC 17043 and ISO 13528. L.J. HOLLEBECQ, general manager, commits to implement all necessary means to:
- Provide proficiency testing services that fulfil the needs of the participating laboratories;
- Continuously improve the efficiency of the services, with respect to quality and societal impact;
- Promote the knowledge and the application by the personnel of policies and documents;
- Run a quality system that fulfils the requirements of ISO/IEC 17043 and ISO 13528;
- Maintain its COFRAC accreditation for the proficiency testing services that it provides.
See here the CompaLab Accreditation (granted by COFRAC under the number 1-6007).