ILAC P15:05/2020 Application of ISO/IEC 17020:2012 for the Accreditation of Inspection Bodies has been published and is available from https://ilac.org/publications-and-resources/ilac-policy-series. This document provides information for use by both accreditation bodies and inspection bodies on the application of ISO/IEC 17020.
This revision of ILAC P15 includes updates as a result of the outcome of the ILAC Inspection Committee workshops, ISO CASCO clarification requests and the experience gained in the application of the previous version of ILAC P15 and ISO/IEC 17020:2012. It also includes guidance on the use of emerging technologies (e.g. drones, artificial intelligence) in inspection which are not addressed in ISO/IEC 17020:2012. The implementation date for ILAC P15:05/2020 is 18 months from the date of publication on the ILAC website i.e. November 2021.
The recognition of the increasing use of technology in inspection and the related considerations for the use of such technology is welcomed and accredited inspection bodies and those seeking accreditation will be expected to demonstrate that the identified aspects have been considered if/when introducing new technology.
The NAB-MALTA will look at awareness and implementation of this revised publication during routine assessment activity.