Happy World Accreditation Day - 9th June 2024!
Published: 6th June 2024
Happy World Accreditation Day 2024!
Today we celebrate the value and impact of accreditation. As a @UKAS accredited organisation, we are committed to maintaining standards of quality and excellence in everything we do.
Our accreditation is a testament to our dedication to providing reliable, impartial, and competent services. It underscores our ongoing efforts to build trust, ensure safety, and promote best practices in all that we do.
On #WAD24 we can reflect on the benefits of accreditation, including:
✅ Increased customer confidence
✅ Enhanced market access
✅ Commitment to continuous improvement.
Here at Sheffield Assay Office we're very, very proud to have achieved a whopping 42 years of continuous accreditation with UKAS.
ISO/IEC 17025 is an internationally accepted standard, and accreditation is the most important benchmark for testing laboratories. This confirms that a laboratory is able to provide accurate, verifiable and reproducible test results, giving the customer complete confidence in their test results and preventing the need for any expensive retesting.
The process of accreditation by the experts at the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) acts as a third-party review process to provide assurance that a laboratory's quality management system is up to date and demonstrates comprehensive technical competence. This process involves rigorous on-site-assessments and participation in applicable proficiency testing schemes.
It also involves the examination of the technical facilities required to produce quality data such as:
- Appropriate handling and transportation of test items
- Suitability of test equipment
- Calibration and maintenance of equipment
- The technical ability of analysts
- The validity of testing methods
- Examination of documents and records
Sheffield Assay Office gained accreditation from UKAS (formerly NATLAS and NAMAS) on 10th September 1982 and were the only 12th laboratory in the country to do so. This gives us the number 0012 below our UKAS logo. We are delighted to have maintained our accreditation for such a long period of time, over which the requirements demanded by the standard have increased vastly. This is a testament to the hard work and diligence of the analysts whose knowledge, experience and attention to detail are demonstrated on a daily basis.
Let's celebrate the power of accreditation together!
The Sheffield Assay Office was established in 1773, under an Act of Parliament and today the company assays and hallmarks the precious metals - silver, gold, platinum and palladium. Sheffield Assay Office is one of only four UK assay offices who all work to uphold the Hallmarking Act of 1973 and continue to ensure consumer protection for customers purchasing precious metals.
To find out more about the whole range of services offered by Sheffield Assay Office, such as our hallmarking and analytical services, please email us at info@assayoffice.co.uk or complete the contact form on our website at http://www.assayoffice.co.uk/contact-us,
Sign up here to all the latest news from Sheffield Assay Office direct to your inbox