Definition · Plain-language
ISO/IEC 17020
ISO/IEC 17020 is the international standard specifying requirements for the competence and impartiality of bodies that perform inspection.
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What ISO/IEC 17020 covers
ISO/IEC 17020 specifies requirements for the competence of bodies performing inspection and for the impartiality and consistency of their inspection activities. Inspection means examining a product, process, service or installation, or their design, and determining its conformity with specific requirements or, on the basis of professional judgement, with general requirements. The standard addresses the competence of inspectors, the independence and impartiality of the body, methods and procedures, handling of inspection items, records and reporting. It is the recognised basis for accrediting inspection bodies across many fields, from construction and pressure equipment to vehicles and lifts.
Types of inspection body
A notable feature of ISO/IEC 17020 is its recognition that inspection bodies differ in how independent they are from the parties whose work they inspect. The standard defines three types — commonly described as Type A, Type B and Type C — reflecting decreasing levels of independence. A Type A body is fully independent third party, a Type C may inspect products it or its parent organisation supplies, with specific safeguards. This framework lets the requirements for impartiality be matched to the body’s situation, while keeping the threshold of objectivity appropriate to each type.
How it differs from ISO/IEC 17025
ISO/IEC 17020 and ISO/IEC 17025 are companion conformity-assessment standards but cover different activities. ISO/IEC 17025 concerns testing and calibration laboratories, which measure or test according to defined methods. ISO/IEC 17020 concerns inspection, which often involves professional judgement in examining an item against requirements rather than a laboratory measurement. Both are used by accreditation bodies to assess competence and impartiality, and both sit within the broader family of conformity-assessment standards alongside certification standards such as ISO/IEC 17021-1, each tailored to a distinct type of conformity-assessment activity.
Key facts
At a glance
- Definition: requirements for the competence and impartiality of inspection bodies
- Activity: inspection — examining items for conformity with requirements
- Used for: accreditation of inspection bodies
- Body types: Type A, B and C, reflecting levels of independence
- Companion standards: ISO/IEC 17025 (testing/calibration), ISO/IEC 17021-1 (certification)
- Distinctive: inspection often relies on professional judgement, not only measurement
Common misconceptions
What people often get wrong
Often heard: ISO/IEC 17020 and ISO/IEC 17025 are interchangeable conformity standards.
Actually: They cover different activities. ISO/IEC 17025 applies to testing and calibration laboratories, while ISO/IEC 17020 applies to inspection bodies, whose work often involves professional judgement in examining items against requirements rather than laboratory measurement.
Often heard: Inspection bodies are certified to ISO/IEC 17020.
Actually: Inspection bodies are accredited to ISO/IEC 17020, not certified. Accreditation formally recognises their competence and impartiality, which is more than certifying conformity to a management system.
Often heard: All inspection bodies must be fully independent third parties.
Actually: ISO/IEC 17020 defines three types of inspection body (A, B and C) with differing levels of independence. Not every inspection body must be a fully independent third party, provided the relevant impartiality safeguards for its type are met.
Going deeper
