Transition from ASCLD/LAB Legacy

to ISO/IEC 17025 Page 1 of 3 Adopted 04/06/2009

TRANSITION FROM ASCLD/LAB LEGACY TO ISO/IEC 17025

1.0 Objective

To set forth selected and important ISO requirements that exceed ASCLD/LAB

Legacy program requirements which are new and of interest to the FirearmsToolmarks community.

2.0 Identified Requirements and Applications

2.1 The laboratory shall evaluate the suppliers of critical consumables, supplies

and services, and maintain records of these evaluations and list those

approved. [4.6.4]

2.1.1 This may include calibration and maintenance services for balances,

microscopes and consumables, which may include gunshot residue

supplies.

2.2 The laboratory must estimate the uncertainty involved with all measurements

critical to the examination outcome. [5.4.6]

2.2.1 Only uncertainty of measurement in quantitative testing is

considered.

2.2.1.1 Examples of such measurements could include those which

place or border the measurement within a legal or

regulatory standard. This may include linear

measurements associated with barrel and overall lengths

of firearms, projectile velocity measurements and bullet

weights for energy calculations.

2.2.1.2 Examples of instruments which may affect uncertainty

calculations and may need to be calibrated could include

calipers, micrometers, rulers, microscopic reticules,

chronographs and balances.

2.2.2 All components which may influence uncertainty of measurements

should be considered and documented (manufacturer error rate is

one such consideration).

2.2.3 If the reproducibility experiment is designed in such a way that

variability due to all of the major sources of uncertainty is sampled,

then reliable estimates of uncertainty can be based entirely on

experiment without having to resort to the mathematics and theory

found in the ISO Guide to the Expression of Uncertainty in

Measurement.
Transition from ASCLD/LAB Legacy

to ISO/IEC 17025 Page 2 of 3 Adopted 04/06/2009

2.2.4 The statistical spread results in a series of measurements may yield,

through its standard deviation, a measure of the uncertainty. This

could be achieved by having all examiners within their unit take test

measurements, collecting the aggregate data, and then having

standard deviations calculated (this procedure will incorporate

instrumentation errors). A plus or minus figure could be assigned to

a measurement based on one or two standard deviations from the

mean.

2.3 Reference collections that are maintained for identification, comparison or

interpretation purposes should have their specimens uniquely identified, fully

documented and properly controlled. [5.6.3.2]

2.3.1 Examples may include firearms, ammunition and fired-specimen

collections.

2.3.2 Attempts should be made to appropriately classify and characterize

firearm reference collections and their associated components.

2.3.3 Components of ammunition reference collections may be traceable by

the lot number on the ammunition boxes, the head stamp, or the

purchase practices.

2.4 When opinions and interpretations are included, the laboratory shall document

the basis upon which the opinions and interpretations have been made.

Opinions and interpretations shall be clearly marked as such in the test report.

[5.10.5]

2.4.1 Reports which contain test results enhanced with the conclusion,

opinion or interpretation shall in some way notify the customer that

the report contains conclusions, opinions and interpretations of the

person issuing the report. This may be accomplished in a variety of

ways.

2.4.1.1 A heading for the results section of the report that reads

“Results and Conclusions,” or “Results and

Interpretations,” or “Results and Opinions.”

2.4.1.2 A footer or preformatted message on the report, such as:

“This report contains the conclusions, opinions and

interpretations of the analyst whose signature appears on

the report.”

2.4.1.3 Or, if a heading or preformatted message is not used, the

author of the report may use appropriate wording directly

in the text of the report.

“It is the opinion of this examiner that...”

3.0 References
Transition from ASCLD/LAB Legacy

to ISO/IEC 17025 Page 3 of 3 Adopted 04/06/2009

1. General Requirements for the Competence of Testing and Calibration

Laboratories, International Standard, ISO/IEC 17025, Second Edition 2205-05-

15, Reference number ISO/IEC 17025:2005(E)

2. ISO/IEC 17025:2005 / 5.10.5 Opinions and interpretations, ASCLD/LAB

Discussion, Interpretation and Application; Adopted by the ASCLD/LAB Board of

Directors on September 14, 2008-10-22

3. 2006 Supplemental Requirements for the Accreditation of Forensic Science

Testing Laboratories, Corresponds to ISO/IEC 17025:2005; Effective Date:

January 24, 2006; Approved by: ASCLD/LAB Board of Directors

4. Guidelines for the Accreditation of Forensic Testing Laboratories; CAN-P-1578;

September 2003

5. A2LA Guide for the Estimation of Measurement Uncertainty in Testing; July

2002; Edited by Thomas M. Adams