TS EN ISO/IEC 17020

TS EN ISO/IEC 17020 is the conformity assessment standard focused on how inspection bodies are operated. Its central concern is the competence of bodies that carry out inspections, together with the impartiality and consistency of their inspection activities. It addresses the organisational basis for credible inspection work, regardless of the stage of inspection involved.

Core ideas behind inspection bodies

Inspection means examining a product, process, service or installation and comparing it against specified requirements. In this field, competence depends on several elements working together: qualified personnel, suitable methods, appropriate equipment, records and management control. Impartiality is about managing conflicts of interest that could affect inspection outcomes, while consistency refers to carrying out assessments on the same technical basis over time and across different inspectors.

Why the A, B and C types matter

The standard applies to Type A, B and C inspection bodies. This classification is used to define the body’s degree of independence and its structural position. In practice, it helps clarify how far inspection activity must be separated from internal interests or from the organisation to which the body belongs. That distinction is especially important when impartiality needs to be demonstrated through the way the organisation is set up and managed.

The standard applies to any stage of inspection, which means the same core principles of competence and impartiality are relevant across planning, examination, evaluation and finalisation steps. In general technical terms, standards of this kind support more reliable inspection reports and provide a common management framework for inspection services used across many sectors.