How to choose between UKAS Calibration and Standard Calibration
Check if a company is UKAS Calibration Accredited here
You, as the customer, are expected to check whether a calibration supplier meets your quality and safety requirements. This requires an enormous amount of knowledge and auditing time. There are very few companies with knowledge, skill or time to properly audit a supplier. UKAS does much of this job allowing the customer to concentrate on their business.
UKAS (United Kingdom Accreditation Service) is the only UK organisation that can externally accredit ISO_17025 calibration. ISO_17025 is the international calibration standard.
Beware ISO 9001 is not a calibration standard and there is not an ISO 9001 calibration.Certification of a laboratory to ISO 9001 alone, relates only to the laboratory's quality management systems, not the technical competence of the laboratory. A laboratory that is certified to ISO 9001 only, and is not accredited to ISO 17025 should not be considered an acceptable alternative to a UKAS laboratory.
If you have not got the time, skills, or resources to work with the supplier in order to ensure that they meet your measurement requirements then opting for a UKAS calibration would reduce the related risks with respect to safety, quality and measurement.
If you have the small amounts of equipment that are safety or quality critical then UKAS may be cheaper than formally auditing the supplier.
If you are in an industry that insists on UKAS or if you are risk averse then UKAS may be best.
Standard ISO-17025 Equivalent Calibration
Companies who have a large inventory or intend to work with a supplier on a long-term basis can work with the supplier to ensure that the internal certificate meets the quality safety and business requirements.
Companies who have built a long-term relationship with a supplier can benefit from the economy and flexibility of an internal calibration certificate.