Air Products is known for maintaining high safety and quality standards, and the latest ISO/IEC 17025:2017 accreditation obtained from the South African National Accreditation System (SANAS), is testimony to the company’s drive to ensure a specified level of testing and calibration in laboratories. Although it is referred to as an accreditation, it is a standard to which Air Products’ laboratories are accredited.
Ntombifuthi Taiwe and Thapelo Mogapi from Air Products were instrumental in the process of obtaining the ISO/IEC 17025:2017 accreditation.
The ISO/IEC 17025:2017 accreditation can be added to Air Products’ extensive list, which includes ISO 9001 (Quality), ISO 45001 (Health and Safety), ISO 14001 (Environment) and FSSC 22000 (Food Safety). This newly acquired accreditation provides numerous benefits for laboratories, including enhanced credibility, increased customer confidence, and improved operational efficiency. In essence, the accreditation’s core focus is to establish and maintain a reliable and competent laboratory.
Developed by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), the ISO/IEC 17025:2017 accreditation is a globally recognised standard for testing and calibration laboratories. It provides a framework for laboratories to demonstrate their competence, impartiality, and consistent operation, ensuring the accuracy and reliability of their results.
According to Thapelo Mogapi, Specialty Gas Manager at Air Products, the process to apply for the accreditation started in 2016; the project formally started in October 2018 after extensive planning and was completed in early 2025. He explains the process in further detail: “The application started with training to understand the standard. This was followed by a process to ensure the technical competency of the laboratory personnel, equipment calibration, and the traceability of measurements, including validation test methods.”
“The accreditation is essentially the implementation of a quality management system and ensuring that specific technical requirements are met. It is valid for a period of five years, with periodic audits conducted by an accredited body”, says Mogapi.
Mogapi concludes by stating that it is important to produce reliable and accurate results, as this is crucial to build trust with customers and regulatory bodies. “This ISO/IEC 17025:2017 accreditation, combined with Air Products’ high levels of customer service, will certainly play a crucial role in further enhancing the company’s competitiveness and position as a market leader”.
