TÜRKAK surveillance audits are planned visits carried out each year of the accreditation cycle (usually 4 years) or at defined intervals. Good preparation is critical for the audit to be completed smoothly.
Management System (1–10)
- Current quality policy, objectives and top-management commitment
- Up-to-date assessment of risks and opportunities
- Impartiality commitment statement and monitoring records
- Minutes of the last management review
- Last internal audit report and action tracking list
- Corrective action records (with evidence of closure)
- Customer complaints and feedback analysis
- Document revision list (showing the valid versions)
- Record retention period table
- External provider evaluation records
Personnel (11–15)
- A current competence matrix for each staff member
- Training records, attendance certificates
- Personnel performance monitoring records
- Authorisation files for new hires
- Annual training plan and its realisation
Equipment and Traceability (16–22)
- Equipment inventory list (with current status)
- Valid calibration certificates for each item of equipment
- Intermediate check records and control charts
- Calibration interval justifications
- Equipment fault-maintenance records
- Software validation records
- Traceability chain of reference materials
Calibration Activities (23–28)
- Uncertainty budgets (up to date for each method)
- Method validation records
- Sample certificates (last 12 months)
- Consistency between raw data and certificates
- Proficiency test (PT) participation results and evaluation
- Decision-rule agreement records (if any)
Environment and Infrastructure (29–30)
- Ambient condition monitoring records (T, RH, vibration, etc.)
- Laboratory layout, cleanliness and access-control records
Critical tip
On audit day, keep only the current version of all documents; obsolete versions should be either archived or clearly marked “cancelled.” This is one of the most common sources of nonconformity.
Frequently Encountered Nonconformities
- Out-of-date components in the uncertainty budget
- Expiry of personnel competence periods
- Intermediate checks planned but not carried out
- Failure to evaluate “questionable” results in PT participation
- Risk records not being updated