NPL is committed to providing a quality service to all our customers taking due regard of environmental issues and a safe and healthy working environment. Extracts from NPL's Quality, Environmental and Health and Safety documentation demonstrate this commitment.

ISO 9001

NPL's quality management system has been registered for scientific R&D and the provision of internal services by LRQA to ISO 9001:2008 and software quality certification TickITplus. Paper masters of the certificates of approval and the certificate schedules are held by the NPL Corporate Assurance team. LRQA certificates of approval:

ISO 9001:2008
ISO 9001:2008 TickITplus
ISO 9001:2008 and TickITplus schedule

UKAS Accreditation

NPL's standard calibration, measurement and testing services have been accredited by UKAS. The accredited capability of those services may be found in the calibration and testing schedules issued by UKAS:

Calibration - UKAS reference number 0478:  Certificate  |  Laboratory scope
Testing - UKAS reference number 0002:  Certificate  |  Laboratory scope
Reference Materials - UKAS reference number 4002:  Certificate  |  Laboratory scope
Proficiency Testing - UKAS reference number 0016:  Certificate  |  Laboratory scope
Inspection Body - UKAS reference number 5105:  Certificate  |  Laboratory scope

Quality Policy Statement

As the UK's National Measurement Institute (NMI), we are charged with developing and disseminating the UK's measurement standards - ensuring that they are internationally accepted; conducting multidisciplinary R&D; delivering impact through technical services for the public and private sectors; and providing knowledge transfer and advice between industry, Government and academia.

Our mission

To provide the measurement capability that underpins the UK's prosperity and quality of life.

We will advance the UK scientific and technical foundation for standards that enable equitable trade, support innovation and deliver both economic and quality of life impact for the UK. Our mission stands apart from, and complements, academic and industrial organisations. It provides a substantial part of the UK 's innovation infrastructure, delivering science and technology and addressing national needs. NPL is a world-leading NMI and delivers this mission through its core UK Measurement System work, competitively-won business, services and knowledge transfer.

Our vision

As a Science and Technology Laboratory driven by a national mission, we will:

• Be recognised as a top three NMI in the world;
• Be aligned and integrated with the UK innovation landscape to maximise the value of the government investment;
• Deliver excellent science, accelerating economic growth and making a real difference to societal challenges;
• Be the heart of a thriving 'Innovation Campus' at Teddington and deliver impact beyond this through increased activities across the UK;
• Provide trusted scientific advice to Government to underpin policy.

Our strategy

• Continue to deliver excellent responsive science and knowledge services
• Retain international status and influence: a world-leading NMI
• Remain the NMI that best demonstrates social and economic impact
• Sustain organic growth and develop step-change initiatives to deliver a growing and sustainable business

Our values

We remain committed to our values which are aligned with the public mission of NPL; the need to develop creative and committed staff, who feel empowered to deliver the best science and service to stakeholders; and the creation of a work environment that people enjoy and in which they feel valued.

We shall pursue these aims through the implementation of a Quality Management System, involving all staff members, which will require us to:

• Be aware of the role and objectives of the Laboratory and how our functions contribute to them;
• Recognise that our work is undertaken for customers, internal and external, whose needs we should understand and meet;
• Work to the highest professional standards supported by written procedures and monitored against explicit criteria of quality;
• Seek and receive the necessary training to fit us for our work.

We shall provide our customers with a service which meets the requirements of ISO 17025:2005 (including ISO Guide 34 or ISO 17043:2010 or ISO 17020:2012 (Type A) where accredited) and/or ISO 9001:2008 and TickITplus, as appropriate.

We shall promote a collective commitment to good professional practice and continual improvement in the quality of our services. The actions necessary for improvement shall be implemented and their effectiveness shall be monitored.

We shall be aware that responsibility for awareness of and compliance with the quality system rests in the first place with everyone. We shall familiarise ourselves with the documentation and implement the policies and procedures in our work.

Senior management shall ensure that customer needs and expectations are determined, converted into requirements and fulfilled with the aim of achieving customer satisfaction within the bounds of statutory and legal requirements.

Each member of staff is responsible for the quality of their work and for satisfying their customers' requirements, stated and implied.

Regardless of our type of work, we shall comply with the policies set out in the NPL Quality Manual except under clearly defined conditions. These conditions shall be recorded and authorised.

Authorised: Peter Thompson
Date: June 2016

Dr Peter Thompson, Chief Executive Officer, NPL Management Limited