Evaluation of consumer and producer risk in conformity assessment decisions

Abstract

Conformity assessment is defined as any activity that is undertaken to determine whether a product, system or process meets the relevant standards and performs certain requirements. The decision whether the object of interest is in accordance with a request is based on the measurement results. The quality of the measurement results is described by the measurement uncertainty that is relevant to conformity assessment. The consumer and producer risks are described in this paper, as well as their impact on the conformity assessment and the way in which they can be managed. This paper also describes the impact of measurement uncertainty on the acceptance and rejection of a product according to its specifications.