One way of disseminating reference values with demonstrated traceability and demonstrated uncertainty to field laboratories: IMEP

An operational interlaboratory comparison programme is described which disseminates SI-traceable reference values to laboratories worldwide. These reference values have an uncertainty and traceability that is demonstrated at the highest metrological level. Participating laboratories can use these values to establish the degree of equivalence of their measurement results and can use this to support their measurement capability claims, e.g. towards third parties. The programme has been run by the Institute for Reference Materials and Measurements (IRMM) since 1988, in the first phase as an awareness programme. Currently, IRMM is focusing its efforts on educational aspects of metrology via a collaboration with the European Co-operation for Accreditation, national metrological institutes (NMIs) and interested academic networks. The viewgraphs used are presented in the “Electronic Supplementary Material” of this ACQUAL issue.