Quality certificates

Certificate of conformance (COC)

For Coregas products, a certificate of conformance (COC) is a guarantee of the content of the cylinder and the composition of the product. COCs are available for each size for gases in our standard range. Simply visit the relevant gas page, scroll to the table at the bottom and download from the right hand column.

Specialty gases certificate of analysis (COA)

This is the most common classification of certification for calibration gas mixtures. In many applications the quality assurance that Coregas is able to provide with this certificate is adequate for customers' requirements. Upgrading to an internationally traceable certification at ISO 17052 or ISO Guide 34 level is possible for many gas mixtures if they are within our accreditation scope.

These higher certification levels attract additional cost due to the significant additional time required to operate under these superior quality management systems; the more labour-intensive production and analytical techniques required; and the costs of using primary standard reference material gas mixtures or high precision weights to produce these internationally traceable products.

Calibration gas mixture certificate with ISO 17025 accreditation

This is the most common level of quality certification that is used to demonstrate traceability to national or international standard reference materials. ISO 17025-accredited traceable gas mixtures find common application in air quality monitoring, emissions testing and breath alcohol analyser calibration gas mixtures.

The production of ISO 17025-accredited specialty gases calibration gas mixtures at Coregas began in 1997 when ISO 17025 accreditation as a calibration laboratory for gas mixtures was first attained. Subsequently, Coregas achieved ISO Guide 34 accreditation in 2002. Coregas was at that time the first and only accredited gases reference material producer in Australia. Today, there are five NATA signatories in our specialty gases laboratory team at Yennora for ISO 17025-accredited certificates. Between them they have a total of 60 years of combined experience as NATA signatories for gas testing.

Reference material certificate with ISO Guide 34 accreditation

Both the ISO 17025 and the ISO Guide 34 or ISO 17034 accreditations are important but they have some differences. ISO 17025 is for testing gases as a calibration laboratory and ISO Guide 34 or ISO 17034 is for reference material production, so it is focused on traceability, stability, homogeneity and measurement uncertainty.

There are four members of our Specialty Gases laboratory team at Yennora who are NATA signatories for our accredited ISO Guide 34 certificates. Between them, they have 38 years of experience as NATA signatories for reference material production. In recent years, our Coregas reputation for quality and precision, and our ISO Guide 34-accredited specialty gas cylinders, have been traveling abroad. Today, we supply to many multi-national companies, even as far away as Brazil.

Reference material certificate with ISO 17034:2016 accreditation

The updated version of ISO Guide 34, which is called ISO 17034:2016, will be implemented in the our specialty gases production facility in 2018. Preparation for this new accreditation has taken approximately one year to gather sufficient quality data and prepare the relevant processes. Additionally, preparation of the documentation for the assessment will take an additional 3 months. This is a highly labour-intensive process that requires the attention of the most expert members of our laboratory team.

Our Coregas ISO 17025 and ISO 17034 accreditations are more than just one-off events; both accreditations must be re-assessed every 18 months by NATA to ensure that our quality systems remain under control. This is the extent that we go to in ensuring that our customers receive the premium quality calibration mixtures available in Australia.

The Australian accreditation body - NATA

NATA, the National Association of Testing Authorities Australia, is the sole accreditation body in Australia. NATA is one of the founding members of the Asia-Pacific Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (APLAC), which is a cooperation between the various laboratory accreditation bodies in Asia and the Pacific Rim. From time to time, NATA also holds the secretariat for APLAC. NATA actively promotes its accredited laboratories, both within Australia and internationally. It is an active participant in the International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC) and liaises with other international bodies such as BIPM/OIML, ISO/IEC, IAF, and the WTO. NATA is also honoured to hold the secretariat for ILAC on occasion.