Quality Edge Column
Third Revision of ISO 2859-1
These rules also allow for the discontinuation of sampling inspection if quality deterioration is detected.
The final draft of ISO 2859-1 was approved in December 2025. However, the ISO editors introduced several errors that need to be corrected before publication. This standard holds historical significance, as its origins trace back to MIL-STD 105, which later became ASQ/ANSI Z1.4–2003 (R2018), the current active standard for sampling procedures and tables for inspection by attributes. As mentioned in a previous article, after the military withdrew MIL-STD 105, ANSI adopted it as ASQ/ANSI Z1.4, and internationally, it became ISO 2859-0:1995.
Ongoing revisions have led to this third edition of ISO 2859-1, which cancels and replaces the second edition (ISO 2859-1:1999). Although only two official revisions have been made previously, supplemental documents were created and incorporated into this update—specifically, ISO 2859-1:1999/Amd.1:2011 and ISO 2859-1:1999/Cor.1:2001.
For those unfamiliar with these standards, here’s an introduction: The methods defined within the standard aim to ensure that lots meeting acceptable quality levels have a high chance of being accepted, while minimizing the likelihood of accepting inferior lots. This is managed through switching rules, which govern changes from normal inspection to tightened, reduced, or skip-lot inspections. These rules also allow for the discontinuation of sampling inspection if quality deterioration is detected.
Key changes in the third edition include:
- The incorporation of skip-lot sampling inspection, which adds another step to the switching rules and may reduce resources and costs. Guidance is provided on the benefits of implementing skip-lot sampling beyond just reducing inspection efforts.
- The removal of operating characteristic (OC) curves for each plan; the standard now includes methods for creating individual OC and Average Sample Number (ASN) curves in Annex E.
- The term “supplier” in the revised switching rule table does apply to internal suppliers responsible for releasing and disposing of products from one process to another.
- Sampling plan tables have been modified to enhance usability.
Once ISO 2859-1 is published, there are plans to revise ASQ/ANSI Z1.4–2003 (R2018) to address the updates and corrections identified during the ISO 2859-1 revision process.
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