Retention of quality records

The standard requires the retention times of quality records to be established and recorded. The supplementary requirements extend the records retention requirements to quality system related documents and records to satisfy regulatory and customer requirements as a minimum. 

It is important that records are not destroyed before their useful life is over. There are several factors to consider when determining the retention time for quality records  

You will also need to take account of the subcontractor records and ensure adequate retention times are invoked in the contract. 

Where the retention time is actually specified can present a problem. If you specify it in a general procedure you are likely to want to prescribe a single figure, say five years for all records. However, this may cause storage problems - it may be more appropriate, therefore, to specify the retention times in the procedures that describe the records. In this way you can be selective. 

You will also need a means of determining when the retention time has expired so that if necessary you can dispose of the records. The retention time doesn t mean that you must dispose of the records when the time expires - only that you must retain the records for at least that stated period. Records will need to be dated, the files that contain the records dated, and, if stored in an archive, the shelves or drawers dated. It is for this reason that all documents should carry a date of origin and this requirement needs to be specified in the procedures that describe the records. If you can rely on the selection process, a simple method is to store the records in bins or on computer disks that carry the date of disposal. 

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