Provides elements for product conformity assessment. Critical defects on tools, devices and equipment for live working are not acceptable. Major defects on tools, devices and equipment for live working are likely to result in failure or in a significant reduction of functionality, while minor defects do not reduce significantly the functionality. This standard defines assessment methods for products having completed production phase to assure that they conform to the requirements of the corresponding product standard. It is to be used in conjunction with live working corresponding product standards. The following elements are not covered by the present document, but are included in each product standard: - type tests; - provisions and description for sampling and routine tests; - the identification and classification of the corresponding defects resulting from a risk analysis. This third edition cancels and replaces the first edition which was issued as a technical report in 1994 with its Corrigendum 1 (2000), and the second edition, withdrawn, which was issued as a standard in 2003. It includes the following significant technical changes from the previous edition: - change of the purpose of the document from a support to standard writers to a standard for assessing the conformity by testing of products having completed the production phase; - clarification of the definitions of critical, major and minor defects; - specification of ISO 2859 for the manufacturers to define the appropriate sampling plans; - review of the acceptance quality limit (AQL) to specify lower limits.