A2LA News:
The Newsletter of the American Association for
Laboratory Accreditation
April 1999, Number 69
- Locke Steps Down as APLAC MRA Council Chairman
- 1999 Annual Meeting Announcement
- AOAC Laboratory Proficiency Testing Program
- In Search of…Qualified Calibration Assessors
- Assessor Profiles
- New A2LA BOD Member Elected
- Results of Annual Directory Survey of Members
- Interim Proficiency Testing Policy for Environmental Laboratories
- Update on the A2LA Technical Advisory Committees
- A2LA Welcomes New Staff Members!
- Notices for Lead (Pb) Testing Laboratories
- Revised ANSI/RAB Scope of Accreditation Issued to A2LA
- Notice for Food Microbiology Testing Laboratories
Locke Steps Down as APLAC MRA Council Chairman
John Locke, Past President of A2LA, has finished his tenure as chairman of the Mutual Recognition Arrangement (MRA) Council and Advisory Committee of the Asia Pacific Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (APLAC). As the first chairman, John drafted the initial procedures, arranged the evaluations of the initial seven national laboratory accreditation bodies, and successfully concluded the initial APLAC MRA signing in November 1997.
Three more national accreditation bodies have qualified to sign the MRA. At the October 1998 ILAC General Assembly meeting in Sydney, Australia, the Japanese Accreditation Board (JAB), Japanese National Laboratory Accreditation (JNLA) and the Korean Laboratory Accreditation Scheme (KOLAS) were approved in a formal signing ceremony. Peter Unger, A2LA President, was elected to succeed John Locke as chairman of the APLAC MRA Council and Advisory Committee.
The APLAC General Assembly met the week of 11 October in Auckland, New Zealand. Several actions were taken. A policy for minimum proficiency testing requirements was adopted. This document is expected to have very little effect on A2LA as most A2LA-accredited laboratories exceed the minimum participation requirements that were agreed upon.
A plan to update the MRA evaluation procedures was adopted to be synchronous with the ILAC MRA process now under development. The role of the regional body MRA procedures such as APLAC is expected to play a major role in the ILAC MRA.
Roxanne Robinson, A2LA Vice President, was approved as a lead evaluator for APLAC. She led the APLAC team on a joint evaluation with the European cooperation for Accreditation (EA) of NATA and IANZ in March 1999. This cooperative effort with EA is expected to result in a bilateral MRA relationship between the two regional bodies.
1999 Annual Meeting Announcement
A2LA’s 1999 annual meeting will be held on April 26, 1999 at 8:00 am at the Turf Valley Resort and Conference Center in Ellicott City, MD. The guest speaker at the meeting will be Dr. Belinda Collins, ILAC Chair. She will be speaking on the future of ILAC and federal conformity assessment policy.AOAC Laboratory Proficiency Testing Program
AOAC INTERNATIONAL has assumed a leadership role in proficiency testing. The mission of AOAC is to advance the global chemistry and microbiology community by promoting methods of validation and quality measurements. Proficiency testing is an essential quality management tool to avoid bias and ensure accurate, reliable data. The first phase of the AOAC program has included a focus on food safety and nutritional labeling. Future phases will include a pesticide residue in food program as well as an environmental program.
The AOAC Laboratory Proficiency Testing Program has been designed to meet the requirements of international standards for proficiency testing schemes. This proficiency testing program provides a tool to help laboratories comply with ISO-25.
Food Safety Programs
The new AOAC Laboratory Proficiency Testing Program was launched in October of 1998. The first shipment of Phase 1 was the Standard Microbiology Program. Each shipment for this program has eight samples which include four samples for qualitative testing and four samples for quantitative testing. The qualitative samples include Salmonella species, E. coli O157:H7, and Listeria species. This program is also available without E. coli O157:H7 and without Listeria. Participants, if they wish, can report and be evaluated on O and H antigens for Salmonella species and identify the species of Listeria. The quantitative samples include tests for coliform (MPN and plate count), E. coli (MPN and plate count), Coagulase Positive Staphylococcus, yeast and mold, and aerobic plate count. Laboratories are encouraged to analyze the samples according to the procedures that are routinely used.
Food safety is such a major concern for the food industry that AOAC offers a number of programs to meet these needs. AOAC offers three meat microbiology programs that are shipped quarterly. The first of these programs provides ten ground meat samples with different Salmonella species. Participants, if they wish, can report and be evaluated on O and H antigens for Salmonella species as well as report the presence or absence of Salmonella. The second meat microbiology program provides ten ground meat samples to determine the presence or absence of E. coli O157:H7. The final meat microbiology program includes sixteen processed meat samples for the determination of the presence or absence of Listeria monocytogenes.
The Pathogen-Free Program offers a microbiology program for laboratories that routinely do not test for pathogens. This program includes four samples for a quantitative determination of coliform, E. coli, yeast and mold, and aerobic plate count.
AOAC will continue to develop future phases of the program to meet the requirements of international standards and meet the needs of subscribers. For further information on the AOAC Laboratory Proficiency Testing Program, contact Arlene Fox at AOAC INTERNATIONAL, 481 N. Frederick Ave, Suite 500, Gaithersburg, MD 20877-2417, USA, telephone +1-301-924-7077, fax+1-301-924-7089, e-mail afox@aoac.org.
In Search of...Qualified Calibration Assessors
Efforts are underway to recruit technical assessors in all fields of calibration as part of A2LA’s continuing effort to meet the demands of the rapid growth in the calibration field. Calibration assessors must be peer experts knowledgeable about the laboratory business in which assessments will be performed.
To enter into the A2LA assessor training program, the assessors must have approximately 10 years (or more) of recent relevant technical experience in specific calibration fields, be able to communicate effectively both in writing and orally, and demonstrate leadership, poise, tact, persistence, integrity, and maturity. A willingness to travel is also very important since laboratories are located throughout the US and overseas.
To obtain more information, interested individuals can send a cover letter, resume and technical references to A2LA Headquarters.
In this 1st Issue of A2LA News for 1999, we would like to introduce a new column on assessor profiles. A2LA assessors play the most crucial role in the assessment process; they must verify the technical competence of laboratories seeking accreditation. More than just technical expertise is necessary, however, to conduct a successful assessment. The list of attributes a good assessor must have goes on and on. Assessors must be honest, objective, and without bias. They must be good planners and good writers. They must be thorough, fair, factual, independent, determined, decisive and direct. They must keep the assessment moving while making every effort to disrupt as little as possible the normal operating schedule of the laboratory, and they must learn to put laboratory personnel at ease during what many consider a very stressful event.
In each issue of A2LA News, we will profile one assessor. We will bring you the more personal side of our dedicated assessors that is rarely seen during the formal on-site assessment. We hope you enjoy the column and find it informative.
Mr. John Wehrmeyer has been elected to serve on the A2LA Board of Directors (BOD) for the 1999-2000 term. Mr. Wehrmeyer is the Technical Manager at the Eastman Kodak Co. Corporate Metrology Center located in Rochester, N.Y. In addition, Mr. Wehrmeyer is the Chairman of the ANSI/NCSL Writing Committee and serves as the CORM Liaison Delegate to NCSL.
For a full list of the 1999 A2LA BOD, please contact A2LA Headquarters.
Results of Annual Directory Survey of Members
A2LA’s membership has voted to eliminate the current book edition of the directory in favor of a CD-ROM product. The CD-ROM will offer many enhancements such as key word search and easier updating of scopes. Additionally, the CD-ROM will be more economical to produce and less expensive to mail. The book edition will be available for 1999 only.
Interim Proficiency Testing Policy for Environmental Laboratories
With the end of the USEPA WS and WP proficiency testing programs, accredited environmental laboratories are finding themselves in limbo as we await the first approved proficiency testing providers by NIST. A2LA intends to adopt a policy requiring accredited environmental laboratories to participate in relevant proficiency testing programs approved by NIST, however, in the meantime an interim policy has become necessary.
Until such time as an A2LA policy is developed incorporating the NIST approved programs, environmental testing laboratories accredited for drinking water and/or wastewater are required to participate in a relevant program for each matrix encompassing all major groups of analytes (e.g., metals, classical chemistry, organics, pesticides, etc.) contained on their Scope and Supplement. Minimum participation remains twice per year. Laboratories obtaining unacceptable results for an analysis on one round must submit a detailed corrective action response to A2LA and must include this analyte in the following round of proficiency testing. A laboratory obtaining two successive failures for an analyte will still be required to obtain and successfully analyze an independent quality control sample. Failure to successfully analyze this quality control sample or three consecutive failures for an analyte will still result in automatic revocation of the testing concerned until the laboratory can demonstrate acceptable performance on a future proficiency testing study.
A2LA recommends the use of proficiency testing programs that have been found to meet the requirements of ASTM E1301 or ISO 9001/9002. Please contact Atefeh Fathi (301-644-3210, ) or Teresa Adams (301-644-3202, tbarnett@a2la.org) for recommendations or further details.
Update on the A2LA Technical Advisory Committees
A2LA supports several technical advisory committees. Each one of these advisory committees provides advice on the development of program requirements and the interpretation and/or amplification of ISO/IEC Guide 25 requirements for particular fields.
The A2LA Board of Directors (BOD) has agreed that the scope of work for the current technical advisory committee should be further defined, clarified, and/or expanded to cover the array of accreditation programs A2LA presently offers. The newly revised scopes of activity for A2LA’s four active advisory committees are noted below. The names of current officers and staff contacts for each committee are also listed.
Environmental Advisory Committee (EAC)
Scope: development of accreditation guides for environmental laboratories performing chemistry, microbiology, and testing on matrix effects and contaminates (Pb, asbestos).
Chair: Fred Anderson, 1st Vice Chair: David B. MacLean, 2nd Vice Chair: Athene Steinke, Staff Contact: Teresa Adams (x202).
Materials Testing Advisory Committee (MTAC)
(This committee was previously known as the Transportation Advisory Committee - TAC)
Scope: development of accreditation guides for testing laboratories performing the following types of materials and product testing: mechanical, chemical, non-destructive, thermal, electrical, transportation, and fasteners.
Chair: David Elias, Staff Contact: Steve Medellin (x228).
Measurement Advisory Committee (MAC)
Scope: development of accreditation guides relating to calibration, measurement traceability, measurement uncertainty, dimensional inspection, reference materials, and measurement audits (proficiency testing).
Chair: Don Martin, Vice Chair: Richard Turner, Staff Contact: Thomas Adams (x219).
Construction Materials Advisory Committee (CMAC)
Scope: development of accreditation guides for construction materials, geotechnical, and putting green materials testing laboratories, as well as for inspection bodies.
Chair: Bill DeGroff, Staff Contact: Ron Bell (x203).
A fifth advisory committee, the Reference Materials Advisory Committee (RMAC), is inactive at this time due to the recent cancellation of A2LA Reference Materials Certification Program.
The A2LA BOD also agreed that as A2LA’s programs grow, new advisory committees will be considered. Two proposed committees include the following:
Life Sciences Advisory Committee (LSAC)
Proposed scope: biological, biochemical, food & drug, cosmetics, animal drug, GLPs, and nutritional/herbal testing laboratories
Electromechanical Advisory Committee (EMAC)
Proposed scope: electrical, electromagnetic compatibility (EMC), acoustics & vibrations, radiation & high freq. field)
A2LA Welcomes New Staff Members!
Mary Murphy joined A2LA staff in May 1998 as a Laboratory Services Officer. Prior to this, she worked in the Genetic Toxicology Division of Covance Laboratories as a report coordinator and quality assurance auditor. Jennifer Gruber is a 1997 graduate of Frostburg State University in Frostburg, Maryland. Ms. Gruber joined A2LA in August of 1997, initially serving as a Laboratory Services Associate. Currently, Ms. Gruber serves as the Training Services Associate where she aids in the administration of the Association’s national training programs. Randall V. Querry has been employed as a Laboratory Services Officer with the American Association for Laboratory Accreditation since October, 1998. Mr. Querry had previously worked as a quality assurance inspector for the Cement and Concrete Reference Laboratory (CCRL) located at the National Institute of Standards and Technology. Mr. Querry holds a Bachelors degree in Geo-Environmental Studies from Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania, Shippensburg, Pennsylvania. Bethany Hackett joined A2LA staff in May 1998 as a Laboratory Services Officer. She has a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering from Penn State University. Previously she worked for the AASHTO Material Reference Laboratory. Her interests include reading and traveling. Josephine Warnke is a Laboratory Services Associate, providing customer service for new and accredited laboratories, and support for our Laboratory Services Officers. Josephine’s background includes five years as a data technician for vehicle durability testing at the Nevada Automotive Test Center proving grounds. In her spare time she’s an avid gardener, an amateur pianist, and the devoted caretaker of a bossy cat. Steve Medellin is a Laboratory Services Officer overseeing the automotive testing laboratory accreditations. Previously he worked for American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials Materials Testing Laboratory (AMRL) as a Laboratory Inspector/Safety Officer. He graduated from Millersville University, December 1994, with a major in Industrial Technology and a minor in Occupational Safety and Health. Robert W. Saylor has been employed with the American Association for Laboratory Accreditation (A2LA) since October 1998 as staff Accountant. Previously, Mr. Saylor was employed by The Lerner Corporation as Accounts Payable Processor. Mr. Saylor has an associates degree in Business Administration from Montgomery College and is pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Accounting at the University of Maryland University College. Congratulations! Warren Merkel has been promoted from Senior Laboratory Services Officer to Operations Manager. Notices for Lead (Pb) Testing Laboratories
Implementation Date for Mandatory Conduct of Work Practice Standards:
The implementation date for mandatory conduct of work practice standards was March 1, 1999 with enforcement to begin on or after August 30, 1999. This will require that samples associated with lead-based paint activities in target housing and child-occupied facilities be sent to laboratories recognized under the National Lead Laboratory Accreditation Program (NLLAP). Violators could be subject to civil and criminal sanctions under the Toxic Substance Control Act (TSCA) on a per-violation basis. Laboratories accredited by A2LA under the Environmental Lead (Pb) Program are recognized by EPA to perform these analyses under the NLLAP pursuant to TSCA Section 4056(b).
Laboratories performing lead analysis in target housing and child-occupied facilities are encouraged to apply for accreditation now since the entire process takes, on average, six months to complete. For further information regarding the A2LA Environmental Lead Accreditation Program and application materials, please visit our web site (www.a2la.org) or contact Teresa Adams of A2LA (301 644 3202, tbarnett@a2la.org).
A2LA Position on Composite Wipe Samples for Environmental Lead (Pb) Analysis:
A2LA would like to remind accredited Lead testing laboratories that analysis of composite wipe samples as a single sample is not covered under the A2LA Environmental Lead Program. The American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) has also adopted this policy with respect to composite wipe sample analysis and has issued a similar notice. While TSCA and HUD regulations allow for the collection of composite wipes, testing can only be endorsed by the A2LA logo if each individual wipe is separated before digestion, with each subsample treated as a single wipe sample throughout the analytical process. The final test report must also contain a statement indicating that, although the wipes were received in the same container and were cross-contaminated, they were quantitatively separated and analyzed as individual subsamples. The results of each subsample must then be reported individually. If this procedure is not followed, test reports containing the A2LA logo must indicate that the composite wipe analysis is not included under the laboratory’s A2LA accreditation. Mathematically combining the subsample analysis data is unreliable unless equal areas are sampled and the same type of wipe is used for each subsample. ASTM E1792 may be consulted for further information regarding wipe materials.
Revised ANSI/RAB Scope of Accreditation Issued to A2LA
A2LA is accredited by the ANSI/RAB National Accreditation Program for the ISO 9001/2 registration services A2LA offers to accredited laboratories and suppliers of laboratory-related products. Recently, ANSI/RAB made the decision to replace the 1987 U.S. SIC code system (used to describe the areas of economic activity that the registrars are accredited for) with an IAF NACE code based system. A2LA’s revised Scope of Accreditation covers the NACE code designations noted below. Newly issued A2LA scopes of registration now contain reference to the NACE code system in lieu of the SIC code classification:
IAF Scope Categories General Description NACE Codes 12 Chemicals, Chemical Products and Fibers; limited to: NACE DG 24.1, Manufacture of basic chemicals 19 Electrical and Optical Equipment; limited to: NACE DL 33.2, Manufacture of instruments and appliances for measuring, checking, testing, navigating and other purposes, except industrial process control equipment; NACE DL 33.3, Manufacture of industrial process control equipment;
NACE DL 33.4, Manufacture of optical instruments and photographic equipment.
34 Engineering Services NACE K 73.1, Research and experimental development on natural sciences and engineering 35 Other Services; limited to: NACE K 74.3, Technical testing and analysis For further information on this article, please contact Ramona J. Saar at 301-644-3201 or via e-mail at rsaar@a2la.org. Notice for Food Microbiology Testing Laboratories
The American Proficiency Institute (API) has recently announced that laboratories accredited under the A2LA Food Microbiology Program are invited to enroll in their 1999 food microbiology proficiency testing program at no cost. The A2LA Board of Directors has adopted a policy that requires accredited laboratories to participate in proficiency testing programs when such programs are available and relevant. Therefore, if you are not currently participating in a proficiency program for your food microbiology testing, we strongly encourage you to take advantage of this opportunity. For further information, please contact the American Proficiency Institute at 800-333-0958 or Teresa Adams at A2LA (301-644-3202, ).
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