Implementing of Quality Environmental Laboratory Management Systems (ISO 17025)

Introduction

If there were no standards, we would soon notice. Standards make an enormous contribution to most aspects of our lives - although very often, that contribution is invisible. It is when there is an absence of standards that their importance is brought home. For example, as purchasers or users of products, we soon notice when they turn out to be of poor quality, do not fit, are incompatible with the equipment we already have, are unreliable or dangerous. When products meet our expectations.

After completion of the conference the participants will be able:

• To have advanced knowledge and skills of quality systems particularly ISO 17025.
• To exercise total quality management in producing reliable, consistent, and independent results and on-time to their customers.
• To implement quality and environmental management systems in their organizations.
• To be responsible (champions of the project) for auditing and maintenance of these systems.
• To emphasize on equipment calibration and maintenance as part of the quality assurance and quality control procedures.
• To increase the awareness of the company’s employees, stakeholders, and the community that ISO 14000 is a must for a better and cleaner workplace.
• To identify the most effective and efficient practice in planning, organizing, prioritizing, and executing the business requirements.
• To develop effective communication and interpersonal skills among lab personnel
• Also, the conference will concentrate on LIMS from two perspectives:
• Product: LIMS (it's positioning within an organization and interaction with other Departments and systems)
• Process: Change and project management (neglect of this side of the equation means that many implementations will fail)
• Participants will be using case study material during the workshop sessions; these will involve various phases of a LIMS project for the well-known company called Grabbe, Munny, and Runne. Project teams will consist of a maximum of 8 people.

Objectives

• Introductions and Conference Briefing.
• ISO 17025
• ISO 9000 series
• ISO 14000 series
• Laboratory Structure to ensure Integrity and Competence.
• Quality Management Systems as a Framework for Business Process.
• Laboratory Facilities.
• Services and Supplies.
• Ensuring Competence: Equipment
• Ensuring Competence: Personal.
• Tenders, contracts and requests – the review process
• Subcontracting
• Ensuring competence – test and calibration methods
• Handling of samples and items from customers for calibration and test
• Documentation and documentation control process
• Ensuring competence – performance of calibrations and tests.
• Ensuring competence – management controls.
• Identifying potential and actual non-conforming work.
• Process of recording and storage and retrieval of records.
• Reporting results to client including opinions and interpretations.
• Complaints process.
• Introductions and participant learning objectives
• Workshop on preparation of a project proposal with review and feedback (workshop)
• Role of the analytical laboratory & the concept of core business (presentation)
• Process re-engineering, redesign or simplification of a laboratory (presentation)
• Workshop to redesign laboratory process flows (workshop)
• Project management: organization, environment, and project proposal (presentation)
• Defining the scope and boundaries of a LIMS (presentation and discussion)
• The user requirements specification and selection of a system (presentation and discussion)
• Implementing a LIMS: functions required (workshop)
• Change management implications: involving the users (presentation)
• Implementing a LIMS: budgets (workshop)
• Risk assessment of a LIMS project (presentation)
• Validation of a LIMS (presentation)
• Closeout of the conference and review of learning objectives  

Training Methodology

This is an interactive course. There will be open question and answer sessions, regular group exercises and activities, videos, case studies, and presentations on best practice. Participants will have the opportunity to share with the facilitator and other participants on what works well and not so well for them, as well as work on issues from their own organizations. The online course is conducted online using MS-Teams/ClickMeeting.

Who Should Attend?

Head sections, Laboratory managers, Quality assurance/control managers and supervisors, analytical chemists, laboratory supervisors, environmental and safety coordinators, and systems controllers.

Course Outline

Day 1: Introduction

• Introductions and conference briefing
• Laboratory structure to ensure integrity and competence
• Quality management system as a framework for the business processes and the role of ISO 17025 (Guide 25)
• Implementation
• Ensuring competence: Services and supplies
• Ensuring competence: equipment

Day 2: 

• Tenders, contracts, and requests – the review process
• Subcontracting
• Ensuring competence – test and calibration methods
• Exercise: Content of a test method and validation
• Handling of samples and items from customers for calibration and test
• Documentation and documentation control process
• Ensuring competence – performance of calibrations and tests

Day 3:

• Ensuring competence – management controls
• Identifying potential and actual non-conforming work
• Process of recording and storage and retrieval of records
• Reporting results to the client including opinions and interpretations
• Complaints process
• Video
• Working under pressure and stress, safety first!

Day 4:

• Time management in the laboratory
• Laboratory customer services
• Communication Techniques
• ISO 14000 Environmental Systems
• Requirements
• Planning stage
• Implementation stage

Day 5:

• ISO 14000 and its impact on the environment
• Waste management program
• Case study
• Auditing and ISO 14000
• Maintenance of ISO 14000
• Video
• Open forum/presentation of certificates