Quality Control & Quality Assurance in Water Laboratories

Introduction

This course focuses on how to manage water laboratory through recognize safety rules, prepare solutions, learn the most standard water test methods, select the water analytical instruments, prepare glassware and auxiliaries, water sampling and preserving, collect data and write the technical reports, and so on. This course describes the water laboratory quality system (policies and procedures) operations are performed including the organization, objectives, and operating philosophy. All personnel within the water laboratory are required to follow the policies and procedures that are contained in this document. The policies and procedures in the Water Laboratory Quality Management shall guide water laboratory personnel in collecting, producing, maintaining, and reporting data of known quality and, where applicable, demonstrate regulatory compliance.

Objectives

The objectives of this course are to describe this quality system, to document the water laboratory quality policies and procedures, and to provide a tool for ensuring personnel are both knowledgeable of and committed to these policies and procedures. The Water Laboratory Quality Management as a whole is designed to ensure that all events affecting the quality of data are known and properly documented. All laboratory personnel must read this document and sign an attestation memo that they shall implement the policies and procedures contained in the Laboratory Quality Management in their work practices. These policies and procedures ensure:

• Laboratory’s personnel have appropriate training and supervision
• The implementation of proper procedures for sample collection, preservation, storage, record keeping, analysis, and reporting
• Where applicable data is traceable to acceptable reference standards
• Degree of precision, accuracy, and bias of the analyses is known and documented
• That analytical equipment is properly used, calibrated, and maintained
• Data is reported in useful and comparable formats

By the end of the training, participants will be able to:

• Develop an understanding of quality system documentation for the laboratory. It would include training on developing quality manuals and procedures etc.
• Management of equipment, calibration, traceability, measurement uncertainty, environment, test methods, test items, safety, quality control, records, and reports, etc.
• Techniques of conducting internal audit and reporting of the internal audit findings
• Management review and its contents
• Techniques for conducting ILC/Proficiency Testing & evaluate the scores
• Understanding of estimating Uncertainty in Measurement

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?

This course provides an overview of all significant aspects and considerations of water laboratory quality management in accordance with the international standards for those who are involved in the laboratory accreditation, documentation, and auditing. This includes Laboratory Managers, Superintendents, Supervisors, Scientists, Chemists, Analysts, and other Laboratory Technical Staff. Further, the course will be of great value for Quality Managers, Quality Engineers, Quality Auditors, and management representatives.

Course Outline

Day 1: Introduction and Scope

• Organizational Roles and Responsibilities
• Quality Systems
• Control of Quality Documents

Day 2:

• Review of Requests, Tenders, and Contracts
• Subcontracting of Tests
• Purchasing Services and Supplies
• Service to the Client
• Complaints

Day 3:

• Control of Nonconforming work
• Improvement
• Corrective Action
• Preventative Measures
• Control of Records

Day 4:

• Audits and Management Review
• Personnel, Training and Data Integrity
• Test Methods and Method Validation
• Equipment and Calibrations
• Measurement Traceability
• Sample Management
• Quality of Test Results 23 Reporting of Results

Day 5:

• Water Laboratory Quality Management
• Technical requirements for Good Lab Management reference to ISO 17025
• Management Requirements for Good Laboratory Management Reference ISO/EC 17025:2005
• Internal Quality auditing
• Proficiency Test Definition and Benefits
• Statistical Concept
• Z- score definition and calculation
• Statistical process Control
• Documentation