When selecting a laboratoy to fulfil testing, calibration or measurement needs, you need to be sure that they can supply you with accurate and reliable results. The technical competence of a laboratory depends on a number of factors including:

  • the qualifications, training and experience of the staff
  • the right equipment –properly calibrated and maintained
  • adequate quality assurance procedures
  • proper sampling practices
  • appropriate testing procedures
  • valid test methods
  • traceability of measurements to national standards
  • accurate recording and reporting procedures
  • suitable testing facilities

All these factors contribute to a laboratory being technically compenten to do your testing.

What is the added value of a laboratory ISO 9001 certified?

Laboratories can be audited and certified to an international management systems standard called ISO 9001. This standard is widely used in manufacturing and service organisations to evaluate their system for managing the quality of their product or service. Certification of an organisation’s quality management systems against ISO 9001 aims at confirming the compliance of the management system to this standard, but does not specifically evaluate the technical competence of a laboratory. How then can you be sure that a laboratory is technically competent?

How to be sure if a laboratory is technically competent?

Many countries rely on a process called laboratory accreditation as a means of determining technical competence. Accreditation uses criteria and procedures specifically developed to determine technical competence. Specialist technical assessors conduct a thorough evaluation of all factors in a laboratory that affects the production of test or calibration data. The criteria are based on the internationally accepted standards ISO/IEC 17025, which are used for evaluating laboratories throughout the world. Accreditation bodies use this standard specifically to assessfactors relevant to a laboratory’s ability to produce precise, accurate test and calibration data, including the:

  • validity and appropriateness of test methods
  • traceability of measurements and calibrations to national standards
  • suitability, calibration and maintenance of test equipment
  • testing environment
  • sampling, handling and transportation of test items
  • quality assurance of test and calibration data
Accreditation also covers the quality systems elements addressed in ISO 9001 certification. To ensure continued compliance, accredited laboratories are regularly re-examined to check that they are maintaining their standards of technical expertise. These laboratories may also be required to participate in regular proficiency testing programs as an on-going demonstration of
their competence.

COMPETENCE AND WARRANTIES

COMPETENCE AND WARRANTIES

Alter Technology laboratory has DLA Laboratory Suitability Status for MIL-STD-883 TM 1019 and MIL-STD-750 TM 1019 TID tests performance in accordance with VQE-15-0222801.

Alter Technology laboratory is ENAC accredited ISO 17025 for ESCC 22900, MIL-STD-883 TM 1019, MIL-STD-750 TM 1019 TID tests performance and dosimetry calculation and performance in accordance with accreditation 345/LE2116 as described in associated technical annex.

Do you want to know more about Safety at a TID Radiation test laboratory?

Gamma Irradiation Facility

The RADLAB gamma radiation laboratory is based on a Cobalt-60 source placed into a Gammabeam® X200 irradiator. This Cobalt-60 source has photons of 1.17 and 1.33 MeV energies and 403TBq (10893Ci) certified on January, 28th 2013. The facility features meet the requirements for total dose irradiation tests currently demanded by the industry, and applicable standards such as ESCC, MIL-STD or ASTM. The dose rate can be adjusted to the level requested by the customer needs within a wide range, including standard and low window rates specified in ESCC 22900.

 Many countries have responsible bodies for the accreditation of their nation’s laboratories. Most of these accreditation bodies have adopted ISO/IEC 17025 as the basis for accrediting testing and calibration laboratories or ISO 15189 for medical laboratories
 
This has helped the countries to employ a uniform approach to establish the laboratory competence and to adopt internationally accepted testing and measurement practices, where possible.