Are you responsible for ensuring your company’s product and service quality?
If you are, you’ll know that getting it right, first time, every time is a given – and the commercial and legal consequences of getting it wrong don’t bear thinking about. But, how do you ensure, when you have to appoint an external laboratory that the company you partner with works to the standards, quality and technical competence levels you need to rely on? After all, your appointed laboratory can have an impact at the heart of your quality promise to customers. It has a crucial part to play in the future success of your company.
You wouldn’t buy and drive a car without MOT and insurance, the risks and dangers are obvious. Similarly when you purchase services from a commercial laboratory, there are risks and dangers if you make the wrong choice. You need to be absolutely sure that the laboratory has the people, facilities, technical expertise, management systems and track record to do the job right. First time, every time.
If you’re looking to reduce risk, that’s where the United Kingdom Accreditation Service comes in. UKAS is the sole accreditation body recognised by government to assess, against internationally recognised standards, laboratories that provide test and calibration services. UKAS combines a depth of technical knowledge and expertise built up over many years with scientific and technical specialists operating across the entire test and calibration spectrum, from forensics to food safety. Accreditation by UKAS demonstrates the competence, impartiality and performance capability of laboratories.
UKAS Accredited laboratories have:
- Competent and Trained Staff
- Properly Maintained and Calibrated Instruments
- Internal and External Quality Control
- International Recognition
This means that we can provide our clients with an assurance of our laboratory procedures and the validity and quality of our results.
- Test work will be conducted by valid, recognised, technical methods suitable for the purpose required and of established performance characteristics.
- The work will be performed by properly qualified and trained staff.
- The work will be carried out on equipment which is functioning properly and which is calibrated so as to provide traceability to international standards of measurement.
- Data will be subject to quality control, both from the point of view of accuracy and precision, by means which have been approved by independent technical assessors.
Because the Anachem laboratory operates to these standards you always benefit from these advantages. The same certified equipment, trained personnel and procedures are used whether you use the full UKAS service level and certification or one of our regular service options.
Quality Standards
The internationally recognised standard for the competence of laboratories is ISO/IEC17025 and is the standard against which UKAS accredits laboratories. It contains all the requirements that testing and calibration laboratories must meet to demonstrate that they operate a quality system, are technically competent and are able to generate technically valid results. ISO/IEC17025 is the only standard to address all of these issues. Laboratories accredited to this standard are able to provide their clients with a measurable level of assurance.
You will come across laboratories that are certified to ISO9000:2000. This standard only relates to the laboratories quality management systems. It does not specifically evaluate the technical competence of a laboratory. It should never be confused with ISO17025 or thought of as an ‘acceptable’ alternative. You may also see reference to GLP (Good Laboratory Practice) compliance. This is a general description of proper laboratory conduct concerned with the organisational process and the conditions under which non-clinical studies are planned, performed, recorded and archived. GLP does not concern itself with the technical validity of the studies themselves or the competence of the laboratory.
Only a laboratory that has been accredited by UKAS to ISO17025 is permitted to display the Royal Crown Mark that you should look for as positive proof of competency. It allows you to make an informed choice. It enables you to make a better choice.
Whether your own laboratory is UKAS accredited or not, by using Anachem for your pipette service you minimise risk. It’s one less thing to worry about.
Find out more about Anachem's UKAS accredited Pipette Calibration & Service call us on 01582 456256 to discuss your laboratories requirments or email pipetteservice@anachem.co.uk.
Find out more about UKAS.
