Pre- and Post-analytical Proficiency Testing

EURACHEM through its Proficiency Testing Working Group has produced an information leaflet on Pre- and post-analytical proficiency testing aimed at PT participants and their customers. The Eurachem PT working group has released 11 new translations of this leaflet to accompany the English edition. The translations can be downloaded from http://www.eurachem.org/index.php/publications/leaflets/ptprepost. The leaflet focuses on cases where specific procedures,either before or after themeasurement, which are applied to the routine samples,but not to the PT test sample. Then, the PT result reflects only the quality of part of the measurement process.

Source: www.eurachem.org 

New Eurachem Proficiency Testing Guide released

The Eurachem/Eurolab/EA (EEE) Proficiency Testing Working Group has released a revised edition of its well-known guide "Selection, Use and Interpretation of Proficiency Testing (PT) Schemes". Developed in conjunction with EQUALM, the new edition brings the Guide up to date on current terminology and best practice in PT.

The new Guide can be downloaded from here.

Source: www.eurachem.org

Guidance on the level and frequency of proficiency testing participation

European Co-operation for Accreditation (EA) has recently issued the Advisory Document EA-4/18: 2010 “Guidance on the level and frequency of proficiency testing participation”. The aim of this paper is to promote harmonization between Accreditation Bodies on how the level and frequency of participation in PT is evaluated and to assist laboratories in determining their own levels and frequency of participation. Moreover, a number of case studies is provided to illustrate how a laboratory might review their scope of work and thus derive the number of sub-disciplines.

Guidance on the level and frequency of proficiency testing participation

EA has issued the advisory document EA-4/18: 2010 -Guidance on the level and frequency of proficiency testing participation.

The aim of this document is to promote harmonization between Accreditation Bodies on how the level and frequency of participation in PT is evaluated and to assist laboratories in determining their own levels and frequency of participation.

The document is available at:

http://www.european-accreditation.org/content/news/publications.htm

Proficiency Testing: Agreement of crime scene marks with known fingerprints

Cas Ltd which is an ASCLD/LAB (American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors/Laboratory Accreditation Board) Proficiency Test provider, organizes the following 2 types of tests for the fingerprint profession:

· ASCLD/LAB approved proficiency tests for participating forensic laboratories

· Individual quality assured competency/proficiency tests for individual latent print examiners (quality assured by the UK London South Bank University)

The participants are evaluated by comparing a number of crime scene marks against a certain number of fingerprints and palm prints making any identification.

More details

Pre- and post-analytical proficiency testing

EURACHEM through its Proficiency Testing Working Group has produced an information leaflet on Pre- and post-analytical proficiency testing aimed at PT participants and their customers. The leaflet is currently available in English and work is under way to make it available in a number of different languages.

Download the leaflet in English (pdf, 380 kB)

Proficiency Testing Schemes: New standard ISO/IEC 17043

ISO/IEC 17043:2010 (ISO/IEC 17043:2010 Conformity assessment -- General requirements for proficiency testing) specifies general requirements for the competence of providers of proficiency testing schemes and for the development and operation of proficiency testing schemes. These requirements are intended to be general for all types of proficiency testing schemes, and they can be used as a basis for specific technical requirements for particular fields of application.

ISO/IEC 17043:2010 revises both ISO/IEC Guide 43-1:1997 and ISO/IEC Guide 43-2:1997

Benefits for Laboratories participating in Proficiency Testing Programs

The following are some of the potential benefits which may be available to participating laboratories:

- Confirming competent performance

- Identifying testing or measurement problems

- Comparing methods and procedures

- Improving performance

- Educating staff

- Instilling confidence in staff, management and external users of laboratory services

- Comparing operator capabilities

- Generating reference materials

- Determining method precision and accuracy

- Satisfying regulators and accreditation bodies

- Providing laboratories with additional risk management

For more detailed information see the ILAC brochure at http://www.ilac.org/documents/ILAC_PT_Brochure.pdf