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National Accreditation System for Laboratories. Progress to date Meeting held on 18 May 1999 under auspices of COLTO RMC & SANAS Purpose Chart the way ahead for accreditation of laboratories in the road construction industry. Progress. Attendance by about 70 people
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National Accreditation System for Laboratories • Progress to date • Meeting held on 18 May 1999 under auspices of COLTO RMC & SANAS • Purpose • Chart the way ahead for accreditation of laboratories in the road construction industry
Progress • Attendance by about 70 people • Materials suppliers, contractors, consultants, government agencies, independent laboratories, SABS, Technikons, SANAS
Outcome • Acceptance of SANAS as the umbrella organisation for accreditation to ISO/IC Guide 25 • Incorporation of expert representatives from road laboratories in the Special Technical Committee for Civil Engineering and Road Technology
STC progress • STC has met three times • The following issues are being dealt with which arose from the meeting of 18 May: • Field laboratory accreditation • Accreditation of field non-standard test methods
STC issues being dealt with • Repeatability and reproducibility of tests • Reference & correlation testing and SANAS requirements for proficiency testing schemes • Marketing and education of client bodies and local authorities
STC issues dealt with • Guideline documents for the road industry • Link with standards generating body related to SAQA and role of ECSA • Computer software standards
Interaction • Good interaction between the COLTO Materials Testing Committee and SANAS STC • 4 MTC members serve on STC
Challenges • The dearth of materials technicians available for training at quality auditors for the accreditation process • No course for materials technicians at the technikons for 10 years: efforts are being made at Pretoria Technikon to reintroduce the course • Establishing suitable evaluation criteria for accreditation
Challenges • The updating of test methods and management of the distribution thereof • Materials Testing Committee responsibility • Lacks money and manpower to achieve this • Phase 1 to get TMH 1 on the Web in present format completed • Will take a long time to do required revision with present resources
General comments • Accreditation infrastructure provided by SANAS will facilitate accreditation • Industry forces and economics will determine how successful the drive towards accreditation will be