1 / 40

Update on the Activities of The NELAC Institute (TNI)

Update on the Activities of The NELAC Institute (TNI). December 6, 2013. AGENDA. Overview of TNI Recent Program Updates Standards Development NELAP NEFAP Proficiency Testing Training and Other Tools January Meeting in Louisville. WHO IS TNI?. A 501(c)3 non-profit organization.

jenn
Download Presentation

Update on the Activities of The NELAC Institute (TNI)

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Update on the Activities of The NELAC Institute(TNI) December 6, 2013

  2. AGENDA • Overview of TNI • Recent Program Updates • Standards Development • NELAP • NEFAP • Proficiency Testing • Training and Other Tools • January Meeting in Louisville

  3. WHO IS TNI? • A 501(c)3 non-profit organization. • A member organization managed by a Board of Directors. • A voluntary consensus standards development organization accredited by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI).

  4. Mission The purpose of the organization is to foster the generation of environmental data of known and documented quality through an open, inclusive and transparent process that is responsive to the needs of the community.

  5. Who Are Our Members? • Organizations that accredit laboratories • Recognized accreditation bodies • States that are not recognized accreditation bodies • Federal agencies that operate accreditation programs • Accredited organizations • Laboratories • Field Sampling and Measurement Organizations • Others • State and federal agencies that do not operate accreditation programs • Data users, consultants, PT Providers, vendors, etc. • Anyone interested in laboratory accreditation

  6. Member Demographics Other: 4% PT Providers: 4% Vendors: 7% EPA: 3% Other Federal Agencies: 3% Commercial laboratories: 39% State agencies: 15% Regulated industry: 3% Municipalities: 22%

  7. WHAT DO WE PROVIDE? • Infrastructure for stakeholders • Consensus building for establishing requirements for: • Organizations that accredit • Organizations that are accredited • Proficiency testing programs • Recognition of organizations that operate accreditation programs • Assistance to members and others

  8. WHAT DO WE NOT DO? • Accredit laboratories • Resolve disputes between laboratories and their Accreditation Bodies • Interpret questions on methods

  9. TNI PROGRAMS • Consensus Standards Development Program • National Environmental Laboratory Accreditation Program (NELAP) • National Environmental Field Activities Program (NEFAP) • Proficiency Testing Program • Stationary Source Audit Sample Program (SSAS) • Administration and Support

  10. Consensus Standards Development Program • Expert committees develop standards consistent with TNI’s mission, using a consensus process • Expert Committees • Chemistry • Field Activities • Laboratory Accreditation Body • Microbiology • Proficiency Testing • Radiochemistry • Quality Systems • Stationary Source Audit Sample

  11. American National Standards • TNI laboratory standards now recognized by ANSI as American National Standards • Provides additional credibility

  12. Changes to Standard Development Process • Another review step has been added • Interim Standard • Standards Review Council being formed • To ensure consistency between standards

  13. Chemistry Committee • Voting Draft Standard on instrument calibration • Significant changes to current standard • Minimum number of points based on degrees of freedom • Relative error used for verification • Many other changes • Working Draft Standard on detection and quantitation under development • Proposed changes to MDL Procedure published for comment

  14. LAB Committee • Third-party assessors • Listing • Credentials • Generic Application

  15. PT Committee • Voting Draft Standard under development • Will contain new approach for LOQ reporting • Also changes to Volumes 3 and 4

  16. Revised standard finalized Minor changes On hold until PT standard final Current focus is Standards Interpretations Quality System Committee

  17. Microbiology Committee • Working Draft Standards under development • Changes may be incorporated into next version of the standard • Committee has been working with EPA to determine whether NELAP ABs might implement accreditations for cryptosporidium in their programs. • No change to the standard would be needed • Checklist and other tools may need to be developed • More discussions at the winter meeting in Louisville

  18. Radiochemistry Committees • Working Draft Standards under development • Would revise Modules 5 and 6 • Changes may be incorporated into next version of the standard

  19. New Standard? • Consensus Standards Development Executive Committee (CSDEC) has set a target date of 2015 for the next published version of the Environmental Sector Standard. • Replaces the 2009 standard.

  20. What will be affected? • Volume 1, (labs) • Module 1, Proficiency Testing; • Module 2, Quality Systems General Requirements (the already approved 2012 version); • Module 4, Chemical Testing (Calibration section); • Module 5, Biological Testing; • Module 6, Radiochemical Testing. 

  21. And for ABs… • Volume 2 (ABs): •  Module 2, Proficiency Testing.  • Volume 3, General Requirements for Environmental Proficiency Test Providers. • Volume 4, General Requirements for an Accreditor of Environmental Proficiency Test Providers.

  22. NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL LABORATORY ACCREDITATION PROGRAM • Accredits over 1600 laboratories • 49 states and territories • 9 countries

  23. The National Program Today NELAP Accreditation Body Working on Application Accept NELAP Incorporate NELAP elements State program with significant differences Drinking water only

  24. Non-Governmental ABs • NGABs would be recognized to grant NELAP accreditations • NELAP ABs may or may not accept these accreditations • Primary focus is on out-of-state labs • Policies and SOPs in development • Draft program was presented in August with implementation expected in 2014

  25. NEFAP • Consensus standards that are voluntarily adopted by state agencies or third partiesapproved as Accreditation Bodies (ABs) • AB grants accreditation, which is unconditionally recognized by other participating ABs • Program applies to Field Sampling and Measurement Organizations (FSMOs)

  26. PT Program • Recognize organizations to be PT Provider Accreditors • Establish Fields of Proficiency Testing • Drinking Water • Non-potable water • Solid & Chemical Materials • Whole effluent toxicity

  27. PT Program News & Plans • Recently expanded to include • Stationary source audit samples • Field lead testing • Update the WET table • Plan to implement a Protozoa FoPT table (Cryptosporidium)

  28. Training and Other Tools • Comprehensive Training Curriculum being developed • Technical training • QA Manager training • Assessor training • Goal is to move most training on-line • Will begin awarding CEUs • Other tools to assist labs

  29. Educational Delivery System • New EDS/training pages on TNI website • Educational opportunities • Application to provide training • Needs survey • Training developed by TNI and others • “Live” training courses • Webinars • Webcasts

  30. Downloadable Webcasts • Corrective Action Process and Root Cause Analysis • Theoretical and Practical Consideration for Establishing Sensitivity of Measurements • Internal Audits and Management Review • Ethics Training for the Environmental Professional • Establishing a Data Integrity Plan • Defining Organizational Responsibilities • Method Selection and Validation • Etc…

  31. On-Demand Training:

  32. Other Tools • Small Laboratory Advocacy Group • Small Laboratory Handbook • Quality Manual Template • SOP Templates • Audit Process (in development) • Accreditation Profiles

  33. Small Laboratory Advocacy Group (SLAG) • Open to TNI members and non-members • http://www.nelac-institute.org/board/ • Elizabeth Turner, NTMWD • eturner@ntmwd.com • Seeks input from small laboratories and provides advice to TNI • Raises concerns of small laboratories to high visibility in TNI

  34. Accreditation / Certification Profiles • New web site area • http://www.nelac-institute.org/abdb.php • Profiles for all 50 states • Summary information • Scope of program • Summary of fees • Contact information • Links

  35. MEETINGS • TNI holds two conferences each year • Winter Conference • Forum on Laboratory Accreditation • Summer Conference • Environmental Measurement Symposium

  36. Why go to a TNI Conference? • Opportunity to contribute to development of standards. • Participate on TNI Committees. • Annual mentor sessions and technical assistance for labs and lab accreditors (how do others do this?) • “Talk to the other side” • Learn new things; and

  37. Have fun!!!

  38. Forum on Laboratory AccreditationJanuary 27-30, 2014Hyatt Regency LouisvilleLouisville, KY

  39. 2014 and Beyond Implement the adopted NELAP standards Implement the FSMO accreditation program Implement a Stationary Source Audit Sample Program Develop and refine a comprehensive training program Implement a national database of accredited laboratories Continue to develop consensus standards that meet the needs of the community

  40. Contact TNI Jerry Parr, Executive Director • www.nelac-institute.org • jerry.parr@nelac-institute.org • 817-598-1624

More Related