2011 Policies are now available. Effective September 13, 2011.
Open comment period for all affected laboratory parties from posting date to effective date. Please send all feedback to Heather I. Thompson, Quality Systems Manger at hthompson@aiha.org.
Policy Interpretation
Regarding Proficiency Testing/Module 6
All Accreditation Policy references to proficiency testing programs, or any proficiency testing previously defined in Appendices A-F, should refer to Module 6, Proficiency Testing (PT) and Round Robin Programs, or the Scope P/T Table.
2A.5.2.2
AIHA-LAP policies no longer require inter-analyst QC analyses and data review to be performed on site. However, independent secondary data review and any required intra-analyst and inter-analyst QC must be completed before data are reported to the customer. Inter-analyst sample analysis must be performed using the physical sample and not using computer technology such as digital images or a similar technique.
2A5.10.3
Interpretation: AIHA-LAP assessors and staff often find accreditation references on reports that show data for both accredited and non-accredited tests, as well as one report whose header or footer, etc., lists all accreditations from various accreditation bodies with varying scopes. The 2A5.10.3 Policy applies only when accredited and non-accredited tests are reported together on one report and/or are covered under various accreditations. For instance, if a lab is accredited for PCM, ICP, and GC under IHLAP, and also performs radon testing under another accreditation body, that information does not have to appear on ALL reports. It only has to appear on those reports that combine radon data and IHLAP data in one report.
Examples of complying with this policy include, but are not limited to:
- Do not combine reports of different fields of analysis and/or matrices that come under different scopes of accreditation and/or accrediting bodies.
- Separate your standard report into various reports with letterhead or footer each specific for one scope of accreditation/accreditation body.
- Add a cover page or a paragraph to the narrative outlining which results are accredited when there are mixed results. In this case the cover page must be paginated with the report, 1 of X.
- Footnote, asterisk, or otherwise annotate the non-accredited tests, when combined.
2C4.12 - Regarding Policy and Procedures relating to Composited Wipes
AIHA-LAP is interpreting the term "Composited Wipes" as wipe samples consisting of more than one co-mingled wipe per container, and thus are inappropriate to ELLAP Settled Dust by Wipe accreditation. Given that the additional wipe material in composited wipes makes their analysis significantly different than a single wipe, AIHA-LAP considers composited wipes to be a distinct ELLAP Field of Testing matrix, for a total of five matrices under the program. This new ELLAP FoT may be added via an application for FoT Addition, using a validated, published standard method for its procedure as per ISO/IEC 17025:2005(E) 5.4.2 or a laboratory non-standard, method, if that method has been validated as per AIHA-LAP, LLC Policies 2A.5.4.3. A separate validation may have to be performed for each method that involves compositing a different number of wipes, i.e. one validation for compositing two wipes and another validation for compositing four wipes.
Alternatively, the lab may as per the memorandum of 13 Oct 2006, analyze composited wipes under its single wipe FoT accreditation as long as each wipe in a composited sample is split into single wipe sub-samples, digested separately as per the lab’s single wipe SOPs, and the results combined to produce a total for the sample.
2D.6.1.2 and 2D.6.1.3
Please note that although laboratories are encouraged to consider separate preparations and analysis of bulk and surface samples, the reanalysis of the original prepared culture plate or bulk tape lift by the same and a different analyst without separate preparation satisfies the minimum EMLAP intra-analyst and inter-analyst QC policy requirements.
2011 AIHA Laboratory Accreditation Programs, LLC Policy Revision
Effective September 13, 2011
All links are to a PDF file.