Thirty-four participants from 13 organizations undergo 3-days training on Quality Management System and Internal Audit for laboratories
Friday, 21st of July, Port Moresby: THIRTY-FOUR participants from 13 organisations, including staff from the National Institute of Standards and Industrial Technology (NISIT), have successfully completed a three-day training on the introduction and the implementation of the ISO/IEC 17025 : 2017 Quality Management System and Internal Audit training for laboratories at Lamana, Port Moresby, yesterday (Thursday 20th July).
The training, which started on Tuesday, was facilitated by the Papua New Guinea Laboratory Accreditation Scheme (PNGLAS), under the Accreditation Division of NISIT.
The training was conducted by Mr Ng Kwan Loong,a technical assessor with Standards Malaysia who also runs his own consultant, Lab Consult Pit, in Malaysia.
Of the 34 participants, ten were NISIT staff from the Accreditation Division, Standards Division, Metrology Division and Certification Division.
The other 25 participants were from Santos PNG, Hidden Valley - Morobe Consolidated Goldfield, Goodman Fielder PNG, Total Waste Management, Intertek Commodities Minerals Ltd, Department of Works - Lae, National Agriculture Research Institute, Newcrest-Lihir, Curtain Bros, WMW Ltd and University of Technology- Lae.
“The ISO/IEC 17025:2017 Quality Management System and Internal Audit training for laboratories is the current standard that is used worldwide but not many laboratories in PNG have migrated to this latest version yet. So, this training is a means to help laboratories to understand the requirements of the new standard and to migrate their management system to the latest version,” trainer Mr. Ng Kwan Loong said.
“The objective of the training, besides helping the labs to transit to the latest version, is to give practical advice on how to effectively implement and provide evidence or compliance to the assessment during the PNGLAS assessment.
“So, we should be able to have a good management system that complies to the requirements of this new standard and fulfil the technical requirements as well. The labs should be competent in providing testing for their customers.
“Laboratories getting accredited to ISO/IEC17025:2017 is very important now a days because we are talking about globalization where the rest of the world is a marketplace.
“Having good quality products and testing services can support local products/services as industries compete with the rest of the world through exports to other countries. Because importing countries will require a recognized test report bearing the logos of PNGLAS and International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC) Mutual Recognition Arrangement (MRA) which is recognized around the world.
“That’s why it’s important for the labs to achieve this accreditation and to be able to ensure that the test results/calibration results are recognized throughout the world.”
NISIT Acting Director-General Mr Victor Gabi said: “Many laboratories around the country have lost their accreditation during the Covid-19 period and need to get accredited to the new version.”
Mr Gabi urged those institutions, industries and organisations with testing laboratories who have lost the accreditation to adopt to using this new version.
“When laboratories are accredited PNGLAS, we know that the testing services and calibration results on goods and services have met the standard and are therefore safe to use,” he said.
Accreditation Division, Executive Manager, Mr. Christopher Mosoro said: “This training is to bring understanding of the requirements and its implementation in testing and calibration laboratories.
“Additionally, as part of the Accreditation Division, under the PNGLAS section objective, of having all its currently accredited laboratories to be conversant and transition into being compliant with ISO/IEC 17025:2017.
“Having laboratories recognised under this current version will ensure that PNGLAS has laboratories that are ready to be witnessed when it eventually applies to reinstate its signatory to the Asia Pacific Accreditation Corporation.
“The training was practical, and I thank my team and Manager for Laboratory Accreditation Mrs Doreen Kau Amuki for taking lead in the training.”
Mrs Doreen Kau Amuki said the trainer, Mr Loong, has brought a lot of perspective into carrying out assessments and meeting requirements of this standard, as he has been employed in an accredited laboratory implementing the requirements of ISO/IEC 17025:2017. Also, he is currently a Lead Assessor and a Technical Assessor as well assessing the implementation of these requirements, to which has wholly covered two very important aspects of laboratory accreditation.
Training participant and NISIT staff Nancy Ume, from Accreditation Division, said the training was very insightful and she was keen to apply the knowledge acquired through the training.
Picture caption: The participants with training consultant Mr Ng Kwan Loong, Executive Manager for Accreditation Division Mr Christopher Mosoro and Manager for Laboratory Accreditation Doreen Kau Amuki.
