Eurachem Newsletter No 11 Winter 1996/97

News from all over Europe (9 items)

Eurachem News
  1. EURACHEM-Sk Maintain a High Local Profile in 1996
  2. Central European Conference on Reference Materials CERM '96
  3. EURACHEM-Finland Discuss Benchmarking
  4. EURACHEM / EUROMET Interface Group
  5. Steady Progress Towards a Draft Guide to Non-Routine Analysis
  6. EURACHEM-CH Takes QA in Analytical R&D to Task
  7. Towards the Establishment of EURACHEM-Cyprus
  8. AOAC on the Internet
  9. A New EAL / EURACHEM / EUROLAB Working Group for PT

EURACHEM Slovakia
EURACHEM-Sk Maintain a High Local Profile in 1996

Over 70 delegates attended the second meeting of EURACHEM-Sk in June this year.

During this meeting the members of the EURACHEM Sk Board were elected. Prof. Ján Garaj took over as Chair and Dr. Dusan Kordík and Dr. Viliam Pätoprstý as Vice Chairs.

During 1996, the Board maintained a high profile by disseminating EURACHEM information at:

  • "Quality Assurance of Chemical and Biochemical laboratories"
    (A workshop held in January 1996, in Bratislava)
  • Modern Trends in the Evaluation of analytical methods and procedures"
    (Two training Courses in May & October 1996, in Bratislava)
  • The international conference on reference materials CERM'96 (Oct. 1996, Liptovský Ján)
Further activities included the participation of 13 Slovak laboratories in IMEP 6, as well as the translation of the EURACHEM Guide "Quantifying Uncertainty in Analytical Measurement" into the Slovak language. This Guide is now available.

EURACHEM Slovakia
Central European Conference on Reference Materials CERM '96

LIPTOVSKÝ JÁN, Slovakia, 30 September 4 October 1996

More than 100 scientists, from Western as well as Eastern Europe, attended CERM '96. This conference on reference materials was held in Liptovský Ján in Slovakia, under the coordination of the Slovak Institute of Metrology and EURACHEM-Sk. The aim of the conference was to exchange information among producers and users of reference materials, for the sake of improving analytical measurement quality.

The programme consisted of plenary lectures and a poster session. As well as the problems connected with reference materials, some aspects of accreditation, proficiency testing and international standards were also discussed. The poster session focused on information concerning newly prepared reference materials, uncertainty evaluation and traceability schemes.

An intensive exchange of information between participants took place. Many initiatives were taken for future cooperation in the field of reference material certification.

It was decided that CERM will be periodically repeated in different countries of central Europe. As a result, a further conference will be held in The Czech Republic (Prague) in 1999.

For further information please contact
Dr. Viliam Pätoprsty
Slovak lnstitute of Metrology

Dr. Viliam Pätoprsty
EURACHEM Slovakia

Eurachem News

EURACHEM Finland
EURACHEM-Finland Discuss Benchmarking

EURACHEM Finland held its traditional autumn seminar in Helsinki on 11 November 1996. Almost 50 members gathered together to hear the latest information about benchmarking and its application to analytical chemical activities and laboratories.

One of the lectures, given by Ms. Ellen Wolf (Forensic Science Laboratory, The Netherlands), described a case study where benchmarking was applied to drug research. This very recent study had been carried out by some of the leading EU forensic laboratories.

Prof. Veikko Komppa EURACHEM Finland

EURACHEM / EUROMET Interface Group

The 3rd Contact Persons' Meeting was held in September 1996 in Lisbon. Many topics discussed were also reported to EURACHEM members at the CITAC / EURACHEM Joint Workshop, held in Noordwijkerhout (Page 6-7).

The 2nd CCQM, ISO/REMCO and ISO/TC 158 meetings were reported by respective subject group members.

Further information about the latest EURACHEM Amount of Substance projects can be found on the World Wide Web at: http://www.dfm.dtu.dk/euromet/amos.htm

Further details about the meeting are available from Prof. Veikko Komppa, VTT .

LATER: Summary details regarding the latest EURACHEM AoS Projects

EURACHEM/CITAC R&D/Non-Routine Analysis Working Group
Steady Progress Towards a Draft Guide

The EURACHEM/CITAC R&D/Non-Routine Analysis Working Group last met during the EURACHEM meetings in Prague in May 1996. The normal membership was boosted by a number of observers, who contributed enthusiastically to the debate and ensured a lively and constructive discussion. Before the meeting a draft of the guidance notes had been circulated, containing material covering probably 80% of the areas where guidance was thought to be needed. Good progress was made in clarifying the requirements in some of the remaining areas.

Since that meeting, slow but steady progress has been made over the course of the summer. A meeting has been arranged for Frankfurt in late Autumn, where it is anticipated that the working group will be able to discuss a largely complete draft.

However, the debate over some of the definitions still continues and there is no doubt that some issues are proving to be more of a challenge than originally envisaged.

No doubt there will still be further discussions before the draft is considered to be up to a standard fit for publication. It is still too early to think much about a publication date for the guide. Late next year is seen as a realistic target.

For further information on this work, please contact:
Mr David Holcombe
E/C R&D/NRA WG Secretariat
Laboratory of the Govt. Chemist

Mr David Holcombe
Secretary
EURACHEM/CITAC R&D/Non-Routine Analysis Working Group.

EURACHEM Switzerland
EURACHEM-CH Takes QA in Analytical R&D to Task

A workshop, entitled Quality Assurance in Analytical Research and Development (R&D), was held in Zurich in June this year. The aim of the workshop was to inform participants about standards and guidelines aimed at quality assurance in analytical R&D.

Quality elements important to analytical R&D work, such as planning, sampling, validation and measurement uncertainty were highlighted. Almost 50 delegates attended, indicating that QA in R&D is important and that most quality elements in standards are applicable to R&D, if properly adapted. Many of these quality elements were shown to be important. However, the existence of different but partly overlapping standards, with similar quality elements can lead to confusion.

Dr Peter Radvila
EURACHEM-CH

Eurachem News

Cyprus
Towards the Establishment of EURACHEM-Cyprus

At the moment, Cyprus (under the auspices of the Pancyprian Union of Chemists (PUC)) is an observer member of EURACHEM.

The PUC continues to disseminate information on various issues regarding testing and accreditation of laboratories. The quarterly journal Chemical News provides a useful tool for this purpose. A group of about 15 people are actively involved in a Network for the Communication and Dissemination of Information in the Field of Testing. This is coordinated by the Cyprus Organisation for Standards and Control of Quality (CYS).

On October 17, a oneday seminar on the accreditation of laboratories was jointly organised by CYS and PUC. Up to 100 people from both public and private sectors attended.

Contributions made by 13 scientists enlightened a series of issues, mainly in the field of analytica1 laboratories. Topics included:

  • Preparation of the quality manual for laboratories
  • Uncertainty of measurement
  • Reference materials
  • New trends in the accreditation of laboratories (EN 45000 series, ISO/IEC Guide 25).
  • GLP
Almost 100 copies of Newsletter No 10 have been distributed to people who have shown interest in EURACHEM. Therefore, the basis of a Nationa1 EURACHEM organisation already exists. Further developments are expected in January 1997.

Dr Kyriacos Tsmillis
Pancyprian Union of Chemists

Eurachem News

AOAC on the Internet

AOAC has established a homepage on the World-wide Web. The address is http://www.aoac.org.

AOAC is an observer member of EURACHEM. It has active liasons with EURACHEM, with information flowing both ways. At the moment, AOAC is actively participating in the EURACHEM Method Validation Study Group.

AOAC has a wide range of publications, services and courses, that are available to all. Contact AOAC International for details.

Ms Margreet Lauwaars
AOAC International

Eurachem News

A New EAL / EURACHEM / EUROLAB Working Group
Proficiency Testing for use in Accreditation Procedures

EURACHEM, EAL and EUROLAB have jointly formed two new working groups, one of which concentrates on proficiency testing (PT).

This Working Group has the following terms of reference:

  1. To identify and promote the use of cost-effective types of PT in accreditation procedures.
  2. To prepare a common position paper on the cost-effective use of PT.
  3. To review the state of practice in PT for use in accreditation procedures.
  4. To develop qualifying criteria for PT schemes related to their intended use.
  5. To interact with the relevant DGs of the European Commission.
  6. To cooperate with organisations running national or international PT schemes and to formulate proposals for participation by EAL, EUROLAB and EURACHEM members.
  7. To study the needs and feasibility for EAL-EUROLAB-EURACHEM initiated PT schemes and to formulate proposals.
  8. To study the correlation between accreditation of a laboratory and its results in a PT scheme.
  9. To initiate further appropriate actions.
  10. To revise document EAL G-6.

The group is therefore concerned with promoting the use of appropriate PT schemes as an aid to accreditation, as well as encouraging, and providing a medium for, European cooperation in PT.

A survey on the type of PT used in laboratory accreditation has been completed. The survey indicated a broad range of practices and needs of laboratories, PT organisers and accreditation bodies. The survey also indicated that there is a significant willingness to participate and organise international PT schemes. However, many laboratories are not aware of good PT schemes run in other countries. The group will therefore address this by the establishment of a detailed comprehensive international database of PT schemes.

The group is currently developing the criteria for a PT scheme, which should lead to the establishment of a Europe-wide approach to the recognition of PT schemes by accreditation bodies.

For further information, please contact:

	Mr Nick Boley
	LGC, Queens Road, TEDDINGTON, Middesex, TW11 0LY, UK
	Tel 	+44 181 943 7311
	Fax 	+ 44 181 943 2767
	Email 	npb@lgc.co.uk
	or Prof Dr Paul de Bièvre, IRMM 

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Last updated on 02.02.1997 By Eurachem WebMaster