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9 Managing the Quality Systems
9.2 Quality Assurance and Quality Control
In general, the quality management system combines a management of the organization as such as well as quality assurance (QA) and quality control (QC). QA is a
set of organizational and technical actions, which take into consideration the scope
of the laboratory’s activity and, in accordance with the knowledge available, allow
creation suitable working conditions for a given laboratory. Works in the scope of
QA are very broad and encompass all requirements of ISO/IEC 17025. QA in the
given organization encompasses a number of tasks; for example, flow of documents
and records; customers service; training of staff; laboratory infrastructure; validation
of the analytical procedures, as well as metrological services (e.g., calibration).
Quality assurance (QA) and quality control (QC)
Quality assurance
A set of planned organizational and technical actions aimed at obtaining reliable
measurement results
Quality control (sometimes described as ‘quality management’)
Systematic control of selected parameters of the measuring procedure and
confirmation of their compliance with previously specified criteria
The laboratory also has to analyze its actions, usually through internal evaluation
(audits) and/or on the basis of client feedback, and in the case of situations that
are not in compliance with the requirements, it needs to undertake proper actions.
In a well-organized laboratory, the risk of delivering incorrect results to the client
should be relatively small, thanks to systematically used control mechanisms (i.e.,
QC). QA also encompasses a number of technical actions, tailored to conducted
measurements, including:
– Use of validated measuring procedures;
– Proper supervision of equipment, including calibration of those measuring devices
that influence the result of the measurement;
– Proper sample storage and proper procedure of the preparation of studied objects,
including the process of acquiring a few parallel portions of the same sample;
– Taking care of proper environmental conditions in the laboratory (e.g., temperature,
humidity).
Apart from that, it is extremely important to specify the requirements regarding the
quality indicators and the frequency of their control. That area of laboratory activity
is counted among the actions connected to quality management—that is, a process
of systematic control in order to obtain information (with the help of the previously
selected indicators) regarding whether the systematic actions are still effective.
The laboratory should have procedures for control management in order to monitor the reliability of the tests and calibrations conducted. Obtained data should be
9 Managing the Quality Systems
9.2 Quality Assurance and Quality Control
In general, the quality management system combines a management of the organization as such as well as quality assurance (QA) and quality control (QC). QA is a
set of organizational and technical actions, which take into consideration the scope
of the laboratory’s activity and, in accordance with the knowledge available, allow
creation suitable working conditions for a given laboratory. Works in the scope of
QA are very broad and encompass all requirements of ISO/IEC 17025. QA in the
given organization encompasses a number of tasks; for example, flow of documents
and records; customers service; training of staff; laboratory infrastructure; validation
of the analytical procedures, as well as metrological services (e.g., calibration).
Quality assurance (QA) and quality control (QC)
Quality assurance
A set of planned organizational and technical actions aimed at obtaining reliable
measurement results
Quality control (sometimes described as ‘quality management’)
Systematic control of selected parameters of the measuring procedure and
confirmation of their compliance with previously specified criteria
The laboratory also has to analyze its actions, usually through internal evaluation
(audits) and/or on the basis of client feedback, and in the case of situations that
are not in compliance with the requirements, it needs to undertake proper actions.
In a well-organized laboratory, the risk of delivering incorrect results to the client
should be relatively small, thanks to systematically used control mechanisms (i.e.,
QC). QA also encompasses a number of technical actions, tailored to conducted
measurements, including:
– Use of validated measuring procedures;
– Proper supervision of equipment, including calibration of those measuring devices
that influence the result of the measurement;
– Proper sample storage and proper procedure of the preparation of studied objects,
including the process of acquiring a few parallel portions of the same sample;
– Taking care of proper environmental conditions in the laboratory (e.g., temperature,
humidity).
Apart from that, it is extremely important to specify the requirements regarding the
quality indicators and the frequency of their control. That area of laboratory activity
is counted among the actions connected to quality management—that is, a process
of systematic control in order to obtain information (with the help of the previously
selected indicators) regarding whether the systematic actions are still effective.
The laboratory should have procedures for control management in order to monitor the reliability of the tests and calibrations conducted. Obtained data should be