Doha: Qatar University’s research laboratories at Environmental Studies Center (ESC), Center for Advanced Materials (CAM), Central Laboratories Unit (CLU) and Gas Processing Center (GPC) were recently awarded ISO/IEC 17025-2005 accreditation by the American Association for Laboratory Accreditation (A2LA).
This followed a series of audits over the past 4 years since the labs initial accreditation by A2LA in April 2010. ISO/IEC 17025 is the most important standard for calibration and testing laboratories around the world and is used in developing the competence of testing and calibration laboratories.
In his remarks on the recent development, QU Vice-President for Research Dr Hassan Al Derham, said: “It is a clear demonstration of our adherence to the highest ideals of quality and international best practice in all our research processes and lab systems and procedures”.
He stressed that Qatar University allocates ample resources to equip and staff its laboratories to ensure that its researchers, industry partners, and stakeholders have utmost confidence in the integrity of the labs’ processes and procedures and in the results of the wide range of experiments and tests that are conducted on a daily basis.
QU Research Office Quality Manager Dr Mohammed Maqbool Ahmed said that the ISO/IEC 17025-2005 standard is used by QU laboratories in developing their management and technical systems to ensure competence of the highest level. “During the accreditation renewal audits, all the laboratories’ documents and records were thoroughly checked by the A2LA auditor who also observed a lab test being carried out”, he said.
A2LA auditor John Kinsella expressed satisfaction with the functioning of both management and technical systems used in the labs.
The Peninsula
