After many months' hard work, APEM's Stockport laboratory has now been accredited by UKAS for freshwater macroinvertebrates (species level analysis), diatom analysis (freshwater and marine) and phytoplankton analysis (freshwater and marine).
UKAS accreditation for these biologiocal analyses is held by very few organisations, and indeed no other organisations in the UK hold accreditation for diatom analysis, nor for species level analysis of macroinvertebrates.
As the UK’s leaders in aquatic biological analysis APEM believes strongly in improving the standards for quality-assured analysis of biological samples to support environmental monitoring and regulation.
The improved systems that APEM has developed in order to achieve UKAS accreditation include: a revised and detailed quality manual, which is understood and used by all staff; formalised customer service procedures; our own bespoke laboratory methods manual; purpose-designed sample booking-in and data storage systems developed using Microsoft Access; and, most importantly, a formalisation of our long-established laboratory Analytical Quality Control (AQC) record. These systems guarantee reliable, quality-assured results to tight deadlines that clients require.
No matter how large the contract, APEM’s clients can have total confidence that its UKAS accredited, integrated laboratory management system will track the progress of every sample from the moment it is received to the moment that the data report is produced.
APEM's Stockport Macroinvertebrate Laboratory
To view APEM’s UKAS certificate and schedule of accreditation, please click the following links:
UKAS Schedule of Accreditation
UKAS Certificate
Susan Watson, APEM’s Stockport Laboratory Manager, says:
“I’m extremely proud to finally have gained UKAS accreditation for these three analyses. It’s been a long journey over the last year, putting in place all of the rigorous quality procedures that UKAS require, and I’m very pleased that we have now achieved this. The laboratory staff have all shown a huge commitment and dedication in getting this far.”
- Don’t relax just yet, Susan, your first UKAS inspection visit is in six months’ time!
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