MCERTS Accreditation Starting with stack emissions monitoring, MCERTS accreditation now covers a greater number of areas, making MCERTS both more comprehensive and a more robust way of assessing environmental emissions. Despite adding water and soil to list of areas that can be accredited, there is still room to expand the scheme even further.
The accreditation of MCERTS activity falls into two disciplines: sampling and analysis. From 1st June 2010 both the sampling and analysis of water can be accredited under MCERTS. However, as the scheme currently stands, it is only the sampling of stack emissions and the analysis of soil that fall under MCERTS accreditation. Efforts to address this potential shortfall are well underway.
The Source Testing Association is working in conjunction with the Environment Agency, UKAS and representatives of accredited testing laboratories to ensure that greater emphasis is placed on the quality of the analysis samples taken during stack monitoring campaigns. Work is also being undertaken by other organisations in relation to the collection of soil samples. BS 10175 is a new code of practice that relates to the investigation of contaminated land and soil sampling. In addition to containing several references to MCERTS and UKAS, there is support from the Environmental Industry Commission and the Society of Chemical Industry for soil sampling to be covered by accreditation. Similarly, the Association of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Specialists also encourages its members to provide high quality, appropriate, reliable and independent testing services by supporting external accreditation to ISO 17025.
The growth in the number of accreditation-based schemes has reached the point where accreditation is fast becoming the preferred method of quality assurance in environmental management. So what is accreditation? How does it work? What environmental results is it achieving for the industry?
How accreditation works Under EU legislation, every country has a single National Accreditation Body (NAB) whose role is to carry out the independent third-party assessment of organisations that offer testing, calibration, inspection and certification services. In other words, accreditation is there to ‘monitor the monitors.’ The United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) has been the sole accreditation body recognised by government since its formation in 1995 and was made the official NAB for the UK in 2010.
There are many benefits to be had by undergoing the accreditation process, but perhaps the most easily identifiable are reductions in costs and guarantees of reliability.
One of the main problems faced when dealing with ENVIRONMENT INDUSTRY MAGAZINE |55|
environmental programmes is usually the cost of implementation. Whilst some might argue that this should not be a factor, it is evident that the more cost- effective a method is, the more likely it is to be adopted and to succeed. In addition to highlighting areas where the business may be able to improve process efficiency and avoid repetition, accreditation has a wider cost-saving dimension as it reduces the need for an organisation to retain its own experts.
Reliability is a key driver in any analysis and measurement activity. Users of sampling and analysis services need to know that the data that they receive is reliable and accurate. Enlisting a UKAS-accredited organisation to carry out these services provides that assurance. Where the results will be used in research or to demonstrate compliance with legislation it is important that results obtained can be shown to be accurate. Further, it must be demonstrated that the organisations that procure the monitoring services have themselves employed best practice and exercised due diligence. There are also clear market drivers for using accredited certification, as it acts as a guarantee of competence and demonstration of best practice.
Summary Accreditation looks set to become the de facto standard for quality assurance in environmental management. By engaging the services of an organisation that is accredited to ISO/IEC 17025 for MCERTS procurers can ensure they will receive a service that is fit for purpose and operating in line with best practice. Using accredited suppliers of sampling and analysis services can help to meet regulatory targets and acts as an assurance that the results obtained will be reliable and accurate. For more information on UKAS or accreditation, visit www.
ukas.com Full details of the MCERTS schemes can be found at
www.mcerts.net
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