Quality Assurance

A comprehensive quality assurance program is implemented to monitor laboratory analyses, report generation, sample custody, and storage. The program includes:

• Documentation of the QA program in a series of quality assurance manuals.
• Monitoring of the QA program by a designated quality control manager.
• Documented calibration and preventive maintenance for microscopes and instrumentation.
• Periodic contamination checks including personal and area monitoring.

Phase Contrast Microscopy

• Successful completion of NIOSH 582 or equivalent training for all microscopists.
• Participation in the Proficiency Analytical Testing program.
• Participation in the Asbestos Analytical Registry program.
• Participation in inter-laboratory round robin sample exchange programs.
• QC charts maintained for each analyst.
• Analysis of laboratory blanks.
• Daily analysis of reference slides.

Polarized Light Microscopy

• Training by McCrone Research Institute.
• Participation in NVLAP proficiency testing.
• Participation in inter-laboratory round robin sample exchange programs.
• Analysis of NIST reference materials.
• Duplicate and replicate analysis of 10% of the client-submitted samples.

Flame Atomic Absorption

• Participation in the ELPAT Proficiency Program
• Analysis of known standards with each sample set (20 samples or less).
• Daily calibration to reference solutions from two independent sources.
• Full process QA/QC in accordance to AIHA standardized laboratory procedures.