Quality assurance
We are committed to providing high-quality
science and services, and state this fact in our values.
Demonstrating that commitment, to meet customers' requirements
at the highest level, we hold a number of accreditations and
certificates of quality.
Following assessments by inspectors from the Department of
Health and the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) we
maintain our accredited laboratory status and certification in the
following areas:
- ISO 17020
Aquatic Health and Hygiene inspection service
- ISO 17025
Chemical analysis
Fish health
Microbiological food safety
Otolith-age reading
Phytoplankton analysis
Radioanalytical testing on environmental samples
- ISO 14001
Certification to the Environmental Management System
- ISO 9001
Certification for our Applied Technology, IT
Services, Regulatory Assessments and Electronics groups
- OHSAS 18001: 2007
Occupational health and safety management systems
- Good Laboratory Practice Regulations 1999
We operate as an Environment Agency
MCERTS-approved laboratory for Direct Toxicity
Assessment testing, which determines the overall toxic
effect of contaminants in effluent samples. Other services are
quality assured using external testing schemes such as:
- BEQUALM: set quality standards for a wide
range of biological effects techniques
- NMBAQC: provides assessment of marine
biological data contributing to national or European monitoring
programmes
- Quasimeme: open to scientists worldwide who
conduct chemical measurements, and organisations that analyse for
statutory monitoring programmes.
Where necessary, all supporting activities are governed by
standard operating procedures and desk instructions to ensure
continuity in the work we deliver and the advice we ultimately
provide.
We are committed to the continual improvement of our science.
Our research work for Defra, the Food Standards Agency,
the Biotechnology
and Biological Sciences Research Council and the National Environment
Research Council complies with the Joint Code of
Practice for Research.
A number of our advisory processes are currently applying for
procedural certification. In addition, those individuals engaged in
the provision of regulatory advice are affiliated with a number of
professional bodies, such as IMarEST, to ensure
the skills and experience which they bring to the advisory process
are recognised by their peers in the scientific community and by
industry.
For more about our European Community-wide and UK Reference
Laboratory designations, covering specific disciplines, see our
Laboratories section.