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A meeting held on 18 May 1999, under the auspices of COLTO, RMC, and SANAS, focused on advancing laboratory accreditation within the road construction industry. Approximately 70 attendees, including materials suppliers, contractors, consultants, and government agencies, discussed strategies to enhance accreditation processes, address challenges such as training shortages, and promote standards for testing methods. The acceptance of SANAS as the accreditation umbrella organization is a pivotal outcome, aiming to improve interaction and support in achieving ISO/IEC Guide 25 compliance.
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National Accreditation System for Laboratories • Progress to date • Meeting held on 18 May 1999 under auspices of COLTO RMC & SANAS • Purpose • Chart the way ahead for accreditation of laboratories in the road construction industry
Progress • Attendance by about 70 people • Materials suppliers, contractors, consultants, government agencies, independent laboratories, SABS, Technikons, SANAS
Outcome • Acceptance of SANAS as the umbrella organisation for accreditation to ISO/IC Guide 25 • Incorporation of expert representatives from road laboratories in the Special Technical Committee for Civil Engineering and Road Technology
STC progress • STC has met three times • The following issues are being dealt with which arose from the meeting of 18 May: • Field laboratory accreditation • Accreditation of field non-standard test methods
STC issues being dealt with • Repeatability and reproducibility of tests • Reference & correlation testing and SANAS requirements for proficiency testing schemes • Marketing and education of client bodies and local authorities
STC issues dealt with • Guideline documents for the road industry • Link with standards generating body related to SAQA and role of ECSA • Computer software standards
Interaction • Good interaction between the COLTO Materials Testing Committee and SANAS STC • 4 MTC members serve on STC
Challenges • The dearth of materials technicians available for training at quality auditors for the accreditation process • No course for materials technicians at the technikons for 10 years: efforts are being made at Pretoria Technikon to reintroduce the course • Establishing suitable evaluation criteria for accreditation
Challenges • The updating of test methods and management of the distribution thereof • Materials Testing Committee responsibility • Lacks money and manpower to achieve this • Phase 1 to get TMH 1 on the Web in present format completed • Will take a long time to do required revision with present resources
General comments • Accreditation infrastructure provided by SANAS will facilitate accreditation • Industry forces and economics will determine how successful the drive towards accreditation will be