Proficiency test
A ring test or intercomparison or laboratory test ( English Round Robin test / Proficiency Test ) is a method of external quality assurance for measuring procedure and measuring and testing laboratories. In principle, identical samples are examined with identical procedures or with different procedures. The comparison of the results makes it possible to make statements about the measurement accuracy in general and about the measurement quality of the institutes involved. Round robin tests are also used to validate regulations for measurement methods.
Accredited testing laboratories must regularly participate in round robin tests in accordance with the DIN EN ISO / IEC 17025 standard or as part of state approval procedures in order to ensure the quality of their results and to prove their competence. For the provider of the round robin tests, accreditation according to EN ISO / IEC 17043 is offered and in some cases required by law (e.g. § 16 Paragraph 4 No. 7a of the 41st BImSchV ).
use cases
Round robin tests are used, for example, in quality assurance for medical laboratory examinations or to determine the measurement accuracy of a measurement process, e.g. B. to establish legal tolerance values, for example in blood alcohol tests .
Round robin tests in occupational safety
From Section 5 of the Occupational Safety and Health Act (ArbSchG) it follows that overall responsibility for the identification and assessment of hazards from hazardous substances in the workplace lies with the employer . Any hazardous substance measurements required for this must be carried out by a suitable measuring point. This is suitable if it has the necessary expertise and the necessary facilities. For external measuring points, the suitability is guaranteed by an accreditation.
In-house measuring points that meet the requirements for accreditation according to the TRGS 402 standard can (also) be accredited. For these measuring points, the Institute for Occupational Safety and Health of the German Social Accident Insurance (IFA) in cooperation with the Federal Association of Measuring Points for Environmental and Occupational Safety e. V. (BUA) interlaboratory tests that serve for self-monitoring and external presentation of the laboratory's internal quality. The round-robin tests available worldwide for all laboratories and measuring sites for hazardous materials disposal and carried out according to DIN ISO 13528 and DIN EN ISO / IEC 17,043th There are proficiency testing to organic solvents , inorganic acids , volatile organic compounds (VOCs), aldehydes and metals performed .
Web links
- EPTIS - International database of providers of proficiency tests
- ESA - Emission round robin tests of the Hessian State Office for Nature Conservation, Environment and Geology
swell
- DIN EN ISO / IEC 17025 General requirements for the competence of testing and calibration laboratories
Individual evidence
- ↑ Information for participants in round robin tests for internal and external measuring points. Institute for Occupational Safety and Health of the German Social Accident Insurance (IFA), accessed on March 23, 2020 .
- ↑ IFA proficiency testing. Institute for Occupational Safety and Health of the German Social Accident Insurance (IFA), accessed on March 23, 2020 .
- ↑ Welcome to EPTIS. Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing (BAM), accessed on February 19, 2020 .
- ↑ Quality assurance through round robin tests on the dynamic test gas line of the IFA. In: IFA workbook. Institute for Occupational Safety and Health of the German Social Accident Insurance (IFA), accessed on February 19, 2020 .