QU laboratories awarded ISO 17025 accreditation - QATAR

Qatar University’s research laboratories at Environmental Studies Center (ESC), Center for  Advanced Materials (CAM), Central Laboratories Unit (CLU) and Gas Processing Center (GPC) were recently awarded ISO/IEC 17025-2005 accreditation by the American Association for Laboratory Accreditation (A2LA). This followed a series of audits over the past 4 years since the labs initial accreditation by A2LA in April 2010.  ISO/IEC 17025 is the most important standard for calibration and testing laboratories around the world and is used in developing the competence of testing and calibration laboratories.





In his remarks on the recent development, QU Vice-President for Research Dr Hassan Al-Derham, said: “It is a clear demonstration of our adherence to the highest ideals of quality and international best practice in all our research processes and lab systems and procedures”. He stressed that Qatar University allocates ample resources to equip and staff its laboratories to ensure that its researchers, industry partners, and stakeholders have utmost confidence in the integrity of the labs’ processes and procedures and in the results of the wide range of experiments and tests that are conducted on a daily basis.

QU Research Office Quality Manager Dr Mohammed Maqbool Ahmed said that the ISO/IEC 17025-2005 standard is used by QU laboratories in developing their management and technical systems to ensure competence of the highest level.  "During the accreditation renewal audits, all the laboratories’ documents and records were thoroughly checked by the A2LA auditor who also observed a lab test being carried out”, he said.


A2LA auditor Mr John Kinsella expressed satisfaction with the functioning of both management and technical systems used in the labs, saying: “The labs were well prepared for the audit. Test personnel are well trained and educated and were very cooperative. Testing equipment was well maintained and maintenance records were readily available at all locations”.


Source : Qatar is Blooming , 21st Sep 2014

LUTH becomes first teaching hospital with ISO 15189 accredited laboratory in Nigeria

A MAJOR milestone was recorded in the history of Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) in the Health sector of Nigeria, as the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) Idi-Araba became the first hospital with an ISO 15189 Accredited laboratory.

      The certificate of international accreditation was recently presented to the Chief Medical Director, Prof. Akin Osibogun, at a board meeting by the Chairman of PathCare Laboratories, Prof. Ibironke Akinsete.

       LUTH was recently at the forefront of the containment of Ebola virus by providing the first Virology Laboratory in Nigeria to provide testing for the deadly virus.

       The CMD of LUTH, after receiving the certificate, remarked that, the PPP, which was approved by the erstwhile minister of health, professor Oshotimehin in 2009 is a contributing factor in achieving the ISO 15189 accreditation.

      She added that, “Starting was not easy because many people did not buy into the PPP project, but the board approved it because they were convinced that it was better we had laboratory services in-house to improve patient management as wrong diagnosis and failed treatment was a major issue.

      “We treat people but do not get accurate results because of wrong diagnosis from these laboratories. We now have direct access to highly specialized testing which has enabled us provide special treatment and improved 24 hour care. Our partnership with PathCare has yielded positive result. This gives credence to the fact that the way forward for health sector in Nigeria is Public Private Partnership.”

      Prof. Ibironke Akinsete, who on behalf of PathCare presented the certificate, to the board members congratulated LUTH on being the first teaching hospital running a successful ISO accredited Laboratory. She said, “When we started this Public Private Partnership in LUTH it was very challenging but the partnership has worth it.  

      “Presently, our laboratories in Lagos and Abuja are ISO accredited and LUTH laboratory has now become the newest with this international status. The essence of this accreditation is that your results are accurate, reliable, reproducible and acceptable anywhere in the world. We have testimonies from people who compare results gotten from our laboratory with that of other countries. The partnership with LUTH on the Public Private Partnership has yielded landmark result,” she added. 

Source : The Guardian , 25th Sep 2014

Government Plans Ordinance to Amend BIS Act: Sources - New Delhi

The government has decided to take the ordinance route to amend the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) Act, 1986, to empower government to bring any article or process which it considers necessary from the point of view of public health and safety under mandatory certification, sources said.


The proposed amendment is part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's action plan, and has been cleared by Cabinet Secretary Ajit Seth.

This will remove restrictions of only listing certain industries as specified from the BIS Act and enable the government to act firmly against those selling spurious and sub-standard goods and enhance the quality of products, sources said.

The draft cabinet note has got approval of all ministries concerned, they added.

The government also plans a comprehensive amendment at a later stage and some of the planned proposals are expanding mandatory standards certification under BIS from existing 102 products and services to 2,300 items.

Besides adding more products under BIS certification, amendments will also include provisions for recalling products, raising penalty and reduction in long-process of litigation.

A regulator to address consumer grievances and take penal action against defaulting companies is also being planned by the Centre.



Source : ND TV , 27th Sep 2014

Water alert

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If you live in Delhi, there is a one-in-three chance that the packaged water you buy could be spurious

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A news report earlier this month had some alarming data for consumers of packaged water in Delhi's National Capital Region. North Delhi Municipal Corporation Mayor Yogender Chandolia told a news agency, "The number of unlicensed bottling units in Delhi is over 10,000. There's a shortage of drinking water in many parts. Operating illegal units is a lucrative business. We did a survey this year and over 2,000 people were caught running unlicensed water bottling plants in parts of North Delhi alone. But no action was taken against them. This has again given them the freedom to keep running their illegal business."
While the figures themselves are alarming, the core issue is not a revelation. The Delhi High Court had directed the government to crack down on units manufacturing and selling drinking water without a licence and BIS (Bureau of Indian Standards) certification as early as 2010. The court was hearing a petition filed by the Bottled Water Processors' Association. It was alleged that despite the central government's attention being drawn to illegal manufacturers, no action was taken to stop such activities. That was four years ago and if industry executives are to be believed, the number of these illegal bottling units has only climbed since.


The 10,000 illegal plants are producing an equal quantity of output to the 64 licensed plants if not more, according to Pankaj Agarwal, president of the Bottled Water Processors' Association. These illegal units have mushroomed all over town, hidden away in slums and suburban areas. thus escaping notice from both the authorities and the consumers. He identified areas such as Jamia Nagar, Batla House and Dwarka as hotspots for this activity. A conversation with the local panwari and juice shop owner at Bahadur Shah Zafar road revealed that an individual with unknown affiliations comes on a bicycle every morning to deliver the packaged water bottles. One kirana store that supplies 20-litre water jars to paying guest accommodations in Lajpat Nagar was doing so without any labelling whatsoever. And this is only where this writer lives and works; presumably the rest of the city has similarly disturbing tales to tell.


A spokesperson for Coca-Cola India, whose brand Kinley is a major player in the packaged water industry, believes that there are various reasons behind this growing menace. "The industry is very fragmented; there are some 1,800 brands already in play." Water is treated as a commodity, and nobody thinks of it beyond something to quench the thirst, leading to rampant misuse. He says that licensed packaged water products are much more expensive, since they make sure the quality of water is up to the mark. But in a retail market where a 20-litre tub is available for Rs 40, "the economics just doesn't add up - which obviously means the manufacturers are scrimping."

Ramesh Chauhan of Bisleri asserts that the problem lies not within the law itself, but in its implementation. "The law states clearly that the BIS mark is compulsory for all packaged water, but it is not enforced properly. We don't have any policing system to check all the products we manufacture - they only check the plants they have already licensed." Aggarwal adds: "Every registered bottling unit has to set up a lab for testing the presence of chemicals and microbes, reports of which have to be submitted to BIS periodically. But these tests are not conducted by the unlicensed plants. Most of them operate even without any proper water purification equipment."



The net sales of Bisleri, the largest player in the industry, in Delhi and the National Capital Region stand at around 240 million bottles per year, which gives it control over half the market. But when you factor in the bottles coming in from the unlicensed plants, the numbers tell an entirely different story. According to Chauhan, this issue is larger than the consumers realise. "One in every three bottles comes from an unlicensed plant!" It is not difficult to manufacture 1,000 bottles per plant per day - one can even do it out of one's own kitchen (not to give you ideas, there). The 20-litre jars constitute the majority of the problem, as they are easily available - the label is already placed and they are meant to be reused.


Local health officials need to be cognizant of the danger to people's health, yet repeated calls to BIS, Food Safety and Standards Authority of India and New Delhi Municipal Corporation resulted in responsibility being palmed off to the state authorities. The news report mentioned above also said that cockroaches and house flies were found in water supplied to the headquarters of the East Delhi Municipal Corporation and a media organisation in Noida recently. Rahul Kumar, deputy director central regional office at BIS, says that they are only responsible for approving the quality of the source material. They do conduct regular search and seizure raids on the feedback they receive, but only if plants are using their trademark without actually having obtained it.


Agarwal says that till the government can provide a definitive solution by raiding these illegal bottling units, the people of Delhi will be in grave danger of consuming spurious water. Sharma claims the liability also lies with the consumer. "Next time you buy packaged water of any kind, look out for the usual signs and ask tough questions: check the seal, manufacturing date, ISI mark, batch code, MRP, et cetera," says he. "And if you find anything amiss, question your supplier."



Source : Business Standard , 27th September 2014

India, Switzerland join hands to reduce energy consumption : New Delhi

As India strives for a low carbon inclusive growth — even as it facilitates speedy clearances for infrastructure projects — the government is looking at Switzerland to cut down its construction induced Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.


The on-going Indo-Swiss Building Energy Efficiency Project (BEEP) aims to reduce the energy consumption in new commercial, public and residential buildings and "disseminate best practices" for their construction, Swiss government officials said here. BEEP contributes to strengthen the objectives of government on energy conservation.


Speaking to The Times of India, Swiss Ambassador Dr Linus von Castelmur said Switzerland was pleased tha t the cooperation of the two countries on energy efficiency in buildings had already resulted in sizeable achievements.


"One recent milestone was the development of energy efficient design guidelines for residential buildings which have been endorsed by the Bureau of Energy Efficiency of the Ministry of Power and launched recently as part of the Government's 100 days agenda," he said.


Residential buildings in 2012 are said to have accounted for 20% of India's total electricity consumption which is expected to increase seven-fold by 2032.


In another project, Switzerland is supporting a research project on production of a new type of cement.


The Narendra Modi government also plans to develop 100 smart cities and other major infrastructure investments. As the demand for cement products increases, the pressure on India to contain its GHG emissions is also expected to rise


According to Swiss officials, it is now possible to double the quantity of cement produced from the same quantity of limestone. The so called Limestone Calcined Clay Cement (LC3) generates 30% less CO2 emissions compared to traditional cement. A joint research on LC3 is being carried out by an international team of the Federal Institute of Technology, Lausanne in Switzerland in collaboration with three Indian Institutes of Technology - IIT Delhi, IIT Madras and IIT Bombay - and a technology incubation partner, Technology and Action for Rural Advancement (TARA).


India is the first country where LC3 is being tested, both in laboratory and in the field, on a large scale, said Swiss authorities. "India was selected for the size of its market and its growth potential, the wide availability of kaolin clays and most importantly the commitment of the Indian government to reduce CO2 emissions," said a Swiss official.


According to Switzerland, Indo-Swiss bilateral cooperation moves in line with India's emphasis on low carbon inclusive growth and its international voluntary commitment to reduce GHG emission intensity.


Cement production presently shares 5-8% of manmade emissions globally. "Switzerland therefore considers India's construction environment as a priority sector, aiming to improve energy efficiency in the building sector (residential and public), strengthen capacities of the urban governments for integration of low carbon strategies in urban planning and improving the resource efficiency of building materials such as cement," said a Swiss official.


Source : TOI , 23rd Sep 2014