This is an individual exercise and the documents you prepare will form part of your assessment. Quality Policy Write a quality policy for a laboratory with which you are familiar OR for the case study laboratory provided below. The quality policy should: address the issues identified in ISO 17025 as important components of a quality policy; and be brief, meaningful and motivational. Quality objectives and action plans Identify an aspect of the operations which could be improved for a laboratory with which you are familiar and express this improvement in the form of a quality objective. Develop at least two (2) action plans that would be effective in achieving this objective. If you are unfamiliar with a laboratory, then you could use the material from the case study provided below. Case Study Laboratory Countrywide Analytical Services is a small, privately owned company offering multidisciplinary testing and analytical services to its clients in a regional centre. The company employs 18 people. The laboratory offers the following testing services to its mostly rural clients. a) Microbiological testing of foods, specialising in: dairy products nuts and nut products poultry and poultry products vegetables Samples are supplied by their clients, predominantly dairy cooperatives, small organic producers and large multinational suppliers. The samples are provided on a regular (contract) basis and reports are emails directly to the clients/ Most methods used are publishes methods, but some clients have required specialist testing, which has resulted in some inhouse methods being developed. The laboratory also conducts testing of abattoir surfaces at three (3) of the abattoirs located within the region. Samples are taken on a regular schedule by laboratory staff at their client’s premises and usually tested onsite for Salmonella, E.coli and Listeria. Some samples are taken back to the laboratory for further examination. All tests are conducted according to Australian Quarantine Inspection Service (AQIS) approved methods. Reports are sent directly to the abattoir and to AQIS. b) Chemical residue testing of food and wine for: organophosphorus pesticides fungicides antibiotics mercury sulfur dioxide (wine only) The samples are supplied by the customer, predominantly producers/ growers in the region. Most of the samples are supplied on a regular basis, especially if required for export.
Some of the local producers also request analysis of irrigation and bore waters for chemical residues, although this is not a regular service. Most of this testing is conducted for regulatory purposes. All tests are conducted using standard (published) methods This section includes relevant information for assessment task(s) in this unit. Assignment 1 Due: 6pm, Monday 14 August Weighting: 8% This is a guide on how much space to allocate to each section. Quality Policy – no more than 1 page Quality Objectives – no more than 2 pages The proposal is to be submitted in Turnitin on iLearn and a hard copy is to be provided to the unit convenor at the start of the lecture. Failure to submit by the due date will result in 0 marks being awarded for this assignment, unless an extension is granted according to the disruption to studies policy. All disruption applications are to be made through Ask MQ Your assignment must be double spaced with margins not less than 2.5cm on the right and left. It must be typed in 12 pt Times New Roman. Below are the criteria against which your assignment will be assessed. Even though each factor will be taken into account, a holistic approach will be adopted in settling the final mark for this assessment. Assignment 1 Due: 6pm, Monday 14 August Weighting: 8% This is a guide on how much space to allocate to each section. Quality Policy – no more than 1 page Quality Objectives – no more than 2 pages The proposal is to be submitted in Turnitin on iLearn and a hard copy is to be provided to the unit convenor at the start of the lecture. Failure to submit by the due date will result in 0 marks being awarded for this assignment, unless an extension is granted according to the disruption to studies policy. All disruption applications are to be made through Ask MQ Your assignment must be double spaced with margins not less than 2.5cm on the right and left. It must be typed in 12 pt Times New Roman. Below are the criteria against which your assignment will be assessed. Even though each factor will be taken into account, a holistic approach will be adopted in settling the final mark for this assessment.