IAEA Laboratory for Occupational Radiation Monitoring Receives International Accreditation
The
IAEA’s laboratory which provides services to many countries in occupational
radiation monitoring has recently earned ISO re-accreditation, testifying that
it meets the highest quality and procedural standards.
The IAEA
Testing Laboratory, as it is officially known, advises laboratories in many
countries, especially developing Member States, to monitor the radiation doses
received by workers exposed to radiation and ensure that their exposure levels
stay below legal thresholds.
The
ISO/IEC 17025 re-accreditation was issued in June 2017 as a formal recognition
by an independent international body and is valid for five years. It certifies
the laboratory’s managerial and technical competence, and serves as a global
benchmark for clients, Member States and accreditation bodies around the world.
The accreditation demonstrates the competence of staff, the thoroughness of
methods and, most importantly, the accuracy of results, said Miroslav Pinak,
Head of the IAEA’s Radiation Safety and Monitoring Section, and technical
manager of the laboratory.
“The
accreditation is an important milestone,” Pinak said. “It demonstrates to our
clients in Member States that we practice what we preach: state of the art
quality and management practices.”
Supporting
laboratories in Member States
For more
than 50 years, the IAEA has served as a model for the radiation safety
programmes of its Member States.
In the
last decade, experts from countries including Azerbaijan, Brazil, Chile,
Malaysia, Mongolia, Pakistan and Spain were trained in the laboratory on
accredited methods to assess radiation doses and quality management systems.
Such training events help local experts gain important skills needed to set up
their own services and laboratories.
In
addition, laboratory staff supports education and training activities such as
annual IAEA-co-organized International School on Nuclear Security International
Centre for Theoretical Physics in Trieste, Italy.
Keeping
up with international standards
The
laboratory’s equipment regularly undergoes international proficiency tests such
as those organized by the European Radiation Dosimetry Group to check equipment
performance and accuracy.
For
several years in a row, the laboratory has also been recognized as the best
performing participant by the Association for the Promotion of Quality Control
in Radiotoxicological Analysis.
The
laboratory is also crucial in ensuring radiation safety for IAEA safeguards
inspectors and other staff who visit potentially radioactive areas in the
course of their work. The laboratory also ensures that radiation levels on IAEA
premises are accurately monitored.
Source: IAEA