La. Admin. Code tit. 33 § I-4711

Current through Register Vol. 50, No. 9, September 20, 2024

Section I-4711 - Proficiency Testing Participation

A. All accredited environmental laboratories or laboratories seeking accreditation must participate in department-approved proficiency testing programs relevant to their scope of accreditation, except when determined by the department that an appropriate proficiency test is not accessible or readily available. The department may provide appropriate commercial test samples at the applicant's expense whenever necessary.

B. If proficiency test samples are not available for particular test categories, the laboratory requesting accreditation will submit an "analytical data package." An "analytical data package" shall include all relevant analytical methodology, technical information, and quality assurance results concerning a particular type of analysis for which there is no current proficiency testing program.

C. Department-approved proficiency tests shall be used to provide suitable evidence of laboratory proficiency.

D. Proficiency testing studies will be available at a minimum of every six months. Laboratories shall participate in two proficiency test studies per year for each field of testing. Failure to meet the minimum semiannual schedule shall be regarded as a failed proficiency test study. Laboratories may set up round robin testing programs under the department's supervision in order to satisfy this requirement, using splits where applicable.

E. Laboratories shall satisfactorily complete two proficiency test studies offered for each test category accredited within the most recent three proficiency test studies attempted. A year shall be considered as the 12-month period from the first day of July until the last day of June. Results shall be considered satisfactory when they are within the acceptable limits established by the testing agency or the department.

F. Each participating laboratory shall authorize the proficiency test provider to release the results of the proficiency evaluation (PE) test to the Office of Environmental Assessment at the same time that they are submitted to the laboratory. Every laboratory that receives test results that are "unacceptable" for a specific analyte must investigate and identify likely causes for these results, resolve any problems, and report such activity to the Office of Environmental Assessment, along with the submittal of corrective action proficiency sample test results. The laboratory shall report only the analytes for which corrective action was required.

G. In cases of on-site proficiency testing, the department shall inform the laboratory of the results of the evaluation. The department may require the laboratory to analyze additional proficiency samples if the results of such test are "unacceptable."

H. Results of proficiency testing during the preceding 12 months shall be made available by the laboratory, upon request, to any person utilizing or requesting the services of the laboratory.

I. Accredited laboratories that desire to extend the range of tests or analyses offered shall submit a written request with the appropriate fees, shall comply with the requirements of these regulations, and shall demonstrate satisfactory results in at least one round of proficiency testing samples prior to receiving accreditation.

J. Laboratories shall bear the cost of any subscription(s) to a proficiency testing program required by the department for compliance purposes.

La. Admin. Code tit. 33, § I-4711

Promulgated by the Department of Environmental Quality, Office of the Secretary, LR 24:921 (May 1998), amended by the Office of Environmental Assessment, Environmental Planning Division, LR 26:1436 (July 2000), amended by the Office of the Secretary, Legal Affairs Division, LR 31:2435 (October 2005), LR 33:2081 (October 2007), amended by the Office of the Secretary, Legal Division, LR 38:2750 (November 2012), Amended by the Office of the Secretary, Legal Affairs and Criminal Investigations Division, LR 432137 (11/1/2017).

AUTHORITY NOTE: Promulgated in accordance with R.S. 30:2011.