DEPARTMENT OF MINERAL ANALYSIS AND TECHNOLOGY
QUALITY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM AND LABORATORY ACCREDITATION

World Trade Organization (WTO), requests member countries to guarantee conformity assessment procedures and provide technical competence and transparency. And accreditation is the key instrument to guarantee conformity assessment procedures.  Accreditation is the assessment, competency conformity and regular audit of the laboratories and provider institutions of inspection, certification and proficiency tests according to nationally and internationally accepted technical criterion.

Department of Mineral Analysis and Technologies (MAT) started its accreditation works for the laboratories that various analyses/tests are performed for especially the needs of the mining sector in 2005 based on “TS EN ISO/IEC 17025 General Requirements  for the Competence of Testing and Calibration Laboratories” Standard. Laboratory accreditation means high prestige on a national and international scale as a reliable indicator of technical competence and ensures the official recognition of the competence of the laboratory.  Through the studies carried out in this context, technical competence of the analysis and technology laboratories of our institution and Analysis/Test Reports that contain the results obtained by the laboratories will be internationally accepted, the risk of delay in analysis/test results due to unnecessary analysis/test repetition will be reduced and consequently there will be no additional analysis/test cost.

Department of MAT carried out the studies having following stages briefly for the establishment of Quality Management System and the accreditation according to “TS EN ISO/IEC 17025 General Requirements  for the Competence of Testing and Calibration Laboratories” Standard that is used for international laboratory accreditation.

  • Training and Awareness Activities (Managers are informed, Quality Manager was appointed and a work team was formed. Quality Policy and Quality Objectives were determined, basic trainings on the standard of Quality Management System were given.)
  • Identification of the processes and documentation (Quality Manual, Procedures, Instructions and Forms were prepared.)
  • Implementation (In-house trainings were organized for the employees and trainings were received outside the institution. It was ensured that the procedures and instructions were implemented and the forms were approved and used. Method validation and measurement of uncertainty calculations of the analyses/tests planned to be accredited and the calibration of the devices and materials used in the laboratories were carried out according to the plans. Participation to national and international laboratory proficiency tests/comparison measurements among laboratories was made.
  • Amendments (Feedback customers were evaluated, customer satisfaction was measured, Corrective/Preventive Actions were taken for necessary amendments in the Quality Management System.)
  • Internal Audit and Management Review Meeting (Control and evaluation of the operating system was made, necessary activities were carried out to maintain the system effectively and efficiently.)
  • Certification application (An application was made to the Turkish Accreditation Agency (TÜRKAK) for certificate in 2010.)

After all these stages, Quality Management System and Technical Competence of the Laboratories established in Department of MAT were certified by Turkish Accreditation Agency (TÜRKAK) with Accreditation Certificate No. AB-0394-T on 14.10.2010. Calibration Laboratories were certified with Accreditation Certificate No. EU-0219-Kon on 14 August 2018, based on the application made in 2017.

The activities for ensuring the continuity of Quality Management System established in Department of MAT, continuation of accreditation and expanding the scope of accreditation are still continuing.  Within this scope, in summary;

  • Quality Management System documents are prepared ord and all documents are ensured to be put into practice based on the needs.
  • Participation to national and international laboratory proficiency tests and comparison measurements among laboratories are ensured.
  • Questionnaires filled by the customers are evaluated, studies of corrective and preventive activities are carried out.
  • Internal Audits are carried out. (Objectives of Internal Audits are to inspect whether laboratory activities are carried out according to the conditions set forth in TS EN ISO/IEC 17025 Standard, follow up and ensure the sustainability of conformity, competency and efficiency of the planned amendments, inspect and eliminate deficiencies and unsuitability and follow up whether Quality Management System is sufficient to achieve the objective.)
  • Review Meeting of the Management is held once in a year.
  • It is ensured that employees receives trainings on accreditation.
  • Required preparations are made for the audits to be carried out by Turkish Accreditation Agency (TÜRKAK). 
  • In-house and external calibrations of the measurement/test devices in the laboratories are made within the annual plan. 

Accreditation Certificate with No. AB-0394-T for the Analysis/Test Laboratories and Accreditation Certificate with No. AB-0219-K for Calibration Laboratories given by TÜRKAK as a result of its audits are given below.