develop consensus standards for use by TNI's programs. This group has a support role in assisting other programs with activities such as guidance and standards interpretation.
fosters the generation of data of known and documented quality is through the National Environmental Laboratory Accreditation Program, or NELAP. The purpose of this program is to establish and implement a program for the accreditation of environmental laboratories.
is to establish and maintain a national PT program to support TNI’s National Environmental Laboratory Accreditation Program, and other activities.
Field Activities Program (NEFAP) Executive Committee is to establish and implement an accreditation program for field sampling and measurement organizations (FSMOs).
Audit Sample Program is to develop consensus standards for the manufacture and analysis of audit samples for source emission testing.
on a variety of topics of interest to the environmental measurement community. TNI also hosts two regularly scheduled meetings per year, typically in January and August. Both are a week long and involve open meetings of TNI committees as well as training courses and other special sessions.Standard Interpretation
Standard: 2016
Section: V1M5, Section 1.7.3.1 (a)
REQUEST:
The 2016 TNI Standard is clear in V1M5 section 1.7.3.1 a) that all materials and supplies... must be checked by the laboratory once per lot, or as appropriate (for media). It is understood that this means that the manufacturer's certificate is not adequate, and it is the laboratory's responsibility to verify and document sterility. The question then is, does this laboratory check have to be on-site or can lots be checked corporately? Example: 120mL IDEXX bottles are purchased by a laboratory, checked, stored and forwarded to a sister laboratory (located in a different State) as needed. Since the first laboratory checked them, and there is easy access to that lab's records, does the sister lab need to check the same lot again?
TNI FINAL RESPONSE:
The laboratory location using the materials is responsible for performing the sterility check. Using the example provided, each sister laboratory is required to perform their own sterility check. A sterility check does not need to be performed until the items are received in their final location of use.