Pinchin Environmental Bulletin

Mould Lab Achieves AIHA Accreditation

Pinchin Environmental is pleased to announce that the Pinchin Environmental Microbiology Laboratory has achieved accreditation by the American Industrial Hygiene Association's Environmental Microbiology Laboratory Accreditation Program (EMLAP).

This accreditation, effective April 2004, helps ensure that the environmental microbiology analytical services available at Pinchin Environmental are accurate, reliable and defensible.

As of April 2004, the Pinchin laboratory was one of only three EMLAP accredited laboratories in Canada, and the only one in Ontario, out of a total of 45 EMLAP accredited laboratories in the world. This accreditation is particularly important for legal issues and defensibility of mould analysis due to the current increase in mould related litigation.

The Pinchin Environmental Microbiology Laboratory began offering services for analysis of mould in environmental samples in 2001. The laboratory, headed by Dr. Rafic Dulymamode, now has a staff of five microbiologists, including two Ph.D. mycologists. Protocols used in the laboratory are based on those published in recognized journals or being used in internationally recognized laboratories.

The laboratory analyzes environmental samples of various types (air, bulk, dust, swab, tape-lift, contact plate, etc.) for fungi by both direct microscope methods and culturing procedures. The laboratory is completely proficient in the analysis of fungal samples to the species level. The laboratory also offers services for the analysis of bacteria in environmental samples.

The AIHA EMLAP program is a world recognized program that enhances laboratory performance and demonstrates the laboratory's commitment to excellence. The AIHA has been offering laboratory accreditation in industrial hygiene testing since 1979 and began the EMLAP program for the accreditation of microbiology laboratories in 2001. The EMLAP accreditation program complies with the international standard, ISO/IEC 17025, General Requirements for the Competence of Testing and Calibration Laboratories.

The EMLAP program is specifically designed to meet the accreditation needs of laboratories specializing in analysis of micro-organisms commonly present in environmental samples collected from schools, offices, hospitals and other general building environments. The accreditation process generally takes 9-12 months and requires an initial two-day site assessment. The laboratory must continue to comply with the requirements of it's accreditation and associated Quality Assurance Manual and is subject to ongoing site audits every three years.

The EMLAP audit team reviews the set-up and operations of the laboratory on at least the following key items.

1. The laboratory staff and management must be suitably qualified and the Technical Manager must be a microbiologist. The laboratory must have a designated Quality Control co-ordinator who maintains the quality systems.
   
   
2. The laboratory must be a successful participant in the AIHA Environmental Microbiology Proficiency Analytical Testing program wherein the laboratory receives 4 unknown samples three times per year and must be able to correctly identify the unknown organisms.
   
   
3. Facilities must be appropriate and safe for the tests undertaken.
   
   
4. Routine quality assurance measures must be taken to help ensure reliable results. These should include calibrations, blanks and repeat analysis of a portion of the samples analysed.
   
   
5. Appropriate laboratory records and reports must be in place.
   
   
6. Standard Operating Procedures must be in place for all tests, calibration procedures, media preparation, etc.
   
   
7. To prevent conflict of interest, a laboratory located within an organization that offers consulting services must be separately administered and have policies in place to prevent undue pressure on its operations.