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SCMP Reporter

MAKING sure that products and materials are of a high quality has become a 'must'.

  In Hong Kong and around the world, businesses and other organisations want a guarantee they are getting the very best.

  But how can someone ensure what they are receiving or manufacturing is of the highest standard?   The chances are they will have their product examined at a scientific laboratory where it will be subjected to numerous safety or quality tests.

  But then the question remains who tests the laboratory testers? How does someone know their procedures are up to scratch?   That is where the Hong Kong Laboratory Accreditation Scheme (HOKLAS) comes in.

  It was set up by the Government in 1985 and its job is to check the operation of laboratories all over the territory to see if they reach a set level of standards.

  Just over 50 laboratories are now accredited by the HOKLAS scheme.

  These include labs operated by the Government, public utilities and commercial testing laboratories.

  In-house labs run by manufacturing businesses are also represented.

  HOKLAS estimates that around 80 per cent of the territory's commercial testing labs are now accredited.

  Senior accreditation officer Tsin Tsang-bik said: 'Labs are taking us increasingly seriously as there are now very good commercial reasons for getting themselves accredited.

  'Their customers want to know that their operations have reached set standards.

  'Companies and organisations in Hong Kong are now much more aware of the need for high quality in their products and that, in turn, has helped us in our work.'   HOKLAS has six full-time professional officers, as well as a team of 80 part-time technical assessors, who look at the operation of individual laboratories.

  It can take from between eight months and three years for a firm to get accredited.

  A laboratory is subjected to a series of visits and tests by technical experts before it is given the seal of approval.

  The final decision on whether the organisation is accredited is made by a board of HOKLAS governors.

  Even then officers make regular trips to the laboratory to ensure that standards are being maintained.

  If standards have slipped, accreditation can be suspended.

       HOKLAS specialises in accrediting laboratories in certain test categories, which include the food, chemical and electronics industries and also calibration services and environmental testing.



Checks prove a testing time