Good Laboratory Practices
Work in a structured and organized manner
Operating an analysis laboratory means carrying out analys by following protocols or methods, generating results, taking samples, maintaining machines and equipment, preparing solutions and preparing analysitical reports.
But there is more, much more!
Given the safety measures related to the chemicals used which are often considered as hazardous materials , the fact that the results generated must be reliable, that the analytical methods must be validated, that quality controls must be applied for each analytical sequence all makes it important to apply basic ground rules as well as to work in an organized and structured way.
The basic rules in the industrial laboratory sector are called Good Laboratory Practices and although they are optional; they are one of the biggest pillars of sound management and flawless organization of an industrial laboratory even if it's for your own internal reporting needs.
Good Laboratory Practices: an essential prerequisite for the proper operation of an industrial laboratory
The Good Laboratory Practices (GLP) exist in several versions. If you operate an industrial laboratory that does not have a certification or that does not require to comply with official compliance requirements, you can choose to implement only some of the points described in the version you choose.
The most complete version is undoubtedly that of the OECD or even that of the WHO. Canada , the United States and CODEX ALIEMTNARIUS and other countries and organizations also have their own version and they all pretty much equivalent to each other. They actually include everything you need to have in place as a prerequisite for a certification process towards ISO 17025 .
The main points are:
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Organization of the laboratory
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Staff and personnel management
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The installations
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for sample preparation
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for analysis
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for reference materials and standards
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for archiving
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for laboratory waste
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for the safe storage and handling of hazardous products and materials
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Apparatus, materials and reagents
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Procedures, protocols and analysis methods including validation
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Performance tests and inter-laboratory studies
Implement GLP for the right reasons
The implementation of a Good Laboratory Practices program does not happen on a whim. It is important to think about how important laboratory work is to your business. Even if you don't have to issue official reports to the regulatory authority regularly on all the analysis you do; do not forget that there is probably important data for the evaluation of your performance, the preparation of specification sheets for your customers or even historical data that could be useful to you in the event of non-compliances or CARs that would be issued by the regulatory authority or an audit firm for example.
This is more than enough to justify implementing:
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Simple, well- documented and easy-to-follow methods
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A documentary system that makes it easy to trace back data or use them in dashboards and other production management tools
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Minimal quality controls to guarantee the reliability of the results obtained
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A preventive maintenance program for machinery and laboratory equipment used
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A specific training program for laboratory staff
We can help you develop and implement a program of Good Laboratory Practice so that you are able to make the most of the analytical results you produce. Tracking your performance with reliable data will help drive continuous improvement in your processes and procedures. Finally, it will be of great help to you when you have to build files to demonstrate that you meet regulatory compliance requirements, applicable standards and your customers' requirements (including those stipulated in the GFSI standards).