Coverage of Internal Quality Audits

What do you think should be looked at in the course of a Quality Audit Answer 

All aspects of the laboratory s work which might affect the validity of the final result should be inspected. This will include, for example, documentation, equipment, calibrations, methods, materials, record keeping, sample recording, labelling, quality control checks and log of daily checks, among many others. Some aspects, however, are outside the scope of such an audit, such as safety and security matters, which usually have separate arrangements for auditing. 

To ensure that all aspects of the laboratory s activities are covered over a set period of time, a spreadsheet of activities can be prepared. This shows when each area is due for audit. In order to have a consistent approach, a check-list approach may be adopted. An example of a check-list of aspects which should be examined as part of an internal quality audit is shown in Table 9.5. This can be used as the basis for an audit against any of the Standards already mentioned in this chapter. Not all of the parts will be appropriate for all of the Standards. Table 9.7 expands on what is included in Table 9.5 and can be used to remind auditors and laboratory staff of the things that can affect the quality of a result. 

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