The General Manager of the Lagos State Materials Testing Laboratory Agency (LSMTL), Engr. Olayinka Abdul has charged personnel of the Agency for optimal work performance towards acquiring ISO /17025 Accreditation on its Materials Testing procedures.
Speaking at an in-house forum organised by the Agency, themed: “Starting Journey to Becoming ISO 17025: 2017: Conforming Materials Testing Laboratory With Global Recognition”, Engr. Abdul informed of the need to improve quality and customers’ satisfaction in materials testing procedures, adding that it is pertinent to ensure that LSMTL produces accurate and reliable results that can demonstrate the technical competence of such structures for quality assurance.
She said, “ISO 17025, is a standard that outlines the requirements for testing calibration laboratories using the framework of Laboratory operations, technical capabilities, equipment, personnel and qualitative system Management”.
“Accreditation of Agency as ours is paramount as it elevates our potentiality in paving the way for ISO certification on best practices. It reaffirms our technical competence and impartiality in the built industry”, the General Manager added.
While considering such a sustainable venture at fostering productivity, Engr. Abdul averred that there is a need to retain trained personnel for the continuous development of the initiative which will require support from the Head of Service to curb resource constraints following redeployment from the Agency after training had been initiated.
She averred further that such a stable career path will enhance optimal service delivery, especially in inculcating the right actions for the increased output of the Agency, towards fostering the ISO Accreditation process and other aspects associated with global integration.
Also speaking, the Chief Executive Officer, Dominite Management Systems Ltd, Engr. Dimeji Folami, a facilitator at the Forum, said it is important to consider variables such as the workforce, Internal Audit and Management Review System, as well as the equipment used for calibration in determining the success of the Accreditation process.
He stated that the whole process would require a constant appraisal which establishes a Management Information System for the Agency’s accredited certification that guarantees global approval of its results of materials tests across the international construction industry.
Engr. Folami called for periodic internal audits and management reviews to assess those conformities on standards being expected for accreditation of best practices.