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Written by: Huang Weilun
2021-04-28 15:36
Last update date: 2021-04-28 15:36
In 2008, the government designated testing and certification as an industry with obvious advantages and development potential. The National Audit Office today (28th) issued an audit report on the promotion of internationally recognized standards and conformity assessment services by the Innovation and Technology Agency, and found that there was a company responsible for related work. The standards and calibration laboratories in China failed to calibrate the instruments in a timely manner. Among them, 33.4% of the instruments had their calibration period passed, with an average overdue of about 332 days and a maximum overdue of 7.3 years.
As for the Accreditation Office under the Innovation and Technology Agency, in April last year, it launched two new accreditation services to allow laboratories engaged in physical and microbiological testing of medical masks to apply for accreditation; and the COVID-19 virus, allowing those engaged in viral polymerase testing to apply for accreditation. Only a few qualified institutions apply.
The Innovation and Technology Department responded to the Audit Office’s statement that nearly 60 overdue instruments have become spare instruments that can be calibrated before use; and due to the impact of the new crown pneumonia epidemic, employees cannot go back to the laboratory for calibration, resulting in an increase in the number of uncalibrated instruments.
The Audit Commission today (28th) issued an audit report on the promotion of internationally recognized standards and the passing assessment service of the Innovation and Technology Commission.
(Information Picture / Photo by Luo Junhao)
Under the "Quality Support" work programme, the Innovation and Technology Department is responsible for promoting internationally recognized standards and conformity assessment services. The relevant work is mainly carried out by the Hong Kong Accreditation Service, the Product Standards Information Group, the Standards and Calibration Laboratory and the Secretariat of the Inspection Bureau.
In 2019-20, the expenditure on "quality support" is 145.5 million yuan.
"Quality Support" expenditure is 145.5 million yuan (audit report)
The Calibration Laboratory is responsible for the establishment and preservation of physical measurement reference standards that can be traced to the International System of Units, such as the International System of Units for mass such as "kilogram"; it also includes temperature and length.
The audit report stated that according to the manual of the calibration laboratory, all instruments need to be inspected and calibrated before they are put into service; after the instruments are put into service, they need to be calibrated according to the established schedule, and the next calibration expiration date should be marked.
However, the National Audit Office found that as of January 5 this year, of the 1,141 instruments with calibration expiration dates, 381 (33.4%) had expired, with an average of 332 days overdue.
Among the expired instruments, 127 (33.3%) were overdue for 1 year, of which 25 (6.6%) were overdue for more than 3 years, and the longest was 7.3 years.
Among 1,141 instruments with calibration due dates affixed, 381 (33.4%) have expired (audit report)
381 measuring instruments have not been calibrated
In its reply, the Innovation and Technology Department stated that 381 overdue and uncalibrated instruments were not used for measurement work, of which 221 were spare instruments, including instruments overdue for 7.3 years.
The agency continued that although the spare instrument is labeled "regularly calibrated", it only needs to be calibrated before use and should be classified as "calibrated when needed."
As for the instruments that do require regular calibration, the department admits that there are 136 items, of which nearly 90% are overdue for less than one year, and only 14 items are overdue for one year, and the longest time is 2.7 years.
The department explained that due to the impact of the epidemic, employees could not return to the laboratory for calibration, so the overdue equipment was higher than normal.
The Hong Kong Accreditation Service was also found to be late for examination.
According to the Audit Commission, the Accreditation Service needs to review each accredited institution on a regular basis to understand its quality. According to the procedures, the review should be conducted within 4 weeks after the expiry of the deadline.
However, the Audit Office found that as of October 14 last year, 40 re-examinations were overdue for more than 4 weeks, with an average of 93 days overdue, of which 3 were overdue for 501 to 651 days.
The National Audit Office found that as of October 14 last year, 40 reviews had been overdue for more than 4 weeks, with an average of 93 days overdue, with a maximum of 651 days overdue.
(Audit Report)
Regarding the overdue review, the Innovation and Technology Department explained the epidemic situation again, stating that some of the reviews were delayed in the Mainland, and it is now tentatively arranging some institutions to conduct remote reviews, including reviewing documents instead.
The department also stated that the review frequency of the Accreditation Service is actually higher than that of international standards, and it still meets international requirements.
Fewer applications for medical masks and viral polymerase testing laboratory accreditation programs
In addition, in response to the epidemic, the Accreditation Agency launched two new accreditation services under the Laboratory Accreditation Program in April last year, including medical masks, allowing laboratories engaged in physical and microbiological testing of medical masks to apply for accreditation; and the 2019 coronavirus, Let medical laboratories engaged in viral polymerase testing apply.
However, the Audit Commission found that only 2 applications for approval of medical masks have been received from conformity assessment agencies, and no approval has been granted.
As for the polymerase test, of the 23 local institutions, only 5 have been approved, and 11 are applying.
The Audit Office recommended that the above accreditation services should be strengthened.
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Audit Report, National Audit Commission, Innovation and Technology Commission