Carl Stuart Group Awarded ISO 17025

01Nov10

Investment will more than double calibration/service income revenue in three years

The Carl Stuart Group, the Laboratory and Process technology, services and solutions provider, has been awarded the International Standard ISO/IEC 17025:2005. The Certification was officially presented today by Minister Conor Lenihan at the company’s head quarters in Tallaght.

The ISO/IEC 17025:2005 Standard is awarded by the Irish National Accreditation Board (INAB) and is an international standard covering the requirements for the competence of testing and calibration laboratories.  The State Chemist, Mr Dermot Hayes, was also on hand to witness the formal presentation of the certification.

Kevin Arthure, Technical Director with The Carl Stuart Group was responsible for project managing the ambitious task to achieve this accreditation.  As he explains, it was a formidable challenge that took in excess of twelve months and incurred a significant financial and resource investment, but was part of the Group’s overall strategic development:  “The boom years had largely bypassed the pharmaceutical industry here in Ireland.  On the other hand, we have felt keenly the impacts of the recession.  However, we realised that the value of investing in this accreditation and training  would stand to our company as the markets begin to pick up again. 

“With the ISO 17025 accreditation we are now in a strong position to win new business, especially with government laboratories across Ireland and Europe and to increase our service portfolio to our existing valued customers.

The testing and measurement side of the Group currently accounts for some 30 percent of the turnover, and we expect this income to more than double over the next three years as a direct result of having achieved the standard.”

Minister Conor Lenihan commented:  “Ireland is a world-leading centre of excellence for the manufacture of pharmaceutical and fine chemical products and is moreover one of the world’s largest exporters of pharmaceutical grade fine chemicals.

“It is very encouraging to see one of our largest independent service providers in Ireland investing in new skills and abilities that should enable our pharmaceutical industry to continue to compete at the highest levels. Accreditation of calibration laboratories underpins the national measurement system by ensuring the competence of these providers.  Traceability to national and ultimately to international standards is a vital cog of any economy operating in the international sphere.”

The international nature of the standards means that a company or product in Ireland can be assessed or tested to the same standards as a company in Switzerland or Australia, providing confidence in the comparability of certificates and reports across national borders.

INAB has accredited laboratories from the private and public sectors.  Private laboratories are sometimes stand-alone operations that are actively seeking work and service Irish industry and the public through the provision of accredited testing and calibration operations.

This Standard is applicable to all laboratories regardless of the number of personnel or the extent of the scope of testing and/or calibration activities. It requires laboratories to establish and maintain a quality system to manage aspects such as document control, complaint handling, contract review, purchasing, audits and investigation into non-conforming testing/calibrations. In addition, the laboratory is required to have policies and procedures to describe training, test/calibration methods, quality assurance, reporting and measurement traceability.

Further to The Carl Stuart Group’s commitment to this initiative is the appointment of Emma Davis to the position of full time Quality Manager.  She will be responsible for the overseeing of the accreditation and the ongoing maintenance and support of this Standard.

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Tags: Carl Stuart Group, ISO 17025, laboratory services, laboratory solutions Ireland, Laboratory technology Ireland, Minister Conor Lenihan, The Carl Stuart Group