Application and evaluation of the American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) Proficiency Analytical Testing (PAT) program for use by the Korean industrial hygiene profession.

Abstract

A principal factor in the performance of an organization is the quality of its products or services. The purpose of a quality assurance program in industrial hygiene chemistry is to ensure the integrity of the reported data. The basic ingredients of a good quality control program are appropriate methodology, adequate calibration, and proper usage. This project is the first systematic application of an industrial hygiene chemistry quality control program to Korean industrial hygiene laboratories. The project investigated the application of a quality control program to the analysis of asbestos fibers by microscopy, metals by atomic absorption spectrophotometry, and organic solvents by gas chromatography. Internationally recognized measures of proficiency were utilized, but the principal focus was on the adaptation and use of the American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) Proficiency Analytical Testing (PAT) Program. Data reported by Korean industrial hygiene (IH) laboratories during two rounds of participation in the AIHA-PAT Program were analyzed. Findings included (1) the proficiency of industrial hygiene laboratories was a function of measurable factors (e.g. education and experience of laboratory personnel, quality of reagents, quality of analytical instruments, conformance to specified methodology); (2) the level of proficiency of IH laboratories in a newly industrialized country, such as Korea, was significantly lower than that of the United States, which has had a nationwide quality control program operating for many years, (3) the AIHA-PAT Program, when applied to Korean industrial hygiene laboratories, resulted in improved analytical proficiency, and (4) the inter-laboratory precision in fiber counting depended on type of asbestos. Better precision was found in counting amosite fibers than chrysotile fibers. An important factor related to the third finding listed above was that intervention and training of laboratory management and technical personnel by a senior industrial hygiene chemist (Professor Paik) was the principal reason that there was improved proficiency in the second testing round of the PAT program. Additional study is needed to define the on-going quality assurance programs necessary to ensure continuous improvement in the proficiency of Korean industrial hygiene laboratories.