HKAS News Issue No. 57 · HKAS Arrangements for Implementation of ISO 50003: 2014 for . Accreditation of Energy Management Systems (EnMS) Certiication Bodies . The Second Joint APLAC

News Issue No 57

Aug 2015HKAS Hong Kong Accreditation Service

HKAS Arrangements for Implementation of ISO 50003 2014 for Accreditation of Energy Management Systems (EnMS) Certification Bodies

The Second Joint APLAC and PAC meeting in Colombo Sri Lanka

Updates in HOKLAS Supplementary Criteria

Page 14

Page 10

Page 19

ANNIVERSARY TH

Contents

36F Immigration Tower 7 Gloucester Road Wan Chai Hong Kong

Tel 2829 4840 Fax 2824 1302

Email hkasitcgovhk Website httpwwwhkasgovhk

Every care has been taken to check the accuracy of the information included in this newsletter However HKAS Executive does not guarantee its accuracy and readers should note that if they make use of such information they do so at their own risk The views and opinions in the articles provided by third parties do not reflect those of HKAS Executive

News Issue No 57

Table of Contents 02

30th Anniversary of Hong Kong Accreditation Service 03

HKAS Accreditation Advisory Board Chair Awarded the Bronze Bauhinia Star of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region

05

Accredited laboratories ndash what are they accredited for 06

How to select a laboratory for the testing service you need 06

HKASrsquo MLA Extended to GHG Validation and Verification 07

Celebration of the World Metrology Day the World Accreditation Day and the World Standards Day 2015 in Hong Kong

07

The Second Joint APLAC and PAC Meeting in Colombo Sri Lanka

10

HKAS Arrangement for Implementation of ILAC-R7 lsquoRules for the Use of the ILAC MRA Markrsquo

11

Technical Workshop on Food Testing Quality Assurance and Method Validation

12

Closer Cooperation Between HKAS and TAF 13


14

New HKAS Staff Member 14

Change in the Numbering System for Assigning Registration Numbers for HOKLAS Accredited Proficiency Testing Providers and Reference Material Producers

15

Memorandum of Understanding between Hong Kong Accreditation Service and the GCC Accreditation Centre

16

Assessor Seminar 2015 17

Updates in HOKLAS Supplementary Criteria 19

Workshop on Experience Sharing in Development of Aggregate Physical Tests in CS3 2013

21

IAFILAC Mid-Term Meetings 2015 22

Issue of Notification Letters 24

Launching of the Public Sector Assurance website 25

ISO-IAF-ILAC communiqueacute on ISO 15189 Accreditation 25

New and Revised HKAS Documents 26

Proficiency Testing Updates 27

Accreditation Updates 27

30th Anniversary ofHong Kong Accreditation Service

marks the 30th Anniversary of Hong Kong Accreditation Service (HKAS) On 20 May 1985 we were established as an accreditation body for laboratories under the name2015 of Hong Kong Laboratory Accreditation Scheme (HOKLAS) In the beginning there

were only three staff members running the programme As the economy of Hong Kong boomed in the nineties there were strong demands for reliable certification and inspection services In response HKAS was established in 1998 through the expansion of HOKLAS to provide accreditation service to certification bodies In the following year the service of HKAS was further expanded to cover accreditation of inspection bodies Now the scope of service provided by HKAS covers all types of conformity assessment activities the Hong Kong community needs HKAS also had a significant increase in manpower in 2009 Currently HKAS is staffed with 37 members to provide effective and efficient accreditation service to the community We cannot afford to be complacent about our achievements We will continue to strike our best to serve the needs of the community

Milestones of HKAS

HKAS News Issue No57 - 03

20 May 1985 Launching of Hong Kong Laboratory Accreditation Scheme (HOKLAS)

14 March 1986 First accreditation granted to the Government Laboratory under HOKLAS

19 November 1997 HOKLAS became one of the founding signatories to the Asia Pacific Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (APLAC) MRA

October 1994 HOKLAS hosted the ILAC conference

November 1998 Hong Kong Accreditation Service (HKAS) was established through the expansion of HOKLAS to certification body accreditation The Hong Kong Certification Body Accreditation Scheme (HKCAS) was launched in 1998 together with the birth of HKAS in the same year

15 December 1999 The Hong Kong Inspection Body Accreditation Scheme (HKIAS) started to accept applications

2 November 2000 HKAS became a signatory to the ILAC MRA for testing and calibration Thirty-three accreditation bodies signed the MRA in Washington DC

27 November 2003 HKAS joined the Pacific Accreditation Cooperation Multilateral Recognition Arrangement (PAC MLA) for accreditation of Quality Management System

16 February 2004 Launching of the medical testing accreditation programme

21 amp 22 April 2004 Signing of the first APLAC MRA for Inspection Bodies

9 October 2004 HKAS signed the IAF MLA for QMS

April 2007 APLAC MRA was extended to include ISO 15189 HKAS was one of the eight inaugural signatories to this extended MRA Other inaugural signatories to ISO15189 were DMSc IANZ Standards Malaysia ema JAB TAF and SAC

September 2009 The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government identified the testing and certification industry as one of the industries that Hong Kong had clear advantage and there were potentials for development HKAS was given extra resources as a result

June amp July 2011 HKAS became a signatory to the PAC MLA and IAF MLA for accreditation of certification bodies for Environmental Management System (EMS) Certification and Product Certification

7 June 2012 HKAS signed the MRA for RMP accreditation

16 to 23 June 2012 HKAS hosted the 19th PAC Plenary Meeting

24 October 2012 HKAS extended the ILAC MRA scope to the accreditation of inspection bodies

25 June 2014 HKAS extended the scope of APLAC MRA to Proficiency Testing Providers (PTP)

8 amp 9 am January 2015 HKAS hosted the APLAC mid-term MRA Council meeting and Extraordinary General Assembly

17 June 2015 HKAS extended the scope of PAC MLA to accreditation of Greenhouse gas validation verification bodies


HKAS Accreditation Advisory Board Chair

Awarded the Bronze Bauhinia Star of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region

Professor Vivian Yam Chairlady of Accreditation Advisory Board HKAS

Professor Vivian Yam Wing-wah Chairlady o f A c c r e d i t a t i o n

Advisory Board (AAB) of HKAS is listed on 2015 Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Honours List and awarded the Bronze Bauhinia Star (BBS) for her distinguished achievement and contributions to scientific research par t i cu la r ly in chemistry

Professor Yam is conferred Philip Wong Wilson Wong Professor in Chemistry and Energy of the University of Hong Kong in recognition of her significant contributions to scientific research in chemistry particularly in organicorganometallic chemistry photochemistry luminescent materials molecular functional materials and solar energy conversion

She was elected as a member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) ( 中國科學院院士 ) in 2001 and was the youngest member of the Academy She was elected Fellow of the Academy of Sciences for the Developing World in 2006 and Foreign Associate of the National Academy of Sciences USA in 2012

Other distinguished awards that Professor Yam has received include State National Science Award (Second Class Award) in 2005 the Centenary Lectureship amp Medal of the Royal Society of Chemistry UK in 2006 the Lectureship Award for Asian and Oceanian Photochemist (Eikohsha Award) of the Japanese Photochemistry Association in 2006 the LrsquoOreal-UNESCO1 for Women in Science Award in 2011 and the Ludwig Mond Award of the Royal Society of Chemistry UK in 2015

Apart from her academic achievements Professor Yam has also contributed much to the society of Hong Kong She is currently the Chairlady of AAB a member of the Administrative Appeals Board HKSAR and a member of the Hong Kong Council for Testing and Certification

Professor Yam has provided insightful advice to the Government on matters related to the accreditation of conformity assessment bodies Under Professor Yamrsquos chairmanship HKAS has expanded to cover accreditation of the following new areas

v Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Validation and Verification (in December 2012)

v Energy Management System Certification (in December 2012)

v Certification of Management System of Residential Care Home (Elderly Person) Service Providers (in June 2013)

v Certification of quality and environmental management systems in new areas (in June 2013)

v GHG Verification Bodies for Verification of GHG Assertions at Product Level (in June 2014) and

v Hong Kong testing laboratories under the Mainland and Hong Kong Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement (CEPA) Supplement IX and X (in February 2013 amp July 2014 respectively)

HKAS also obtained signatory status to the Asia Pacific Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (APLAC) Mutual Recognition Arrangement (MRA) for Accreditation of Proficiency Testing Providers in June 2014 Besides HKAS successfully organised the 34th APLAC MRA Council Meeting and the first Extraordinary General Assembly in Hong Kong on 8-9 (am) January 2015

1 Professor Yam was honoured as Laureate of the 13th LOreacuteal-UNESCO Women in Science Awards 2011 for her contributions in light-emitting materials and innovative ways of capturing solar energy The awards ceremony took place on March 3 2011 at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris Each year five outstanding women scientists - one per continent - are honoured for the contributions of their research the strength of their commitments and their impact on society Professor Yam is the laureate of the Asia Pacific region


Accredited laboratories ndash what are they accredited for

W hen talking about the lsquoaccreditationrsquo of a laboratory many people may think that lsquoif a laboratory is accredited all tests it performs must be accreditedrsquo However this is not always the case Accreditation is test-specific and only refers to the specific tests listed in the

scope of accreditation of the laboratory While an accredited laboratory may offer a wide variety of testing services it does not necessarily mean that all tests it conducts are accredited

For those testing services provided by a laboratory that are not listed in its scope of accreditation HKAS has not assessed them and therefore has no information on whether the laboratory is competent to perform those tests It could be misleading to say that a test is performed by an accredited laboratory if such a test is outside the laboratoryrsquos scope of accreditation You are therefore advised to be cautious when claiming the accreditation status of a laboratory for certain tests If in doubt please clarify with the laboratory or HKAS

How to select a laboratory for the testing service you need

W hen looking for a laboratory to perform a test of your interest HKAS recommends you choose a HOKLAS accredited laboratory and check with it whether

1 the test is covered in its scope of accreditation 2 the test matches with your needs eg Can the method be used for testing your sample Can the

method detect the substance at the level you want

If the laboratory is using an accredited method to conduct the test for you it should be able to issue a HOKLAS endorsed test report It is therefore always advisable to ask for a HOKLAS endorsed test report ie a report bearing the HKAS accreditation symbol

The most up-to-date scope of accreditation of HOKLAS accredited laboratories can be found on our website (httpwwwitcgovhkenqualityhkasaccrorghtm) If you have queries on whether the accredited test method used by a laboratory suits your need please consult the laboratory for clarification You may also contact HKAS for further information regarding the scope of accreditation of a laboratory

For more information on accredited services and HOKLAS endorsed report please visit our lsquoFrequently Asked Questionsrsquo httpwwwitcgovhkenqualityhkasfaqhtm


Celebration of

HKASrsquo MLA Extended to GHG Validation and Verification

T he Pacific Accreditation Cooperation (PAC) extended its scope of Multilateral Recognition Arrangement (MLA) to Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Validation and Verification in 2012

Hong Kong Accreditation Service (HKAS) applied to join the MLA for GHG validation and verification in February 2014 The initial evaluation of GHG validation and verification and re-evaluation of QMS EMS and Product certifications took place in November 2014 The evaluation went smoothly and the evaluation report was deliberated at the MLA Group meeting in Colombo Sri Lanka in June 2015 On 17 June 2015 the HKAS Executive Administrator signed the MLA for GHG validation and verification and HKAS became the fifth PAC MLA signatory in GHG The other four signatories are TAF (Chinese Taipei) JAB (Japan) ema (Mexico) and ANSI (USA)

the World Metrology Day the World Accreditation Day and the World Standards Day 2015 in Hong Kong

M etrology accreditation and standards are the three pillars of the quality infrastructure To raise public awareness of the importance of these

three pillars to our daily lives trade and healthcare Hong Kong Accreditation Service (HKAS) Standards and Calibration Laboratory (SCL) and Product Standards Information Bureau (PSIB) of the Innovation and Technology Commission (ITC) of the Hong Kong SAR Government the Hong Kong Council for Testing and Certification (HKCTC) and the Government Laboratory (GL) jointly organised a seminar to celebrate the World Metrology Day (WMD) the World Accreditation Day (WAD) and the World Standards Day (WSD) on 29 May 2015

The Government had long recognised the importance of metrology accreditation and standards to the economy of Hong Kong Mr Johann Wong Deputy Commissioner for Innovation and Technology ITC mentioned in his welcoming remarks that the Government rolled out

accreditation and SI-traceable calibration services as early as mid-1980s Over the years a wide range of high quality accreditation and calibration services have been developed to meet the many different needs of the industry and the community

Dr Della Sin Government Chemist GL delivered the opening remarks by introducing the quality infrastructure ie accreditation metrology and standards and their significance in supporting free trade and commerce public health and safety as well as upholding law and order She also briefed the audience on the efforts made by GL in building up a local scientific infrastructure for supporting international measurement equivalence in the field of metrology in chemistry and in fulfilling its obligations as a designated institute by disseminating traceability to local laboratories through its certified reference material production and proficiency testing programmes


The themes of WMD WAD and WSD this year lie in different facets of our lives yet they merge into a common goal ndash better human lives

WMD 2015 Measurements and Light WAD 2015 Accreditation Supporting the Delivery of Health and Social Care WSD 2015 Standards - the Worlds Common Language

Dr Robert Kaarls Former Secretary of CIPM Mr Randy Dougherty Chairman and President of IAF

The theme of this year rsquos WMD is lsquoMeasurement and Lightrsquo which was chosen to align with the UN International Year of Light and light-based technologies 2015 a global initiative designed to highlight the key role light and optical technologies play in our lives and for the sustainable development of the society we live in Dr Robert Kaarls the former Secretary of the International Committee for Weights and Measures (CIPM) briefed that in view of the global trends towards sustainable economy increased competitiveness and innovation there is a growing demand for traceable and comparable measurements in all fields He introduced the seven SI base units and the planned redefinition of them by the 26th General Conference on Weights and Measues (CGPM) in 2018 In the healthcare regime Dr Kaarls illustrated the need of traceability of clinical diagnostic and microbial examination results for reliable and meaningful comparison across the world He also introduced the role of the Joint Committee on Traceability in Laboratory Medicine (JCTLM) in providing a worldwide platform to promote and give guidance on internationally recognised and accepted equivalence of measurements in laboratory medicine and traceability to appropriate measurement standards as well as the JCTLM database of reference materials for in vitro diagnostic measurements

Internat ional Accreditat ion Forum (IAF) and the International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC) are central bodies for harmonising conformity assessment best practice and supporting world trade by eliminating technical barriers The Chairman and President of the IAF Mr Randy Dougherty emphasised the importance of IAF Mul t i la tera l Recogni t ion Arrangement (MLA) and ILAC Mutual Recognition Arrangement (MRA) in providing global recognition of accreditation and maintaining confidence in accredited conformity assessment results leading to their worldwide acceptance He further explained how the ISO Committee on Conformity Assessment (CASCO) set of international standards laid the foundation for the recognition and acceptance process Using vivid examples Mr Dougherty demonstrated how accreditation provides assurance and confidence in the provision of medical testing and product certification services

Mr Dennis Chew Regional Director of IEC-Asia Pacific Regional Centre


With a symbol signifying standby power as stipulated in IEC 60417-5009 Mr Dennis Chew the Regional Director of the International Electrotechnical Commission Asia-Pacific Regional Centre (IEC-APRC) explained how standards serve as a common language for the world to communicate Standards set out common rules and parameters so that people products parts etc can work with each other IEC is a non-profit making organisation founded in 1906 and is the leading global organisation that publishes consensus-based International Standards and manages conformity assessment systems for electr ic and electronic products systems and services The products covered by IEC Standards are diverse ranging from systems for electricity generation and supply home appliances to electric cables and wires Standards build acceptance of products in the global market improve product safety and performance save time and money and much more Mr Chew also introduced the IEC Conformity Assessment (CA) Systems the third party CA systems administered by IEC The systems including the IECEE (System for Conformity Testing and Certification of Electrotechnical Equipment and Components) assess if electrical and electronic components equipment and systems meet IEC International Standards The IEC CA Systems collectively bring together thousands of testing laboratories which have issued over 1 million certificates that are accepted and used by most countr ies worldwide ensuring performance and interoperability of relevant products creating a level playing field for all participants and facilitating world trade

Mr W W Wong Executive Administrator of HKAS

Mr W W Wong Executive Administrator of HKAS was pleased to announce that this year is the 30th anniversary of HKAS He took the opportunity to lead the audience through the HOKLAS and history of HKAS as well as its major achievements so far Echoed with the theme of the WAD this year Mr Wong showcased the accreditation services provided by HKAS in support of the delivery of health and social care including

accreditation of medical laboratories and certification of organisations providing Residential Care Home for the Elderly (RCHE) management system certification

Dr Y C Yip Senior Chemist of GL introduced the Metrology-in-Chemistry activities undertaken by GL at both the CIPM Consultative Committee for Amount of Substance ndash Metrology in Chemistry and Biology (CCQM) and the Asia Pacific Metrology Programme (APMP) levels He also shared GLrsquos experience in the organisation of proficiency testing programmes particularly those involving metrologically traceable reference values and reference material production

Light can be more powerful than one can imagine Mr Y K Yan Senior Electronics Engineer of SCL showed the science of light its application in modern technologies and in measurements He also introduced the work of SCL in maintaining the physical measurement standards for Hong Kong

Last but not least Professor Annie Cheung President o f the Hong Kong Col lege of Patho log is ts ndash a strong supporter and partner of HKAS in its medical accreditation programme shared with the participants the role of her College in supporting accreditation of local medical laboratories She also explained in detail the responsibilities and significance of the role of pathologists in ensuring the reliability of medical testing results and service

The event was a great success Over 200 local practitioners joined this celebration and enjoyed the very informative seminar that morning

Seminar Celebrating the WMD WAD and WSD 2015 in Hong Kong (from left to right Mr Y C Yip Dr Della Sin Mr Dennis Chew Mr Randy Dougherty Mr Johann Wong Prof Vivian Yam Dr Robert Kaarls Mr W W Wong Mr Y K Yan)



The 2nd Joint Asia Pacific Laboratory Accreditation Coopera t ion (APLAC)-Pac i f i c Accred i ta t ion Cooperation (PAC) Meetings were held in Colombo

Sri Lanka from 13 to 19 June 2015 At the meetings PAC also celebrated its 20th anniversary Three representatives from Hong Kong Accreditation Service (HKAS) participated in the meetings Before the General Assembly APLACPAC committees met to discuss international development and their future plans Two important standards to the conformity assessment community viz ISOIEC 17011 and ISOIEC 17025 are now under revision both are expected to be published in 2016 or 2017 These revisions called for much preparation from both the accreditation bodies and the conformity assessment bodies There had been discussion on using risk approach to identifying areas of improvement for both accreditation bodies and conformity assessment bodies More flexibility would also be introduced into the design of the accreditation cycle and the concept of other assessment mechanisms such as in-office assessment activities witnessing proficiency testing etc

This event also concluded the acceptance of new signatories to the mutual recognition arrangement (MRA) of APLAC and multilateral recognition arrangement (MLA) of PAC as well as approved the continuation of the MRAMLA status of all the accreditation bodies undergoing re-evaluations

APLAC MRA partners having their signatory status extended include Standards Malaysia for inspection Bangladesh Accreditation Board (BAB) for calibration Bureau of Laboratory Quality Standards (BLQS) from Thailand for reference material producers Bureau of Laboratory Accreditation Department of Science Service (BLA-DSS) also from Thailand and International Accreditation New Zealand (IANZ) both for reference material producers and proficiency testing providers More applications for joining the APLAC family had been received and a number of members also applied for extension of their mutual recognition scope to cover accreditation of reference material producers and proficiency testing providers

For PAC HKASrsquo accreditation programme for Greenhouse Gas (GHG) validation and verification bodies was admitted to the MLA of PAC at this meeting Other MLA signatories of PAC having their mutual recognition scope extended include International Accreditation Service (IAS) from US for Quality Management System and Environmental Management System and National Accreditation Board for Certification Bodies (NACAB) from India for Information Security Management System

The Second Joint

APLAC and PAC Meetings in Colombo Sri Lanka

Hong Kong Accreditation Service was accepted to the PAC Mult i lateral Recogni t ion Arrangement (MLA) for accreditation of GHG verificationvalidation bodies


HKAS Arrangement for Implementation of ILAC-R7052015

lsquoRules for the Use of the ILAC MRA Markrsquo 1 Introduction

The International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC) has published an updated version of

ILAC-R7052015 lsquoRules for the Use of the ILAC MRA Markrsquo covering the use of the Accredited CAB

Combined ILAC MRA Mark

Major changes of the document are listed below

(a) It is not necessary for an accredited laboratory to sign a sub-license agreement with the accreditation

body before it is granted the permission to use the Accredited CAB Combined ILAC MRA Mark and

(b) Accredited inspection bodies are also eligible to apply for using the Accredited CAB Combined ILAC

MRA Mark

2 Application for using the Accredited CAB Combined ILAC MRA Mark

HKAS has revised the terms and conditions for using the Accredited CAB Combined ILAC MRA Mark by

accredited laboratories in HOKLAS SC-41 To establish the terms and conditions for using the Accredited CAB

Combined ILAC MRA Mark by accredited inspection bodies HKAS has also published a new HKIAS SC-06

Any accredited laboratory or inspection body wishing to apply for using the Accredited CAB Combined ILAC

MRA Mark shall submit an application form (ie HOKLAS 024 for laboratories and HKIAS 015 for inspection

bodies) to HKAS Executive for approval

Upon approval HKAS Executive will provide the Accredited CAB Combined ILAC MRA Mark to the

applicant

3 Arrangement for laboratories which have signed sub-license agreements with HKAS

Upon signing a new agreement with ILAC by HKAS in June 2015 the previous Sub-license Agreements

with HKAS are no longer in force Those laboratories have been reminded to stop referring to the MRA Mark

as the ILAC Laboratory Combined MRA Mark and encouraged to submit an application to HKAS Executive

for using the Accredited CAB Combined ILAC MRA Mark

HKAS co-organised a technical workshop on lsquoFood Testing Quality Assurance and Method Validationrsquo with the Government Laboratory on

15 January 2015 The objective of this workshop is to provide a platform for technical exchange on current developments in the field of analytical chemistry includ shying the control of food safety worldwide essential quality assurance practices and approaches to method validation and measurement uncertainty estimation


The workshop was provided to staff of accredited laboratories as well as technical assessors from different areas involving chemical testing We had the pleasure to invite Mr Michael Walker the Consultant Science Manager of the LGC Government Chemist Programme as one of the speakers at this workshop He first talked about the current developments in regulatory controls and testing methodologies for food safety sharing with the participants interesting cases he encountered as a public analyst of the United Kingdom In the second presentation he shared his insight and discussed the challenges on how to assure the quality of analytical results Besides Mr Walker two Chemists

Mr Michael Walker

Speakers at the workshop (From left to right) Dr Lo Man-fung Mr Edmund Tse Mr Michael Walker Dr Chan Kwok-chu and Ms Ida Chan

from Government Laboratory and two HKAS officers also offered four very informative presentations to the participants Dr Chan Kwok-chu talked about test methods for edible oil a hot topic in the field of food testing recently and Dr Lo Man-fung provided some practical ideas and examples on how to design method validation and verification studies On the other hand Ms Ida Chan shared some useful tips on how to select suitable reference materials in the laboratory while Mr Edmund Tse talked about some recent trends and approaches to measurement uncertainty estimation The workshop was well-attended by about 70 participants and most of them had found the workshop interesting and practical


Closer cooperation between HKAS and TAF


Hong Kong Accreditation S e r v i c e ( H K A S ) and the Taiwan Accreditation Foundation (TAF) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU)

in June 2015 This MoU is for closer cooperation between the two accreditation bodies including issues on developing new accreditation programmes sharing experiences in accreditation enhancing technical support and training opportunities The two accreditation bodies agreed to meet at least annually for information exchanges and experience sharing

HKAS and TAF for closer cooperation on accreditation issues

I SO 50003 2014 ldquoEnergy management systems - Requirements for bodies providing audit and certification of energy management systemsrdquo was

published on 15 October 2014 This International Standard is intended to be used in conjunction with ISOIEC 17021 2011 for accreditation of EnMS certification bodies In accordance with the resolution of the International Accreditation Forum the deadline for accredited certification bodies to conform to ISO 50003 2014 is 14 October 2017

HKAS accepts applications for accreditation of EnMS certification based on ISOIEC 17021 2011 in conjunction with ISO 50003 2014 Applications


for accreditation of such certification based on ISO IEC 17021 2011 alone will not be accepted after 14 October 2015

Transition arrangements for accredited EnMS cer t i f i ca t ion bodies are deta i led in ldquoHKAS arrangements for implementation of ISO 50003 2014 for accreditation of certification bodies for energy management systems certificationrdquo which can be downloaded from HKAS website Should you have any query please contact Dr Kwok Moon-keung at 2829 4846

M r So was seconded to HKAS as Senior Accreditation Officer on 10 July 2015 from Geotechnical Engineering Office of Civil Engineering and Development Department Prior to

secondment to HKAS Mr So had worked in civil engineering and development for more than 28 years in which over 7 years in the Public Works Laboratories Mr So holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Geology from the University of Aberdeen (UK) Master of Philosophy degree in Earth Sciences from the University of Hong Kong and Master of Science degree in Geomatics (Geographic Information Systems) from the Hong Kong Polytechnic University Mr So is a Chartered Geologist and a professional member of the Institute of Materials Minerals and Mining (UK) He is also a fellow of the Geological Society of London and the Gemmological Association of Great Britain In HKAS Mr So is involved in accreditation of testing laboratory certification body and inspection body under the category of lsquoConstruction Materialsrsquo

Email anthonysoitcgovhk Tel (+852) 2829 4870


Change in thenumbering system for assigning registration numbers for HOKLAS accredited proficiency testing providers (PTP) and reference material producers (RMP)

H KAS has recently revised the numbering system for assigning registration numbers for accredited proficiency testing providers

(PTP) and reference material producers (RMP) under HOKLAS

A three-digit number with lsquoHOKLASrsquo as prefix replaces the former registration number assigned to accredited PTP and RMP (ie PTP 00X and RMP 00X) Examples of revised accreditation symbols for PTP and RMP are illustrated below

The accredited activities are shown as identification codes in the accreditation symbol For details on the format and use of accreditation symbols please refer to the latest version of HKAS SC-01 available at HKAS website (wwwhkasgovhk)

The new numbering system came into effect on 26 February 2015 Accredited PTP or RMP having the former registration numbers have either consolidated all accredited activities under one registration number or been given a new registration number

Accredited proficiency testing providers

Name of Conformity Assessment Body

Former registration number

Updated registration number (wef 26 Feb 2015)

Government Laboratory ndash Analytical and Advisory Services Division PTP 001 HOKLAS 001

Department of Health ndash Centre for Health Protection Public Health Laboratory Services Branch Virology Division

PTP 002 HOKLAS 801P

Hong Kong Institute of Medical Laboratory Sciences ndash Quality Assurance Programme Limited

PTP 003 HOKLAS 247

Hospital Authority ndash Hong Kong Red Cross Blood Transfusion Service PTP 004 HOKLAS 816P

Accredited reference material producer Name of Conformity Assessment Body



Government Laboratory ndash Analytical and Advisory Services Division RMP 001 HOKLAS 001

Accredited PTP and RMP shall use the updated registration numbers for all new documents and promotional materials from 26 February 2015 Any pre-printed documents bearing the former registration numbers of the accredited PTP and RMP may be used until 26 February 2017 Certificates of reference materials produced and certified before 26 February 2015 are not affected


Hong Kong Accreditation Service (HKAS) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the


HKAS and GAC MoU Signing Ceremony Mr W W Wong (right) and His Excellency Nabil bin Ameen Molla (left)

Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf (GCC) Accreditation Centre (GAC) on 9 January 2015

The MoU strengthens cooperation between the HKAS and GAC in the field of accreditation It provides a framework for both parties to cooperate in the following areas

a assessment of conformity assessment bodies

b attendance of seminars and training courses organised by each other

c arrangement for conformity assessment bodiesrsquo participation in proficiency testing programmes organised by each other

d exchange of experience and technical information on accreditation and

e introduction of technical experts to each other

The signing ceremony took place after the APLAC Extraordinary General Assembly held in Hong Kong Mr W W Wong Executive Administrator of HKAS and Director General His Excellency Nabil bin Ameen Molla of the GAC represented the two parties

I n c o l l a b o r a t i o n w i t h t h e G A C a n d t h e G C C Standardization Organization (GSO) HKAS organised two hal f-day seminars on GCC Standardizat ion Organization Technical Regulations on Conformity Assessment for toys and low voltage electrical products on 12 and 13 January 2015 HKAS also offered a one-week attachment for three representatives of the GAC and GSO for technical exchange and experience sharing on 19-23 January 2015

Attachment of GAC and GSO staff to HKAS


Assessor Seminar 2015

Honourable guests and speakers at the Assessor Seminar (From left to right) Mr Dennis Lee Mr W W Wong Mr Vincent Tang Prof Vivian Yam and Ir Julian Lee

Question and answer session with HKAS Executive


E very year Hong Kong Accreditation Service (HKAS) organises the Assessor and Lead Assessor Seminars to update

our assessors of the development of our services as well as to promote exchange of experience and harmonisation of practices re la ted to accred i ta t ion assessments The seminar of this year was held on 3 March at the Macro Polo Hongkong Hotel A total of 187 part icipants attended the morning session for technical assessors and experts while 36 joined the afternoon session for lead assessors

Participants at one of the group discussion sessions

The Assessor Seminar in the morning commenced with a presentation delivered by Mr W W Wong the Executive Administrator of HKAS who gave an overview Lead Assessor Seminar of HKASrsquo current operation and an update on different accreditation programmes He also shared the results of last yearrsquos survey on HKAS services and post-assessment questionnaires highlighting the high degree of satisfaction on the performance of our assessors

Afterwards two speakers were invited to talk about two interesting topics We had Mr Dennis Lee Head of the Standard and Calibration Laboratory (SCL) who shared with the participants the importance of s tandard isat ion and conformi ty assessment infrastructure for the society and the significant role of SCL in this aspect We also had Ir Julian Lee Manager ndash Research of the Construction Industry Council who talked about their carbon labell ing schemes for construction materials and i ts impact on the sustainability of the building industry Many participants had found the presentations very informative and inspiring

The Assessor Seminar is also a great opportunity for HKAS to thank and recognise the dedicated services of our assessors This year certificates of appreciation were awarded to 12 technical assessors who have conducted more than 50 100 and 150 days of assessment for HKAS In addition we invited Professor Vivian Yam the Chairman of the Accreditation Advisory Board of HKAS to present certificates to 17 newly accredited organisations over the last 12 months

Immediately fol lowing the talks were concurrent discussion sessions where assessors and experts from different technical areas were split into five groups to discuss more in-depth technical issues relating to their specialised disciplines Different topics were covered

at these sessions including the harmonisation of assessment practices update of important publications and sharing of experience when conducting assessment visits among assessors

In the afternoon the Lead Assessor Seminar was held for external lead assessors as well as HKASrsquo officers In this session a representative from the Independent Commission Against Corruption was invited to talk about the code of conduct for leading assessments After that major changes in HKAS accreditation procedures over the past year were discussed and participants were invited to share their view on different situations that might be encountered during an assessment visit External lead assessors had actively provided their inputs and the discussions had been very fruitful

List of assessors receiving the certificate of appreciation

Award Name

Certificate of Appreciation for over 150 assessment days

YIM Chi-keung SHIU Chi-yan CHAN Wai-pong Helen WU Wai-yin

Certificate of Appreciation for CHEUNG Wai-yuen over 100 assessment days CHENG Kok-choi

LAU Kam-wing FAN Ping-piu


Joe CHAN Siu-chung YUK Kei-woon YAN Yui-kuen CHUNG Kim-chun


of HOKLAS Supplementary Criteria

UPDATES S everal HOKLAS Supplementary Criteria have been revised recently All accredited organisations under HOKLAS

are advised to study these supplementary criteria carefully and revise and implement the changes according to the timeline

HOKLAS SC-02 All Test Categories ndash Equipment Calibration and Verification

In this issue of HOKLAS SC-02 the mandatory requirements in accordance with ILAC-P10 ndash ILAC Policy on the Traceability of Measurement Results were included and HKAS policy for traceability in calibration testing and reference materials and certified reference materials were clearly described The appendices which have listed the recommendations for calibration or verification of equipment for different test categories were elaborated Appendix B and Appendix G on calibration requirements for equipment related to electrical and electronic products testing are now merged and listed in Appendix B Calibration requirements for medical and biological testing can be found in Appendix G This document was issued on 30 April 2015 and the implementation date was on 1 August 2015

HOKLAS SC-33 Accreditation Regulations Specific for HOKLAS ndash Laboratory HOKLAS SC-34 Accreditation Regulations Specific for HOKLAS ndash Proficiency Testing Providers HOKLAS SC-39 Accreditation Regulations Specific for HOKLAS ndash Reference Material Producers

These three supplementary criteria are general regulations for CAB under HOKLAS They have been revised recently and the new issues were published on 8 May 2015 Noticeable changes are

1 The effective date of voluntaryimposed suspension and the maximum time frame allowed for reinstatement of accreditation are further elaborated

2 Statements for claiming accreditation status in the reports and certificates issued by accredited CABs are revised Identification codes of accredited activities ie CAL TEST MED etc following the registration number are removed Accredited CABs are expected to adopt the updated statements as soon as practicable For those CABs that have the statement preprinted on reportcertificate paper these preprinted materials can be used until 7 May 2017 For new printing order after 8 May 2015 the updated statement shall be used

HKAS News Issue No57 - 19HKAS News Issue No57 - 19


Apart from the above updates other changes in HOKLAS SC-34 and SC-39 are

HOKLAS SC-34

a If the expected results of proficiency testing items were solely derived by the proficiency testing provider there shall be evidence that personnel involved in deriving the expected results have obtained satisfactory results from independent proficiency testing activities

b An accredited proficiency testing provider may claim its accreditation status in a proficiency testing report of an accredited scheme by including the statement described in 52 (b) of the supplementary criteria but such a report is not considered as a HOKLAS endorsed proficiency testing report as it does not bear the HOKLAS accreditation symbol

c Where signatures other than the approved signatory appear on a HOKLAS endorsed proficiency testing report the capacity of the additional person who signed (eg reviewer) shall appear on the report

HOKLAS SC-39

a A subcontractor of testing andor calibration activities used during reference material production shall be accredited by HKAS or an accreditation body recognised by HKAS under a mutual recognition arrangement with its scope of accreditation covering the specific tests andor calibrations performed Otherwise HKAS shall assess the competence of the subcontractor through on-site visits

b Accreditation status may be claimed in a reference material certificate or documentation for internal use using the statement described in 52 (b) of the supplementary criteria alone Such claim without displaying the accreditation symbol is subject to prior written agreement by HKAS Executive In addition such a document without the HOKLAS accreditation symbol is not considered as a HOKLAS endorsed certificate or documentation

c Where signatures other than the approved signatory appear on a HOKLAS endorsed certificate or documentation the capacity of the additional person who signed (such as his capacity as a reviewer) shall appear on the report

d The scope of accreditation of a reference material producer for reference materials with numerical property values except for those with identity and ordinal property values include the range of the assigned values and for certified reference material the associated uncertainty of measurement (UCRM) Those reference materials with assigned property values and their associated uncertainty falling within those listed in the scope of accreditation of a reference material producer are considered covered by HOKLAS accreditation Any property value of a reference material that is outside the scope of accreditation or an uncertainty of a property value that is less than or better than that stated in the scope of accreditation cannot be included in a HOKLAS endorsed certificate or documentation without prior written approval from HKAS Executive

These latest supplementary criteria can be downloaded from HKAS website under HOKLAS Publications


Hong Kong Accreditation Service (HKAS) and Civil Engineering and Development Department (CEDD) co-organised the lsquoWorkshop on Experience Sharing

in the Development of Physical Tests in CS3 2013rsquo on 6 March 2015 This workshop aimed to support the implementation of the lsquoConstruction Standard CS3 2013 ndash Aggregates for Concretersquo (CS3) to construction testing industry

The first session of the workshop was a background review of CS3 presented by Mr Wong Hiu Dan Engineer of Public Works Central Laboratory (PWCL) of CEDD Mr Wong also introduced briefly the physical tests of aggregates in CS3 to participants In the second session Mr Ryan Chi Chi Yung Assistant Engineer of PWCL of CEDD highlighted the specifications of each physical test and shared with participants the technical requirements of equipment specified in the standard In his presentation Mr Chi also focused on the details of the three tests ndash determination of methylene blue value determination of drying shrinkage and determination of effect of organic substance by mortar method ndash newly implemented for aggregates In the laboratory visit of PWCL Mr Andy Tam Siu Wa Principal Technical Officer of PWCL of CEDD led a technical team to demonstrate the three new aggregate tests in accordance with CS3 to participants

The workshop ended by a question and answer session which provided a platform for speakers and participants to share their experience of aggregates testing More than 60 participants attended the workshop Positive feedback was received and most of them found the seminar very practical and useful

For enqui r ies about our accredi ta t ion programme in construction materials testing of aggregates you are most welcome to contact our Senior Accreditation Officer Ir Samson Wong (tel 28294812 email samson wongitcgovhk) or Mr Anthony So (tel 28294870 email anthonysoitcgovhk)

Group photo of speakers and CEDD representatives


Demonstration of physical tests of aggregate at PCWL of CEDD

Interaction between speakers and participants in the workshop


International Accreditation Forum (IAF) and International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC)

Mid-Term Meetings 2015 The IAF-ILAC Mid-Term Meetings is an annual event jointly organised by International Accreditation

Forum (IAF) and International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC) between the IAFILAC Annual General Assembly Meetings Same as last year this yearrsquos mid-term meetings were held

in Frankfurt Germany from 9 to 13 April 2015 The event consisted of a series of meetings including task forces working groups and committees meetings Matters relating to accreditation of laboratories certification bodies and inspection bodies were discussed

The following are issues covered in the meetings that may be of interest to readers

ILAC

ISOIEC17011 is being revised by ISOCASCO Working Group (WG) 42 Two meetings have been conducted so far (November 2014 and February 2015) and the next meeting was scheduled for May 2015 WG42 has reviewed numerous documents and prepared a working draft for discussion in the coming meeting

ISOIEC17025 is being revised by ISOCASCO WG44 The first meeting of ISOCASCO WG44 was held in Geneva on 10-12 February 2015 A draft International Standard (DIS) is expected by February 2016 final draft International Standard (FDIS) by September 2016 and publication of the revised Standard in mid-2017 The format of the new document will follow the new structure based on the ISO CASCO template (which is in line with ISO 170202012)

In preparation for the future revision of ILAC G8032009 Guidelines on the Reporting of Compliance with Specification a workshop was conducted during the AIC meeting The 2008 edition of the GUM Evaluation of measurement data mdash Guide to the expression of uncertainty in measurement is under revision The revision may

ILAC Accreditation Committee (AIC) and Proficiency Testing Working Group (PTWG)

have a significant impact on ILAC G8 In summary the ldquonewrdquo GUM allows for reporting in four different formats ndash (1) assuming no particular probability density function (PDF) (2) assuming symmetric PDF (3) assuming Gaussian PDF or (4) on the basis of a state-of-knowledge PDF It is noted that EA ILAC OIML Eurachem Eurolab and ISO all have documents that refer to the fundamentals within the current GUM and therefore will need revision Apart from the GUM the workshop also recommended referring to JCGM 1062012 Evaluation of measurement data ndash The role of measurement uncertainty in conformity assessment in the future revision of ILAC G8

The process to convert ISO Guide 34 to an international standard (ISO 17034 Conformity assessment - General requirements for the competence of reference material providers) is underway in ISOCASCO Joint WG43

A new version of ISO13528 Statistical methods for use in proficiency testing by interlaboratory comparisons has just been published Training on the new standard is underway eg through EURACHEM training workshop


ILAC Inspection Committee (IC)

Report from WG1 Regarding ILAC P15062014 Application of ISOIEC 170202012 for the Accreditation of Inspection Bodies Clause 813 WG1 came up with a decision to revise the guidance document about Options A and B

Report from WG3 Drafting of a guidance document Guideline for the Formulation of Scopes of Accreditation for Inspection Bodies is in progress

Report from WG4 Drafting of a guidance document Guidance on measurements performed as part of an inspection process is in progress

IAF

The Working Group (WG) on Management System Certification (ISOIEC 17021) has spent significant time on the discussion papers submitted by different stakeholders including papers on Window Period between Certification Transition to ISO 9001 2015 and IAF MD5 ndash Duration of QMS and EMS Audits The WG suggested that the use of Informative Document (ID) for transition could cause consistency issues and that in the future perhaps Mandatory Document (MD) should be considered

The WG on Food (ISO 22000) reported that revision of ISO 22000 was in progress and the second working draft was expected to be published by June 2015 The 30-day comment period for the lsquoExpected Outcomesrsquo document for Accredited Certification to ISO 22000 ended on 4 April 2015

The WG on Greenhouse Gases (ISO 14065) and Energy requested a new working project to evaluate the potential need for IAF guidance on the application of ISO 50003 and the application of ISOIEC 17011

T h e WG o n I n fo r m at i o n S e c u r i t y Management System (ISMS ISO 27001) MLA Scope proposed a 2-year transition period for implementation of ISOIEC 27006 2015 A resolution will be drafted for endorsement by the

IAF General Assembly (GA) to be held in October 2015 The WG has decided not to develop an ID for transition of ISOIEC 27006

T h e Jo i n t W G ( J W G ) t o I m p r ove Accreditation Bodies Consistency discussed the results of two surveys conducted previously Major issues identified included the lack of process for IAF to gather information about inconsistencies in practice among different accreditation bodies (ABs) lack of knowledge sharing and missing of governance process to deal with inconsistencies To align the practice of different accreditation bodies the JWG suggested creating a forum to proactively ident i fy and discuss potent ia l consistency issues for upcoming standards and to bring the inconsistencies to ISOCASCO WGs for discussion at an early stage of drafting any revised standards

The Task Force (TF) on Principles for Determining Duration of Accreditation Body Assessments reported that a survey to collect information of exist ing processes and principles of ABs in office assessment is in progress

The TF on OHSAS 18001 transitions to ISO 45001 reported that the drafting of ISO 45001 has not yet progressed to DIS stage Nevertheless the TF is preparing an ID on the migration of accredited certifications from OHSAS 18001 to ISO 45001


Issue of Notification Letters

F rom t ime to t ime an appl icantaccredited conformity assessment body (CAB) may request for the issue of a notification letter while some

of its corrective actions have not been completed In general a notification letter will be issued to grant accreditation to the applicant CAB only if corrective actions for significant nonconformities and action plans for minor nonconformities have been completed to the satisfaction of HKAS Executive (hereinafter simplified as lsquocorrective actions satisfactorily completedrsquo) To avoid any misunderstanding HKAS Executive would like to reiterate its policy on the issue of notification letters as follows

Initial assessment a A notification letter will be issued if corrective actions

have been satisfactorily completed If a follow-up visit is needed to verify effective implementation of corrective actions the notification letter will be issued upon completion of the follow-up visit

b If there are more than one test categories inspection fields or certification services in the application for accreditation a separate notification letter may be issued for each test category inspection field or certification service

Application for extension of scope of accreditation c An application for extension of scope of accreditation

in each test categoryinspection fieldcertification service will attract a single application fee as per the fee schedule of the respective scheme The application in each test categoryinspection field certification service received will be processed as a whole When it is confirmed by HKAS Executive that all the conformity assessment activities under this application have met the relevant accreditation criteria a notification letter will be issued A request for issuing a notification letter granting accreditation to only part of the conformity assessment activities under each application will normally not be entertained

d In case an applicant wishes HKAS Executive to grant accreditation to part of the scope for which accreditation is sought the applicant has to withdraw other parts of the scope from that application A notification letter will be issued granting accreditation to that part of the scope as requested by the applicant on the condition that HKAS Executive has confirmed that relevant accreditation criteria had been met

e If the applicant wishes to continue to apply for accreditation for the remaining part of the scope of


application not covered by the notification letter issued it has to apply again for those activities HKAS Executive will take into account the assessment findings under the previous application and an on-site assessment may not be required If another assessment is considered not required then relevant findings of the previous assessment will be taken as assessment findings for the new application

Reassessment f In general one notification letter will be issued upon

satisfactory completion of corrective actions

g If there are more than one test categories inspection fields or certification services involved in the reassessment separate notification letters may be issued for each test category inspection field or certification service

h If the assessment covered both accredited activities and new activities in the scope of accreditation sought a separate notification letter may be issued to continue the accreditation for the accredited activities

Surveillance visit i No notification letter will be issued upon completion of a

surveillance visit under HOKLAS or HKIAS

j For HKCAS a notification letter will be issued to maintain accreditation of the CAB upon satisfactory completion of corrective actions

Change of approved personnel under HOKLAS and HKIAS k Where there is any change to the list of approved

signatories andor approved operators under HOKLAS or the list of approved inspectors under HKIAS a notification letter will be issued upon completion of document review or assessmentsurveillance visit

Suspension or termination of accredited activities l A notification letter will be issued to confirm suspension

or termination of accreditation for accredited activities upon completion of document review or assessment surveillance visit

Reinstatement of accreditation m An accredited CAB may request for reinstatement of

the accreditation for part of its suspended activities A notification letter will be issued to reinstate those activities upon completion of the assessment visit and where applicable upon satisfactory completion of corrective actions

Launching of the Public Sector Assurance website

Anew website ldquoPublic Sector Assurancerdquo jointly produced by IAFILACISOIIOCIEC was officially launched in June 2015 (httppublicsectorassuranceorg) The Public Sector

Assurance showcases how accredited conformity assessment is used around the world by central government local government and regulators to deliver positive benefit To illustrate the value of conformity assessment case studies from around the world in key policy areas show how different tools help government officials and regulators deliver results This is backed up with research confirming this success and supporting information to delve deeper As a start case studies have been collected under eleven specific sectors including construction crime and security economic development efficient delivery of public services energy environmental protection food safety and agriculture health and safety healthcare products and services and trade The requirement of the Hong Kong Housing Authority to use specified building materials certified by accredited certification bodies in its construction projects and the extensive use of management systems standards to deliver better performance in a number of areas is one of the case studies contributed to the construction sector

ISO-IAF-ILAC communiqueacute

In 2007 when the second edition of ISO15189 was published a joint ISO-IAF-ILAC communiqueacute on ISO 15189 accreditation was issued to reflect that medical laboratories accredited to ISO 151892007 do operate a quality management system meeting the principles of ISO90012008 This communique was revised in January 2015 to refer to the 2012 edition of ISO

15189 and a joint press release was issued to announce this The press release was reproduced below

ISO ILAC and IAF streamline quality management requirements for medical laboratories Medical laboratories accredited to ISO 151892012 (a sec- Until now accredited medical laboratories were often tor-specific technical competence and management sys- requested by their customers to undertake the addi shytem standard) are recognized as meeting the management tional step of obtaining certification to ISO 90012008 system principles of ISO 90012008 to demonstrate that they are in full control of their proshy

cesses Medical laboratories accredited to ISO 15189 The move was announced in a joint communiqueacute by ISO have demonstrated that they also meet the management (the International Organization for Standardization) ILAC systems principles of ISO 90012008 Accredited medical (the International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation) laboratories that are included in the scope of a larger or-and the IAF (the International Accreditation Forum) in Sepshy ganizationrsquos certification to ISO 9001 should only need to tember 2009 and updated in January 2015 as a result of be assessed according to ISO 15189 and these results the revision of ISO15189 in 2012 will be accepted as meeting the principles of the manage-

The ISO-IAF-ILAC communiqueacute was issued to address the ment system requirements (ISO 90012008)

misconception in the market that medical laboratories ac- This recognition will improve the efficiency of audits and credited to ISO 151892012 do not operate a recognized enable medical laboratories to better meet their custom-management system ersrsquo needs

on ISO 15189 accreditation


New and Revised HKAS Documents Since the last issue of HKAS News a number of HKAS HOKLAS and HKCAS documents have been revised or newly published These are shown in the following table with their respective dates of implementation The supplementary criteria are mandatory documents and HKAS accredited organisations are advised to study them carefully and adjust their management system andor operation procedures accordingly on or before the implementation dates These documents are available at our website at wwwhkasgovhk

HKAS published document Version Publication Date

Implementation Date

HKAS SC-01 HKAS Supplementary Criteria No 1 Use of HKAS accreditation symbols and claims of accred-itation status Issue 10 Dec-2014 Jan-2015

HKAS SC-06 HKAS Supplementary Criteria No 6 Code of Conduct Issue 3 Apr-2015 Apr-2015

HKCAS 003 Technical Criteria for Accreditation of Management System Certification Bodies (Abridged Ver-sion) 2nd Ed Amd 1 Mar-2015 Mar-2015

HKCAS 005 Application for Certification Body Accreditation Extension of Scope of Accreditation Dec 2014 Dec-2014 Dec-2014

HKCAS 017 Assessment Reassessment Questionnaire (for Food Safety Management System Certification only) Jan 2015 Jan-2015 Jan-2015

HKCAS 018 Assessment Reassessment Questionnaire (for Occupational Health and Safety Management System Certification only) Jan 2015 Jan-2015 Jan-2015

HKCAS 019 Assessment Reassessment Questionnaire (for Information Security Management System Certification only) Dec 2014 Dec-2014 Dec-2014

HKCAS 020-12013 Technical Criteria for Accreditation of Greenhouse Gas Validation and Verification Bodies - Part 1 (ISO 140652013 Greenhouse gases - Requirements for greenhouse gas validation and ver-ification bodies for use in accreditation or other forms of recognitio

1st Ed Amd 1 Mar-2015 Mar-2015

HKCAS SC-08 HKCAS Supplementary Criteria No 8 Accreditation Programme for Information Security Man-agement System (ISMS) Certification Issue 2 Dec-2014 Dec-2014

HKCAS SC-10 HKCAS Supplementary Criteria No 10 Accreditation Programme for Energy Management System (EnMS) Certification (including ISO 50003 2014 as an accreditation requirement) Issue 2 Jun-2015 Jun-2015

HKIAS 006 Schedule of Accreditation Fees for Inspection Bodies within the Hong Kong Special Administra-tive Region May 2015 Apr-2015 Apr-2015

HKIAS SC-01 HKIAS Supplementary Criteria No 1 Consumer Product Inspection Issue 4 Jan-2015 Jan-2015

HOKLAS 006 Schedule of Accreditation Fees for Laboratories within the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Apr 2015 Apr-2015 Apr-2015

HOKLAS 013 Schedule of Accreditation Fees for Laboratories outside of the Hong Kong Special Administra-tive Region Apr 2015 Apr-2015 Apr-2015

HOKLAS 0222015 Technical Criteria for Accreditation of Reference Material Producers (ISO Guide 342009 General requirements for the competence of reference material producers MOD) (Abridged Version)

1st Ed Jun-2015 Jun-2015

HOKLAS SC-02 HOKLAS Supplementary Criteria No 2 All Test Categories - Equipment Calibration and Verifi-cation Issue 7 Apr-2015 Aug-2015

HOKLAS SC-05 HOKLAS Supplementary Criteria No 5 Environmental Testing Test Category - Asbestos Sampling and Testing Issue 6 Dec-2014 Dec-2014

HOKLAS SC-23 HOKLAS Supplementary Criteria No 23 Medical Testing Test Category - Hospital Autopsy Issue 5 Jun-2015 Jun-2015 HOKLAS SC-24 HOKLAS Supplementary Criteria No 24 Medical Testing Test Category - Cytopathology Issue 5 Jun-2015 Jun-2015 HOKLAS SC-25 HOKLAS Supplementary Criteria No 25 Medical Testing Test Category - Histopathology Issue 6 Jun-2015 Jun-2015

HOKLAS SC-27 HOKLAS Supplementary Criteria No 27 Medical Testing Test Category - Clinical Microbiology and Infection Issue 6 Jun-2015 Sep-2015

HOKLAS SC-30 HOKLAS Supplementary Criteria No 30 Medical Testing Test Category - Molecular Genetics Issue 6 Jan-2015 Jan-2015 HOKLAS SC-30 HOKLAS Supplementary Criteria No 30 Medical Testing Test Category - Molecular Genetics Issue 7 Mar-2015 Mar-2015

HOKLAS SC-33 HOKLAS Supplementary Criteria No 33 Accreditation Regulations Specific for HOKLAS - Lab-oratory Issue 4 May-2015 May-2015

HOKLAS SC-34 HOKLAS Supplementary Criteria No 34 Accreditation Regulations Specific for HOKLAS ndash Pro-ficiency Testing Provider Issue 4 May-2015 May-2015

HOKLAS SC-39 HOKLAS Supplementary Criteria No 39 Accreditation Regulations Specific for HOKLAS - Ref-erence Material Producers Issue 3 May-2015 May-2015

HOKLAS SC-42 HOKLAS Supplementary Criteria No 42 Forensic Testing Test Category Issue 3 Jun-2015 Aug-2015

HOKLAS SC-45 HOKLAS Supplementary Criteria No 45 Accreditation Requirements for Hong Kong Testing Laboratories to Undertake Product Testing to China Compulsory Certification System Issue 4 Apr-2015 Apr-2015

HOKLAS SC-45C 實驗所認可計劃補充準則第 45 號 - 中國強制性產品認證制度產品檢測的認可要求第四版 Apr-2015 Apr-2015

HOKLAS SC-49 HOKLAS Supplementary Criteria No 49 Accreditation Requirements for Undertaking Testing Services for Mainland Voluntary Certification Issue 3 Apr-2015 Apr-2015

HOKLAS SC-49C 實驗所認可計劃補充準則第 49 號 - 承擔中國內地自願性認證相關檢測服務的認可要求第三版 Apr-2015 Apr-2015

New publication


Proficiency Testing Updates An update on the proficiency testing programmes organised by HKAS is given below Test Category Programme and Organiser Status

Construction Materials HCM201401 - Building Diagnostic Testing - Infrared thermography for detection of debonds on external walls

Final report was issued on 18 Feb 2015 Ten laboratories participated Results were satisfactory

Food HFD201501 ndash Food Composition Analysis Results being analysed Interim report was issued in end Jul 2015 Nine laboratories participated

Toys and Childrens Prod-ucts HTC201401 - Chromium (VI) Final report was issued on 27 Feb 2015 Twenty-seven laboratories

participated Results were satisfactory

Progress in programmes organised by regional cooperations of accreditation bodies Test Category Programme and Organiser Status

Chemical Testing APLAC T090 ndash Analysis of coal Organised by CNAS China

Final report was issued on 19 Dec 2014 One laboratory participated Results were satisfactory

Electrical and Electronic Product

APLAC T088 ndash Photometric Measurement on Solid State Lighting Products Organised by CNAS China

Final report was issued in Oct 2014 One laboratory participated Results were satisfactory

Environmental Testing

APLAC T092 ndash Trace Elements in Drinking Water (Anions Nitrate and Chloride) Organised by KOLAS South Korea

Final report was issued in Dec 2014 Six laboratories participated All results were satisfactory

APMP-APLAC T095 - Determination of Elements (Calcium and Cadmium) in Drinking Water Jointly organised by NIMJ Japan amp GLHK Hong Kong

Results being analysed Three laboratories participated

APLAC T084 ndash Organochlorine Pesticide Residues in Chicken Fat Organised by BLQS-DMSc Thailand

Final report was issued in Aug 2014 Four laboratories participated All results were satisfactory

APLAC T089- Determination of As Cu Pb and Cd in Laver Organised by CNAS China

Interim report was issued in May 2015 One laboratory participated

Food APMP-APLAC T093 ndash Toxic Elements in Cabbage Jointly organised by KRISS amp KOLAS South Korea

Final report was issued on 30 May 2015 Six laboratories participated Results were satisfactory except for two outlier results from one laboratory Remedial actions submitted from the laboratory with outlier results were being reviewed by HKAS

APMP-APLAC T094 ndash Pesticide Residues in Cabbage Jointly organised by KRISS amp KOLAS South Korea

Interim report was issued in Nov 2014 Three laboratories participated

APMP-APLAC T100 ndash Toxic Elements (Lead and Cadmium) in Wheat Flour Jointly organised by KRISS amp KOLAS South Korea

Samples scheduled for dispatch in Jul 2015 Four laboratories participated

Forensic Testing APLAC T096 ndash Printed Document Examination Organised by CNAS China

Results being analysed One laboratory participated

Accreditation Updates New Accreditation Granted (as at 30 June 2015) Five laboratories and one inspection body have been accredited since the last issue of HKAS News Their names registration numbers and accredited areas are summarised below HKAS wishes to congratulate them on their success in obtaining accreditation

HOKLAS Registration No Name of Conformity Assessment Body Test Category Granted Clientele HOKLAS 245 HCTS Hansecontrol Certification and Testing Services Ltd Toys and Childrens Products Public

HOKLAS 246 Vocational Training Council - Hong Kong Institute of Vocational Education (Tuen Mun) - Testing and Calibration Centre Calibration Services

Vocational Training Council and its Member Institutions

HOKLAS 247 Hong Kong Institute of Medical Laboratory Sciences - Quality Assurance Pro-gramme Limited Proficiency Testing Providers

Local and overseas laborato-ries

HOKLAS 248 Quality Assurance Laboratory Ltd Toys and Childrens Products Public HOKLAS 249 Shenzhen Jianxu Testing Engineering Services Co Ltd Construction Materials Public


HKIAS Registration No Name of Conformity Assessment Body Test Category Granted Type HKIAS 028 The Professional Quality Control System Ltd Consumer Products A

Type A Provides lsquothird partyrsquo inspection service to the public

Accreditation Suspended Voluntary Suspension (as at 30 June 2015) HOKLAS Registration No Name of Conformity Assessment Body Test Category and Test Area Suspended Effective Date

HOKLAS004 CMA Industrial Development Foundation Limited Toys and Childrenrsquos Products Electrical Test 15062015

HOKLAS005 Intertek Testing Services Hong Kong Ltd (Toys and Childrenrsquos Products Food Environmental Testing Miscellaneous Chinese Medicine Pharmaceutical Products) All Microbiological Tests

01032015

HOKLAS009 SGS Hong Kong Limited Physical and Mechanical Testing All tests 15092014

HOKLAS145 Institute for the Advancement of Chinese Medicine (IACM) Ltd

Chinese Medicine - Proprietary Chinese Medicines and Chinese Herbal Medicines (Pesticides residues) - Chinese Materia Medica (Radix Ginseng Radix Panacis Quin-quefolii)

14072014


Chinese Medicine - Toxic Element Analysis 17112014

HOKLAS164 ISPL Consulting Limited ndash Testing Laboratory Construction Materials - Concrete and Concrete Constituent Materials - All tests 11032015

HOKLAS195 ICQ (HK) Limited

Chemical Testing All tests Textiles and Garments All tests Toys and Childrenrsquos Products All tests

28032015

HOKLAS215 Hong Kong Safety Testing and Authentication Limited Food All tests 22062015

Accreditation Terminated Voluntary Termination (1 December 2014 to 30 June 2015)

HOKLAS Registration No Name of Conformity Assessment Body Test Category and Test Area Terminated Effective Date

HOKLAS036 UL VS Hong Kong Limited Electrical and Electronic Products All test 01042015

HOKLAS116 Sun Yick Plastic Products (Shenzhen) Co Ltd ndash General Testing Laboratory

Toys and Childrenrsquos Products All test 08122014

HOKLAS136 Hai Kang Life Corporation Limited Food All tests 08062015

HOKLAS163 Hong Kong Baptist University - Dioxin Analysis Laboratory Food All tests 25062015

HOKLAS828S Molecular Informatrix Laboratory Limited Medical Testing All tests 31032015

Accreditation of all activities of the conformity assessment body is terminated

HKIAS Registration No Name of Conformity Assessment Body Inspection Field

Suspended Effective Date

HKIAS004 The Hong Kong Inspection Company Ltd Consumer Products 31032015



Contents

36F Immigration Tower 7 Gloucester Road Wan Chai Hong Kong

Tel 2829 4840 Fax 2824 1302

Email hkasitcgovhk Website httpwwwhkasgovhk

Every care has been taken to check the accuracy of the information included in this newsletter However HKAS Executive does not guarantee its accuracy and readers should note that if they make use of such information they do so at their own risk The views and opinions in the articles provided by third parties do not reflect those of HKAS Executive

News Issue No 57

Table of Contents 02

30th Anniversary of Hong Kong Accreditation Service 03

HKAS Accreditation Advisory Board Chair Awarded the Bronze Bauhinia Star of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region

05

Accredited laboratories ndash what are they accredited for 06

How to select a laboratory for the testing service you need 06

HKASrsquo MLA Extended to GHG Validation and Verification 07

Celebration of the World Metrology Day the World Accreditation Day and the World Standards Day 2015 in Hong Kong

07

The Second Joint APLAC and PAC Meeting in Colombo Sri Lanka

10

HKAS Arrangement for Implementation of ILAC-R7 lsquoRules for the Use of the ILAC MRA Markrsquo

11


12

Closer Cooperation Between HKAS and TAF 13


14

New HKAS Staff Member 14

Change in the Numbering System for Assigning Registration Numbers for HOKLAS Accredited Proficiency Testing Providers and Reference Material Producers

15


16

Assessor Seminar 2015 17

Updates in HOKLAS Supplementary Criteria 19


21

IAFILAC Mid-Term Meetings 2015 22

Issue of Notification Letters 24

Launching of the Public Sector Assurance website 25

ISO-IAF-ILAC communiqueacute on ISO 15189 Accreditation 25

New and Revised HKAS Documents 26

Proficiency Testing Updates 27

Accreditation Updates 27




Milestones of HKAS






















































Celebration of


































The Second Joint













MRA Mark









applicant










Mr Michael Walker































PTP 002 HOKLAS 801P


PTP 003 HOKLAS 247




































Award Name




















HOKLAS SC-34




HOKLAS SC-39






















ILAC













IAF

















































Implementation Date































New publication












































01032015




14072014






28032015



















Milestones of HKAS






















































Celebration of


































The Second Joint













MRA Mark









applicant










Mr Michael Walker































PTP 002 HOKLAS 801P


PTP 003 HOKLAS 247




































Award Name




















HOKLAS SC-34




HOKLAS SC-39






















ILAC













IAF

















































Implementation Date































New publication












































01032015




14072014






28032015




























































Celebration of


































The Second Joint













MRA Mark









applicant










Mr Michael Walker































PTP 002 HOKLAS 801P


PTP 003 HOKLAS 247




































Award Name




















HOKLAS SC-34




HOKLAS SC-39






















ILAC













IAF

















































Implementation Date































New publication












































01032015




14072014






28032015















































Celebration of


































The Second Joint













MRA Mark









applicant










Mr Michael Walker































PTP 002 HOKLAS 801P


PTP 003 HOKLAS 247




































Award Name




















HOKLAS SC-34




HOKLAS SC-39






















ILAC













IAF

















































Implementation Date































New publication












































01032015




14072014






28032015




























Celebration of


































The Second Joint













MRA Mark









applicant










Mr Michael Walker































PTP 002 HOKLAS 801P


PTP 003 HOKLAS 247




































Award Name




















HOKLAS SC-34




HOKLAS SC-39






















ILAC













IAF

















































Implementation Date































New publication












































01032015




14072014






28032015
















Celebration of


































The Second Joint













MRA Mark









applicant










Mr Michael Walker































PTP 002 HOKLAS 801P


PTP 003 HOKLAS 247




































Award Name




















HOKLAS SC-34




HOKLAS SC-39






















ILAC













IAF

















































Implementation Date































New publication












































01032015




14072014






28032015







































The Second Joint













MRA Mark









applicant










Mr Michael Walker































PTP 002 HOKLAS 801P


PTP 003 HOKLAS 247




































Award Name




















HOKLAS SC-34




HOKLAS SC-39






















ILAC













IAF

















































Implementation Date































New publication












































01032015




14072014






28032015
































The Second Joint













MRA Mark









applicant










Mr Michael Walker































PTP 002 HOKLAS 801P


PTP 003 HOKLAS 247




































Award Name




















HOKLAS SC-34




HOKLAS SC-39






















ILAC













IAF

















































Implementation Date































New publication












































01032015




14072014






28032015






















The Second Joint













MRA Mark









applicant










Mr Michael Walker































PTP 002 HOKLAS 801P


PTP 003 HOKLAS 247




































Award Name




















HOKLAS SC-34




HOKLAS SC-39






















ILAC













IAF

















































Implementation Date































New publication












































01032015




14072014






28032015


























MRA Mark









applicant










Mr Michael Walker































PTP 002 HOKLAS 801P


PTP 003 HOKLAS 247




































Award Name




















HOKLAS SC-34




HOKLAS SC-39






















ILAC













IAF

















































Implementation Date































New publication












































01032015




14072014






28032015




















Mr Michael Walker































PTP 002 HOKLAS 801P


PTP 003 HOKLAS 247




































Award Name




















HOKLAS SC-34




HOKLAS SC-39






















ILAC













IAF

















































Implementation Date































New publication












































01032015




14072014






28032015











































PTP 002 HOKLAS 801P


PTP 003 HOKLAS 247




































Award Name




















HOKLAS SC-34




HOKLAS SC-39






















ILAC













IAF

















































Implementation Date































New publication












































01032015




14072014






28032015






































PTP 002 HOKLAS 801P


PTP 003 HOKLAS 247




































Award Name




















HOKLAS SC-34




HOKLAS SC-39






















ILAC













IAF

















































Implementation Date































New publication












































01032015




14072014






28032015




























PTP 002 HOKLAS 801P


PTP 003 HOKLAS 247




































Award Name




















HOKLAS SC-34




HOKLAS SC-39






















ILAC













IAF

















































Implementation Date































New publication












































01032015




14072014






28032015












































Award Name




















HOKLAS SC-34




HOKLAS SC-39






















ILAC













IAF

















































Implementation Date































New publication












































01032015




14072014






28032015






























Award Name




















HOKLAS SC-34




HOKLAS SC-39






















ILAC













IAF

















































Implementation Date































New publication












































01032015




14072014






28032015
























Award Name




















HOKLAS SC-34




HOKLAS SC-39






















ILAC













IAF

















































Implementation Date































New publication












































01032015




14072014






28032015




























HOKLAS SC-34




HOKLAS SC-39






















ILAC













IAF

















































Implementation Date































New publication












































01032015




14072014






28032015


















HOKLAS SC-34




HOKLAS SC-39






















ILAC













IAF

















































Implementation Date































New publication












































01032015




14072014






28032015































ILAC













IAF

















































Implementation Date































New publication












































01032015




14072014






28032015





















ILAC













IAF

















































Implementation Date































New publication












































01032015




14072014






28032015




















IAF

















































Implementation Date































New publication












































01032015




14072014






28032015























































Implementation Date































New publication












































01032015




14072014






28032015






























Implementation Date































New publication












































01032015




14072014






28032015


















Implementation Date































New publication












































01032015




14072014






28032015


























































01032015




14072014






28032015





















01032015




14072014






28032015














