Newsletter - April 2008
NMISA responds to Industry’s vibe
The buzz in the Civil Engineering sector started with the announcement of the Gautrain project and this has never been as apparent as now. The project has been blasting its way through suburbs and the run up to 2010 World Cup has seen stadiums being upgraded and new ones being erected.
One can imagine that all these earth moving activities have some residents nervous, but there is little need to worry. Civil engineering works are required to monitor all blasting activities and the reliability of these measurements are ensured through traceability to the National Standards for vibration, realised at a primary level by the NMISA.
Through interaction with industry, the requirement for traceable seismic level vibration measurements (below 10 Hz) has been identified timeously. During 2007, a new laboratory was prepared to house the national standards for vibration. The preparations included the installation of an environmental control system; seismic masses to mount the air-bearing shakers; and special anti-vibration mounts for the laser interferometer.
The successful fruition of this project in February 2008 not only lead to the extension of the frequency range of the National Standard for vibration, now covering 1 Hz to 10 kHz, but also to the successful SANAS accreditation of the standard over the full frequency range to smaller uncertainties of measurement.
Figure 1: New laboratory housing the National Standards for Vibration
SADC Water Proficiency Testing Scheme
Access to proper potable water is considered a human right and is one of the key elements of the millennium development goals. The improvement of water supply systems and water testing facilities is therefore crucial in the combat against diseases such as cholera, diarrhoea and other waterborne diseases. In response to the need, SADCMET has established the SADC Association of Water Testing Laboratories (SADCWATERLAB) for the SADC and East African Community (EAC) regions. The project was made possible by the Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB), which is the national metrology institute in Germany.
Since its inception four years ago the PT scheme has focussed on chemical analysis of water covering all chemical parameters including sulphate, chloride, manganese, lead, copper, nitrate etc. To date over 42 water testing laboratories participate in the scheme which ultimately contributes to ensuring that the water used in the region is within acceptable chemical and microbiology limits; making it safe for human consumption.
The PT scheme has been so successful with a vast number of laboratories participating that the next PT round (planned to start in July 2008) will also include microbiology analysis. The participating laboratories pay a participation fee of U$100 which is used for the preparation and transportation of samples by the PT provider and evaluation of results. After each PT round an evaluation workshop is arranged where participating laboratories evaluate and assess the results using robust statistical methods and also provide training on method validation; the use of control charts and quality issues according to the ISO/IEC 17025 quality management system.
The PT scheme offers the opportunity for all interested laboratories to participate in a regional, affordable PT scheme to improve and demonstrate its quality to customers, authorities and accreditation bodies.
Dimensional Technology Advisory Forum
As part of the laboratory strategic planning process, the dimensional laboratory has technology advisory forums (TAF) where input from industry is used to formulate a technology road map.
Two such forums have been scheduled for 2008. The first TAF was held on 27 February and focussed on SANAS accredited calibration laboratories. Feedback from international activities and resolutions from the CCL (Consultative Committee for Length), were presented. The international comparisons where NMISA participated were also presented.
The TAF had a special focus on laboratory comparisons. SANAS document R48-02 requires all accredited laboratories to participate in comparison programmes and to draw up activity plans for all parameters not covered by the SANAS audit programme. Discussions were held on how to consolidate these extra audit programmes.
A proposal on how the data analyses of these comparisons must be performed was also presented. This included the calculation of the comparison reference value, the uncertainty of this reference value, the En value and Birge ratio.
The second TAF to be scheduled will focus on inspection facilities.
Pressure laboratory upgrades standards
The Pressure laboratory of the NMISA has gone into voluntary suspension due to the establishment of a new traceability chain to the national standards of length and mass.
Previously, traceability was imported, and there was a risk of damage to the equipment when it was shipped for calibrations overseas. Equipment damage could be detrimental, as the history of the standard would be lost. It was therefore beneficial to have the standards traceable to new in-house standards of length and mass.
These exciting changes will enable the laboratory to reduce the current uncertainty and expand the current measurement ranges. In addition to improving its standards, the upgrades will enable the laboratory to participate again in CIPM inter-comparisons.
New appointments have been made in the laboratory and the staff members are currently undergoing training.
The laboratory is expected to be back in full operation in early September 2008.
Acoustic Metrology keeping pace with Technology
In the fast paced technological world of today, metrology needs to keep pace with providing the required levels of traceability. In the well established area of acoustics, new measurement technology has out paced the current measurement capabilities the NMISA Acoustics Laboratory has to its disposal.
This advancement in technology necessitated the acquisition of a sound level meter calibration system. A local agency successfully tendered for the supply, installation and user training of a Brüel & Kjćr 3630 calibration platform with sound level meter calibration software. This calibration system will enable the NMISA to perform calibrations on sound level meters, octave & third octave band filters, noise dosimeters in accordance with IEC 60651, IEC 60804, IEC 225, IEC 61260, and IEC 61672-3.
The Brüel & Kjćr calibration system is based on the well known Pulse which forms the platform for the system. The system will be fairly flexible in that it will be capable of performing calibrations in conformance with the older IEC 60651, IEC 60804 (soon to be superseded with SANS 656 and SANS 658) as well as the newest IEC 61672-3 standards. The system was also chosen for its versatility and compatibility with current instrumentation in the laboratory. The acquisition of this system is in line with the Acoustics Laboratory’s vision and the NMISA’s mandate to maintain, develop and disseminate the National Standard for sound pressure in air for South Africa and neighbouring countries within the SADC region.
The newly acquired calibration system will enable the laboratory to provide a broader range of calibration services, while still maintaining the highest standards of service and excellence.
SADC SQAM PROGRAMME
In 2005 the Southern African Development Community (SADC) signed a Financing Agreement with the European Community (EC) to fund the SADC SQAM (Standards, Quality Assurance, Accreditation and Metrology) programme with an amount of €14.2 million. The SQAM Support Programme is a concrete outcome of the joint EC-SADC efforts to closely link trade and development. It is also an important contribution that is meant to assist SADC economies to make full use of the opportunities of the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA), currently under negotiation with the EU both in terms of facilitating inter regional trade as well as trade with the European Union.
The SADC-SQAM Programme is linked to the Directorate of Trade, Industry, Finance and Investment at the SADC Secretariat. It encompasses standardization, accreditation, conformity assessment, metrology and related matters and consists of the following five regional structures:
- SADC Cooperation in Accreditation (SADCA) which facilitates the creation of a pool of internationally accepted accredited laboratories and certification bodies in the SADC region, and aims to provide member states with accreditation as a tool for the removal of Technical Barriers to Trade (TBTs) in the regulatory area.
- SADC Cooperation in Legal Metrology (SADCMEL) facilitates the harmonization of the National Legal Metrology Regulation of the member states and between SADC and other regional and international trading blocks.
- SADC Cooperation in Measurement Traceability (SADCMET) coordinates metrology activities and services in the region, in order to provide regional calibration and testing services, including regulatory bodies, with readily available traceability to the SI Units of measurement, through legally defined and regionally and internationally recognized national measurement standards.
- SADC Cooperation in Standardization (SADCSTAN) promotes the coordination of standardization activities and services in the region, with the purpose of achieving harmonization of standards and technical regulations (with the exception of Legal Metrology regulations), in support of the objectives of the SADC Trade Protocol.
- SADC SQAM Expert Group (SQAMEG) is an umbrella body which coordinates the regional activities of SQAM, set up in terms of the memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed by the Ministers of Trade and Industry/Commerce of all SADC member states.
The overall objective of the SADC SQAM Programme is to support trade and investment, enhance the protection of consumers and improve the competitiveness of suppliers of products and services in SADC Member States. The purpose of the said programme is to contribute to the development and implementation of a regional policy on technical regulations and the establishment of a more effective, efficient and functioning trade related SQAM support infrastructure. This will strengthen existing SQAM capacities within Member States and at SADC level.
Moreover, this programme is also an important tool for contributing to a smooth implementation of the provisions of the WTO TBT agreement at SADC level, notably by providing specific support for facilitating the compliance of SADC Member Sates with the requirements of the WTO TBT agreement.
The programme is designed to provide technical assistance and training as well as equipment to SADC SQAM infrastructures. In addition, SADC SQAM institutions shall be linked with their European counterparts for specific awareness, training and cooperation activities.
The programme which will run for three years from 2008 is being implemented by a team of technical experts together with consultants from Germany, and the office is located at the SADC Secretariat in Gaborone. A project steering committee comprising the technical experts, the SQAM Expert, Chairpersons and Regional Coordinators of the SQAM structures has been established and are in the process of drawing up project estimates which will be submitted to the EU for approval.
Proficiency testing schemes for ethanol analysis
Thousands of blood samples are analyzed annually for ethanol in South Africa. Blood alcohol analysis is performed not only in cases where it must be established if the driver of a vehicle was under the influence of alcohol, but also on post-mortem samples. Very often, blood ethanol is tested as a routine part of a toxicological examination or to investigate the cause of an accident.
In all cases, it is important that the result is as accurate as possible as it can be the determining factor in e.g. a court case or insurance claim. One way in which to demonstrate that a laboratory delivers reliable results is to participate in proficiency testing (PT) schemes. Proficiency testing schemes are also a convenient tool for assessors of an accreditation body.
To address these national needs, the NMISA has been coordinating a pilot testing scheme for aqueous alcohols solutions since 2004 as experiments with ethanol in blood and ethanol in aqueous medium have proved that the matrix does not have a significant effect on the accuracy of ethanol analyses by headspace gas-chromatography.
This first scheme consisted of one round with three different ethanol concentrations, and this scheme highlighted several deficiencies in the analytical system. A follow-up scheme was requested in 2005. The follow-up schemes comprised four rounds over the period of 12 months, each round consisting of three different ethanol levels. This allowed for an extensive analysis of the results as well as suggestions for obtaining better measurements so that the participating laboratories were able to systematically improve their capabilities.
The most striking aspect of the PT schemes is how they emphasized the importance of certified reference materials. It was apparent that laboratories using certified reference materials for the calibration procedures obtained the best results. Another useful facet of the last two PT schemes is that it provides a realistic estimate of the uncertainty of the analysis for the participants. The schemes were conducted over a period of 27 months and the participants were from different laboratories. They possessed different levels of competence and used different analytical systems. As a direct result these PT schemes there has been a relative improvement in the uncertainty of around 10%.
The laboratories have come to rely on the PT schemes to test the competence of new staff and as proof of continued competence for experienced staff. They also buy additional PT scheme samples for use as a training tool.
Participants in the previous NMISA ethanol PT schemes have already indicated that they would like the process to continue. One laboratory head said “It has been useful and restored analyst's confidence and gave a sense of credibility to the lab.”
The scheme will be extended in 2008 to also include other African countries.
NMISA contact person: Marcellé Archer
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Expert assists to set up diagnostic facility
An expert in diagnostic radiology, Dr František Pernicka, visited the NMISA ionising radiation laboratory under the auspices of the IAEA. This was to help set up the laboratory at NMISA for diagnostic radiology. Major tasks performed were to align the two X ray tubes with the rail system and the working bench. Recommendations were made and some included modifying some of the unit’s collimation system to better suit the application. Picture below shows some of the laboratory staff with Dr František Pernicka.
Determination, passion and hard work pay off for the NMISA gas metrology laboratory
The NMISA Gas Metrology Laboratory has come of age by piloting the biggest CCQM gas analysis intercomparison yet. The laboratory prepared 5 µmol.mol-1 CO in N2 gas mixtures and shipped cylinders to 23 international laboratories for the CCQM-K51 key comparison. This intercomparison will now firmly underpin the gravimetric preparation, purity analysis and verification capabilities of the laboratory internationally.
Gas Metrology had humble beginnings in 2000 with national measurement standards (NMS) for CO and CO2. Traceability for these NMS was obtained from other international NMIs. The laboratory since expanded its scope by also developing the national measurement standards for sulphur dioxide (SO2) in synthetic air and oxides of nitrogen (NO and NO2) in nitrogen and synthetic air, respectively, and in-house traceability to the kilogram.
Each of these NMS has been developed to meet an industrial need in South Africa. The development comprises the gravimetric preparation (hence the traceability to the kilogram) of the gas mixtures and then the qualifying and quantifying of any impurities in the gas. These gases are then called primary reference materials (PRMs) and were made commercially available to the local industry in early 2007. The demand is steadily increasing as calibration laboratories, industry and gas manufacturers have become aware of the superior quality, affordability and on-demand availability of these locally produced PRMs.
The development of an NMS also offered the opportunity for the metrologists to advance their research skills, as is evident it the 3 peer reviewed publications from the laboratory, and annual award winning presentations at the Test and Measurement Conference and other gas-focus symposia.
To further grow the purity analysis capabilities of the laboratory, a project to establish a cavity ringdown spectroscopy (CRDS) facility for trace impurity analysis was initiated in 2007. The first focus is to develop a method to determine trace amounts of moisture in gas with a commercial CRDS cell, and then to develop a tuneable cell to analyse for a wide range of impurities. This will significantly enhance the laboratories capabilities by reducing measurement uncertainty.
The laboratory has been accredited to ISO 17025 since 2003 and was in 2006 also accredited to ISO Guide 34 for the production of certified reference materials.
The coming of age of Gas Metrology at NMISA will now mature through the dissemination of measurement traceability to SADC and the rest of Africa through the provision of proficiency testing schemes in gas analysis in especially the greenhouse gases.
NMISA Mentorship Programme
NMISA management has responded to the need to host a dedicated programme to mentor new entrants to the field of metrology. Mentorship is vital to guide individuals through the initial stages of their career. In addition to enhancing a career plan and personal development, the programme will improve staff retention.
Reach Africa was appointed to implement, manage and monitor a mentoring programme which commenced January 2008.
The following people were selected to participate in the mentoring programme:
| Mentor | Mentee |
|---|---|
| Sara Prins | Joline Lubbe |
| Shravan Singh | Mellisa Janse van Rensburg |
| Jayne de Vos | Mariesa Nel |
| Diane de Jager | Nompumelelo Leshabane |
| Natasha Nel-Sakharov | Maria Fernandes-Whaley |
| Elsie Coetzee | Regina Mguni |
This flexible programme ensures measurable outcomes with continuous support, monitoring and assessment to enable the mentee to grow and develop over a period of time. Each mentee will have his/her own development plan according to specific goals and objectives.
The programme empowers candidates with the skills to become holistic thinkers and innovative and confident individuals.
Mentorship programme candidates
Appointments: January - April 2008
| Name | Position | Start date | Area |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tilda Cronje | Small Contracts Controller | 1/1/2008 | Cal Office |
| Cynthia Netshiomvani | Financial Administrator | 8/1/2008 | Finance |
| Zischke Barnes | Financial Administrator | 4/2/2008 | Finance |
| Cherie Korasie | Metrologist | 1/2/2008 | Mechanical:Dimensional |
| Dr Johan Burger | Researcher | 18/2/2008 | R&D |
| Shadrack Moela | Metrologist | 1/3/2008 | Mechanical:Pressure |
| Napo Ntsasa | Metrologist | 1/3/2008 | Chemical:Gas |
| Désirée Prevoo | Metrologist | 25/2/2008 | Chemical:Organic |
| Margaret Ludere | Metrologist | 1/4/2008 | Chemical:Gas |
| Sibusiso Jozela | Metrologist | 1/4/2008 | EMC:Ionising Radiation |
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