PNRI secures ISO/IEC 17025:2017 accreditation for its OSL & TLD personnel monitoring services
The Department of Science and Technology-Philippine Nuclear Research Institute (DOST-PNRI) recently secured its ISO/IEC 17025:2017 accreditation for its personnel monitoring services (PMS). The accreditation of DOST-PNRI’s personnel monitoring services helps ensure the safety of workers exposed to radiation sources in the country.
Said accreditation was awarded to DOST-PNRI’s Radiation Protection Services Section (RPSS) which provides passive dosimeters to occupationally exposed workers in the country in order to measure the accumulated radiation doses they receive.
Two services, the a) Optically Stimulated Luminescence Dosimeter Personnel Monitoring Service (OPMS) and b) Thermoluminescence Dosimeter Personnel Monitoring Service (TPMS) were successfully accredited following the external audit via remote assessment by Philippine Accreditation Bureau.
The audit was held with 4 external auditors, assessing the conformance to the standard of the laboratory management of PNRI and the technical operations of the two RPSS Laboratories. The OSL laboratory were also previously accredited under the ISO 17025:2005 standard.
Monitoring the radiation doses of individuals, such as medical frontliners and workers in the industry, is an integral part of a facility’s radiation safety program. The safety standards of the International Atomic Energy Agency GSR Part 3 also require technical service providers to operate under a quality management system for more effective operations and accurate reporting of doses of the workers.
“The accreditation of the OPMS and TPMS to the ISO17025 standard demonstrates that the quality of service that we provide conforms with international standards for safety and testing services,” said Supervising Science Research Specialist Kristine Marie Romallosa, RPSS head.
The PNRI team hurdled several difficulties on the road to ISO accreditation, given the increasing number of clients and the limitations caused by the current pandemic. But the Institute’s frontliners proved they were up for the challenge by continuing to render these services while ensuring that all customers and procedures are conforming to the community quarantine guidelines.
“It was not an easy task for the RPSS Team considering the multiple and high volume of services that we provide plus the challenges brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. But with much dedication and teamwork of the RPSS staff and the PNRI Laboratory management, we were able to achieve it and we are proud of that,” said the section head.
Around 40,000 units of OSLs and 8,000 units of TLDs are issued every year to workers in the medical, industrial and research sectors in which radiation technologies are increasingly being used to offer cutting-edge solutions and improve processes and products, among others.
Laboratory Organization
• Quality Manager – Haydee Solomon
• Laboratory Manager – Kristine Marie Romallosa
• PNRI, Laboratory & Deputy Document Custodians – Jennyvi Ramirez / Ave Ann Nikolle Garalde / Christy Mae T. Betos (OPMS) / Angelo A. Panlaqui (TPMS)
• Analytical & Deputy Team Leaders (OPMS) - Marianna Lourdes Marie L. Grande / Lenlen S. Desoloc
• Analytical & Deputy Team Leaders (TPMS) - Ronald E. Piquero / Angelo A. Panlaqui
CERTIFICATE OF ACCREDITATION details:
Accreditation Validity: 19 December 2022
Certificate Validity: 19 December 2022
Date Issued: 28 December 2020
