Post on 24-Mar-2020
HKCAS Special Report
1
contents
HKCAS Special Report1
ILAC General Assembly8
Accreditation Update10
New Training Course - ISO / IEC Guide 61 and 6212
Training Courses11
Update on IAF Activities9
Fourth General Assembly of APLAC6
Hong Kong Accreditation Service
Issue No.
January 1999
21
"At present, most of these certification bodies are
accredited by accreditation bodies outside Hong
Kong," commented Mr. Ho while speaking at the
Conformity Assessment Seminar held on November
2 at the Great Eagle Hotel. "We believe that the
Hong Kong Instills Faith by Accrediting Certification Bodies
Mr. Ho speaking at the Conformity Assessment Seminar held on November 2 at the Great Eagle Hotel
Hong Kong can now further strengthen its quality
drive across industries by accrediting certification
bodies through which quality certifications are issued,
as the Hong Kong Certification Body Accreditation
Scheme (HKCAS) officially came into being with the
formulation of the Hong Kong Accreditation Service
(HKAS) on November 2, 1998.
The long-awaited scheme, in its f irst phase of
operation, will offer accreditation to ISO 9000 quality
system certification bodies in compliance with the
requirements of ISO/IEC Guide 62. Accreditation of
product certification, inspection and environmental
management certification bodies will be progressively
introduced at a later stage.
According to Mr. Francis Ho, JP, Director-General
of Industry, the aim of establishing the HKCAS is to
enhance confidence in the capability and integrity of
certification bodies operating in Hong Kong.
HKAS, being a local body, will be able to monitor
and collect feedback on the practices of certification
bodies in Hong Kong more effectively, and it will be
able to consult users and respond more rapidly to
their needs."
By providing assurance on the capability and integrity
of its certification bodies, says Mr. Ho, Hong Kong
will generate more confidence in the quality of its
products and services and vastly enhance the image
of Hong Kong's exports.
The HKCAS is operated under the auspices of the
HKAS, which also oversees the operation of the
time-tested Hong Kong Laboratory Accreditation
Scheme (HOKLAS). Together, they will stand to
prove Hong Kong is acting in line with the current
international trend in which a single government-
supported organization provides accreditation
to both laboratories and certification bodies on
a voluntary basis.
Conformity Assessment Seminar
A member of the International Accreditation
Forum (IAF), the HKAS will work towards becoming
a member of the IAF Multilateral Recognition Agreement
s igned in January , 1998, by 13 s ignatory
accreditation bodies worldwide.
The Conformity Assessment Seminar was part of
the launching event for the HKAS. Also present at
the seminar were Mr. John Donaldson, Chairman of
ISO/CASCO, Ms. Bo Yumin, Chief of Certification
Services of State Bureau of Technical Supervision
(CSBQTS), China, and Mr. Lars Ettarp, Chairman of
European Co-operation of Accreditation.
2
standard," said Mr. Patrick Kwong, Chief Assistant
Secretary (Technical Services) of the Works Bureau.
"With the HKAS now in place, we can gradually
extend the quality drive to cover not only major
consultants and contractors but also medium size ones."
The Works Bureau is equally committed to have all
works departments develop their own quality
management systems to cover their major activities,
namely the design and construction of public works
projects. The ISO 9000 certification will generally
form the foundation of such quality systems.
Also an appointed member of the Hong Kong
Accreditation Advisory Board (AAB) - the
independent advisory committee of the HKAS - Mr.
Kwong points out that the Works Bureau will not
totally rule out certification bodies accredited by
other accreditation bodies. Accreditation bodies
having a multilateral agreement with the HKAS will
be considered as equivalents.
"Quality improvement is a never-ending process.
Only through continuous self-improvement that one Mr. Patrick Kwong
Quality Assurance of Public Works Not Negotiable
The Works Bureau has left little room for negotiation
when it comes to quality control for public works. Back
in 1993, the then Works Branch made it a policy that
all consultants and contractors undertaking major public
works projects were required to obtain ISO 9000
certification.
The policy went down well in the industry as by November
this year, more than 100 consultants and 280
contractors have obtained the said qualification.
With the launching of the HKAS, the Works
Bureau has refined its policy to accept only ISO
9000 certificates with HKAS accreditation or
equivalent. A year's grace period is thought to be
sufficient for the existing certifica-
tion bodies to obtain the required
accreditation.
"In the past, in the absence of a
central accreditation body, we have
devised an interim measure to
recognize only certification bodies
meeting certain international
HKAS
NEWS
NEWS
3
stays professional and competitive. Both the
government and the private sector should make it a
common goal to strive for the better and the
accreditation service provided by the HKAS will
serve well towards that end." Said Mr. Kwong.
Added Value Elevates Local Accreditation
The potency of the new accredita-
tion scheme relies largely on
the added value it gives to the
cert i f icates issued by the
certification bodies, according
to Professor Joshua Wong,
Chairman of AAB and Vice
President of The Hong Kong
Polytechnic University.
A veteran in accreditation and certification, Professor
Wong has served in the same capacity for HOKLAS
since 1985.
"It is like having an academic degree. If given the
choice, what would an employer rather have, one
accredited also by the local authority which has
multilateral recognition agreements with other
international bodies or one accredited elsewhere but
without the local seal?" analogized Professor Wong.
"To local users, local accreditation gives more
confidence, more assurance of capability and
integrity of the certification bodies. It shows the
certification bodies are impartial ones that can be
Professor Joshua Wong
Accreditation: The Way Forward
and objectively in performing its assessments.
These aspects are the specialties of Mr. Raymond
Bange, Senior Assignment Officer of the Corruption
Prevention Department (CPD) of the Independent
Commission Against Corruption (ICAC).
An expert in analyzing procurement, contract and
management systems and a seasoned accreditation
and quality control professional in his own right, Mr.
Bange is an appointed member of the AAB. His
special interests involve corruption within the
infrastructure sector and the development of
general anti-corruption strategies.
"Hong Kong needs an umbrella organization
responsible for the accreditation of certification bodies
and to provide government level liaison with other
countries and certification systems," said Mr. Bange.
He believes such a body can establish regional and
broader multilateral agreements that promote free
trade and eliminate barriers by removing the
necessity for companies to seek multiple certifica-
tions and product approvals.
"Our department has a particular interest in the
success of the HKAS as well as being able to provide
a direct expert input," said Mr. Bange. "We understand
the problems of certification. We examine the issues
and analyze the underlying features and problems so
we can set up procedures and systems that will
minimize the risk of something going wrong."
Mr. Raymond Bange
To be accredited by the HKAS,
a certification body must be able
to insti l l confidence in the
integrity of its certi f ication
process and meet requirements
that demonstrate its ability of
operating independently, impartially
The CPD is endowed with the responsibility for
assessing risk and giving corruption prevention
advice to some 65 government departments and 55
public bodies. It also provides similar service to
private industry on demand.
To him, good management and freedom from
corruption lead to good quality. Hong Kong is an
international city and, therefore, must operate
according to the best international standards. The
importance of the HKAS is that it can stimulate the
quality expectations and awareness of industries in
meeting these challenges.
"In a competitive world, quality is paramount. One
of the means of achieving high standards of quality
is to have well-established accreditation and
certification systems," stressed Mr. Bange. "In this
endeavour, the HKAS is leading the way."
HKAS
NEWS
NEWS
Mr. Leslie Lee
held responsible for decisions. And that makes itmore desirable than without."
Since the HKAS operates on a voluntary level, Professor Wong believes the market has a role to play. "The power of the HKAS is also determined by the market, by the wish of clients who want their certificates to be accredited by the local authority as well," said Professor Wong.
Persuasion is almost automatic when regulatory bodies and buyers that stipulate ISO 9000 or other certification requirements insist on accreditation by the new scheme.
"The message is accreditation granted by the HKAS can impart greater confidence in both organizations receiving the certification and those giving it. Eventually it will raise the awareness of quality among industries in general."
Professor Wong expects the HKAS to take off smoothly once industries warm up to the idea. According to him, the smaller and less-known certification bodies will benefit most as accreditation by the scheme means instant recognition among others.
with international practice. Though some of the certification bodies operating in Hong Kong have accreditation from abroad, a local one will ensure their branches here operate in the same professional manner as their parent companies while adhering to the business culture specific to Hong Kong.
Accreditation by the HKAS is even more important to export-minded companies, according to Mr. Lee, as they can unite as a front with the HKAS in international quality forums and in reaching multilateral accreditation agreements.
"An extra accreditation by a proper, local authority should not be interpreted as an extra burden," explained Mr. Lee. "The certification bodies and companies that want to be certified should be supportive of the idea as accreditation means they are more qualified of what they do and represent."
Mr. Lee concedes some companies will still take the road of least resistance when it comes to accredita-tion and certification. But all that will change once the quality culture takes root at all levels. As he puts it, quality is not an option. It is survival.
Quality Culture Ensures Survival of the Fittest
Accreditation by the HKAS not only means the certification body meets the clearly defined criteria set out by the ISO/IEC Guide 62, but also the concerned party will most likely come out as a winner of global competition.
Mr. Leslie Lee is a member of the Working Partyfor Accreditation of Certifica-tion Bodies, which serves the AAB on technical issues of individual industries. Mr. Lee is also the Director of Highgrade Resources Ltd., a company geared towards providing consultancy on ISO 9000 and ISO 14000 quality systems and total quality management.
"Accreditation is not a fancy idea. It is actually essential. The room for Hong Kong to compete with its neighboring countries and in the world as a whole is bigger in quality than in quantity, in added value than in low value," said Mr. Lee. "The HKAS can help as it raises the awareness of quality across
sectors while eliminating the time-consumption and often expensive procedure of repetitive accreditation and certif ication across economies."
As a quality professional, Mr. Lee sees the establish-ment of the HKAS as a natural evolution in line
Mr. Donald Chia
Collective Efforts for Brighter Future
Mr. Donald Chia, JP, believes all six and a half millions of Hong Kong people have a role to play when it comes to quality and the future of Hong Kong.
Mr. Chia is an appointed mem -ber of the AAB and a long-serving quality advisor to the government. He is also the Chairman of Pharmakon
International Laboratory Ltd., a leading pharmaceutical
4
HKAS
NEWS
NEWS
5
company to which quality and consistence are above all concerns.
"Quality is not just for certification bodies or companies that want certification. It applies to all industries and sectors. We are living in a very expensive economy. The best - if not the only - way to go is to produce quality products and services of global standard that sell better and at higher added value. Accreditation is a lead taken by the govern-ment to prove that vital point." Said Mr. Chia.
Mr. Chia reflects that businessmen are a special species, very practical and very sensitive to costs. The HKAS can actually help cut the time and money it takes in getting recognition in other parts of the world. In addition, it ensures the quality of certifica-tion bodies through which certificates are issued.
"The good thing about the HKAS is one can get
accepted automatically elsewhere," said Mr. Chia.
He reckons that once the scheme kicks off and with
the other accreditation services progressively
phased in, the quality drive will gather momentum
across all sectors.
"We should not stop here. Quality is an on-going
process. Companies, big and small, should be
constantly reminded that only by demanding quality
can they survive in a fiercely competitive world."
"Accreditation is a three-party issue among the
HKAS, the certification bodies and the companies
opting for certification. Together they can make it
work, a basic rule of supply and demand."
Concluded Mr. Chia.
Mr. Derek Cheng
of BSI Pacific Limited.
BSI was the first organization in the world to publish the ISO 9000 qual i ty management systems then known as BS5750. It has issued more than 40,000 certificates in 70 countries and continues to expand its activities throughout the world.
Mr. Cheng is a member of the Working Party for Accreditation of Certification Bodies. Representing the interest of certification bodies and sharing his expertise in the field, Mr. Cheng is convinced the accreditation scheme will be accepted by his counterparts.
"It is fundamentally a marketing concern. Though voluntary, the accreditation by the HKAS may very well be stipulated by regulatory bodies like the Works Bureau. To participate in major works projects, you simply need the accreditation. There are no two ways about it." Analyzed Mr. Cheng.
A world leader in third-party registration covering most industry sectors is actively considering joining the HKAS, hints Mr. Derek Cheng, General Manager
Market Leader Urges Participation in Accreditation
He thinks companies striving for better performance may also welcome the idea because it helps raise the level of awareness of quality and a consistent approach to quality system certification.
"It is in our interest to consider such accreditation," said Mr. Cheng. "It ties in well with our business development in South-East Asia. Local companies may actually demand a local accreditation. It is a matter of inducing confidence."
However, he does anticipate some hesitationfrom industries. Including the HKAS, there are five accreditation schemes in Greater China alone. Getting all may be a little bit tricky.
But drawing on the renowned success of HOKLAS, companies will have more reasons to expect the HKAS will enter into fruitful multilateral agreements or memoranda of understanding with other countries or regions. His forecast is, once the leading certifica-tion bodies are in, the others will follow suit.
"The ultimate target of ISO 9000 is to giveorganizations better value by continuous improve-ment of quality," said Mr. Cheng. "If the HKAS can help achieve that in an effective, professional and international manner, why not?"
HKAS
NEWS
NEWS
Technical Committee
The Technical Committee is established to evaluate technical accreditation issues. Working groups are formed
to evaluate and adopt ILAC and EA documents and draft new do cuments. Examples of aspects being studied
include the joint APLAC-EA policy on measurement traceabilit y, measurement uncertainty, presentation of
scope of accreditation, use of accreditation body logos, accreditation of inspection bodies, internal audits and
quality system reviews. Several documents were accepted by in the General Assembly for publication under
the name of APLAC. Documents issued by the Technical Committee are guidance documents rather than
mandatory requirements.
GENERALASSEMBLY
NominationsCommittee
Board ofManagement
MRACouncil
Committee 1Training
CommitteeCommittee 2
PublicInformationCommittee
Committee 3Proficiency
TestingCommittee
Committee 4TechnicalCommittee
Committee 5MRA Advisory
Committee
Structure of APLAC
Fourth General Assembly of APLAC
The fourth Asia Pacific Laboratory Accreditation
Cooperation (APLAC) General Assembly hosted by
the International Accreditation New Zealand (IANZ)
was held in Auckland, New Zealand on 14 and 15
October 1998. APLAC comprises 24 accreditation
bodies as its full members and four associate members
from 19 Asia-Pacific economies. Routine management
is delegated to a Board of Management and projects
are carried out through four committees, including
the Technical Committee, the Training Committee,
the Proficiency Testing Committee and the Public
Information Committee. An organization chart of
APLAC is shown below. A seminar and meetings of
these four committees were held on the days
preceding the general assembly. HKAS was
represented by L.H. Ng and S.S. Chan at the
meetings. L.H. Ng is Chairman of the Training
Committee and she also represented a talk on
"The Role of Conformity Assessment in Trade - A
Hong Kong Prospective" at the seminar.
6
HKAS
NEWS
NEWS
Admittance of 3 new members on APLAC MRA
Information Committee
The Information Committee establishes an internet
website for APLAC (http://www.ianz.govt.nz/aplac) and
publishes APLAC News Notes and other APLAC
publications. The APLAC internet website was recently
revamped to provide more information. APLAC News
Notes are now available from this site.
Training Committee
Assessor qualification and competence are crucial
to the quality of laboratory assessments and it is
the subject of a guideline document drafted by the
Training Committee. This guideline has been
submitted to the ILAC Technical Committee for
finalisation and worldwide adoption. The Training
Committee has also assessed the training needs of
APLAC members through a questionnaire survey
and ways of helping members satisfy those needs
sponsoring training packages consisting of videos,
training manuals and an optional presenter to help
smaller accreditation bodies.
Proficiency Testing Committee
Organizing proficiency testing programs is the remit
of the Proficiency Testing Committee. So far, 12
calibration programs and 11 testing programs have been
conducted. This committee also provides training
relating to proficiency testing, including attachment
training, workshops and training courses. On the request
of the Mutual Recognition Agreement (MRA)
Advisory Committee, the Proficiency Testing Committee
drafted criteria on proficiency testing which each
APLAC MRA signatory should comply with. The criteria
states that each calibration and testing laboratory of
the APLAC MRA signatories should take part in at least
one appropriate proficiency testing activity before
gaining accreditation and, after gaining accreditation,
participate in one appropriate proficiency testing
activity for each major part of their scope of accreditation
at least every four years. Proficiency testing activities
include interlaboratory comparisons and measurement
audits. As a signatory of the APLAC MRA, HOKLAS
will implement thest requirements.
MRA Council and MRA Advisory Committee
Establishing and maintaining a multilateral arrange-
ment among members is a mission of APLAC. The
MRA Council and the MRA Advisory Committee were
established for this purpose. The MRA Advisory
Committee meeting was held in the morning of 14
October 1998 in Auckland to discuss general mutual
recognition issues. The MRA Council deals with the
acceptance of specific members into the MRA. In its
meeting held after the General Assembly in Sydney,
Australia on 22 October 1998, three more accreditation
bodies, including KOLAS of Korea, and JAB and JNLA
of Japan were accepted into the MRA. These new
members have undergone rigorous on-site evaluations
and found to be operating in compliance with the
ISO/IEC Guide 58. Together with the original seven
members, i.e. NATA of Australia, HOKLAS of Hong
Kong, China, IANZ of New Zealand, SAC-SINGLAS of
Singapore, CNLA of Chinese Taipei and A2LA and
NVLAP of the United States of America, there are a
total of ten signatories to the APLAC MRA. The essence
of the MRA is that signatories recognize each other's
accreditations as equivalent and accept endorsed
certificates issued by the signatories accredited
laboratories.
Seminar of the Role of Conformity Assessment in Trade
As accreditat ion fac i l i tates trade, opportunity
was taken to hold a half-day seminar on the role
of conformity assessment in eliminating technical
barriers to trade on 12 October 1998. Seven
dist inguished speakers, including Ms Vivien Liu,
the Secreta ry o f the WTO Commit tee on
Technical Barriers to Trade were invited to give
their views on various aspects of the subject.
7
HKAS
NEWS
NEWS
Participants at the ILAC Seminar
8
ILAC General AssemblyILAC General Assembly
The ILAC biennial meeting was hosted by NATA
and held in Sydney, Australia from 18-23 October
1998. 257 delegates from 37 economies attended
the meeting. ILAC currently has 43 full members
and 6 associate members. HKAS was represented
by L.H. Ng who presented a talk on "A World
Accreditation Mark" at the seminar.
ILAC Seminar
A seminar with the focus on the three themes "Is
Accreditation Working for its Customers", "ISO/
IEC Guide 25 - the Next Generation" and "New
Horizons for Accreditation" was held. Speakers
were drawn from accreditation bodies, laboratories
and users of laboratories including government
bodies.
At the 2- day meeting of the General Assembly,
reports on the projects undertaken by each of
committees of ILAC were presented. Topics of
special interest were:
Reports from regional and international bodies
such as APLAC, BIPM, IAF, IEC, ISO, OIML and WTO
were also presented.
The ILAC internet website address is http://www.ilac.org.
•the development of an ILAC MRA
•co-operation with stakeholders
•co-operation and possible merger with IAF
•a permanent ILAC Secretariat
•implications of the new ISO / IEC Guide 25
•a guidance document on Assessor Qualification
and Competence
•requirements for the competence of reference
materials producers
•requirements for the competence of proficiency
testing schemes
•guidance for forensic laboratories
Australian Cultural DancePerformance at ILAC Opening
HKAS
NEWS
NEWS
Update on IAF Activities Roger Brockway, the Chairman said this had been
discussed before and he reiterated the IAF's policy that:
The term "shall" is used to indicate those provisions
which, reflecting the requirements of ISO/IEC
Guide, are mandatory. The term "should" is used
to indicate those provisions which, although they
constitute guidance for the application of the
requirements, are expected to be adopted by a
certification / registration body. Any variations from
the guidance by a certification/registration body
shall be an exception. Such variations will only be
permitted on a case by case basis after the
certification / registration body has demonstrated
to the accreditation body that the exception meets
the requirements of the relevant clause of ISO / IEC
Guide and the intent of the IAF Guidance in some
equivalent way.
WG2 is preparing the IAF document "Policies and
Procedures for a Multilateral Recognition Agree-
ment among Accreditation Bodies".
WG3 is working on the Alternative Method for
Maintaining ISO 9000 Certification /Registration.
WG4 is for emerging accreditation bodies and
these are accreditation bodies which are not
yet signatories of the IAF Multilateral Recognition
Agreement (MLA). WG4 identified the following
areas of concern.
•Assessor and auditor training
•Transfer of knowledge
•Development of documentation in more than one language
•Secondment of management for training to MLA members
•International certification bodies operating in emerging economies with no checks and balances
•Availability of technical experts
•Assistance to attend IAF
•Initial entry requirements to MLA group
•Participation in working groups
•Education of emerging economy governments on benefits and integrity of accreditation bodies
Tommy Fung represented HKAS in WG1 and WG4
meetings.
One of the main tasks of WG1 is to prepare IAF
guidance document on relevant ISO standards.
Draft 5 of the IAF Guidance on ISO/IEC Guide 65
(General requirements for bodies operating product
certification systems) was distributed to members
in September 98 for consideration in this meeting.
After discussion of comments raised by members,
draft 6 of this guidance document was prepared.
The other work of WG1 includes providing guide-
lines to problems encountered by IAF members in
implementation of standard / guidance documents.
One of the issues discussed during WG1 meeting
was the interpretation of the words "shall" and
"should" in the IAF documents. An accreditation
body member raised the problem encountered
during his assessment of a certification body. The
certification body argued that "should" means it
should be done but is not a must and is not a
requirement. If it is not a requirement, a non-
compliance cannot be raised by the assessor. Mr.
The 12th Plenary Meeting of the International
Accreditation Forum (IAF) was held in October
1998 in Sanctuary Cove, Australia. Working Group
(WG) Meetings were held prior to the Plenary
Meeting. Recommendations from working groups
were reported to the Plenary for approval.
Approved recommendations will be issued by the
Secretariat and imple-mented by all IAF members.
There are four IAF Working Groups.
WG1 : Guidelines on the implementation of
relevant standard /guidance documents
WG2 : Multilateral Recognition Agreement (MLA)
WG3 : Document Control Procedures
Alternative Method for Maintaining ISO
9000 Certification /Registration
WG4 : Emerging Accreditation Bodies
9
HKAS
NEWS
NEWS
Suspension and Terminations
TÜV Rheinland Hong Kong Limited has voluntarily suspended thei r accreditation for all tests for chemical,
flammability and physical and mechanical tests for the Test Category of Toys and Children's Products with effect
from 13 August 1998. However, the accreditation of the laboratory for all the tests except some chemical tests
was reinstated on 22 October 1998.
Furgro Geotechnical Services (Hong Kong) Ltd. has voluntaril y terminated its accreditation for the cone
penetration test under the Test Category of Construction Materials with effect from 20 July 1998.
Stanger Asia Ltd. has voluntarily suspended the stability te st of compression testing machine under the Test
Category of Calibration Services with effect from 28 Septemb er 1998.
All accredited tests of the Chek Lap Kok Site Laboratory of MateriaLab Limited was voluntarily terminated
effective from 23 October 1998.
The Commercial Testing Laboratory of Hong Kong Polytechnic University has voluntarily terminated all
accredited tests effective from 1 November 1998.
10
The Pioneer Tarmac Joint Venture has been granted the accreditation for physical tests on aggregates and
bituminous materials under the Test Category of Construction Materials. This laboratory is an in-house
laboratory and is not normally available for public testing.
Registration number 86 was granted to the Guangzhou Worldwid e Standards and Testing Co. Ltd. for the
chemical tests, colour fastness tests, flammability tests and physical and mechanical tests under the Test
Category of Toys and Children's Products. This laboratory will provide testing services to the public. The total
number of laboratories accredited for the Toys and Children's Products Test Category is eighteen, five of which
are located across the border in mainland China.
The Calibration Laboratory of Tektronix Hong Kong Limited wa s granted accreditation for the calibration
of oscilloscopes under the Test Category of Calibration Serv ices. This laboratory will offer calibration
services to the public.
New Accreditations Granted
Accreditation Update
Readers are suggested to visit the HOKLAS website on
the internet at http://www.info.gov.hk/id/hoklas for
the most up-to-date scope of accreditation for a specific
laboratory.
HKAS
NEWS
NEWS
Training Courses
As demand
for these workshops
has remained high,
they will be repeated from
17-19 March
and 22-23 March 1999
respectively.
The jointHKAS-NATA Workshopson Quality Managementin the Laboratory andInternal Quality System Auditswere held on 2-4 Decemberand 7-8 December 1998
respectively.As on previous occasions,the courses were well receivedby the participants with fifty-twopeople attending.
Proficiency Testing Update
A proficiency testing programme involving the determination of binder content and aggregate grading for
bituminous materials was conducted. A total of twelve labor atories participated and statistical analysis of the
results are being processed.
Samples for second round of the on-going soil proficiency pr ogramme which involves the moisture content /dry
density relationship determination jointly organised by the Public Works Laboratories of the Civil Engineering
Department and HKAS were dispatched. The report is being prepared.
HKAS Executive is planning a proficiency testing programme t o cover the moisture content determination,
fineness and water requirement of pulverised fuel ash. Samp les will be dispatched to accredited laboratories
after homogeneity of samples is ascertained. Interested but not accredited laboratories may also participate
subject to the availability of samples.
11
HKAS
NEWS
NEWS
If you wish to contribute to the next newsletter or require further information on any of the items in this newsletter,
please contact the HKAS Executive
36/F Immigration Tower, 7 Gloucester Road, Hong Kong. Tel: 2829 4802 Fax: 2824 1302
Website address: http://www.info.gov.hk/id/hkas/
E-mail address: hkas@id.gcn.gov.hk
New Training Course - ISO/IEC Guide 61 and 62
To prepare for the launching of the accreditation
scheme for certification bodies, HKAS commissioned
a new training course for its full-time accreditation
officers and potential assessors. The course was
conducted by Mr. Ivan Waples, Manager Training
Services of NATA and Mr. Garry Ferris, General
Manager, Standards & Policy of NATA Certification
Services on 15-17 September 1998. According to Mr.
Waples this course is the first of its kind in the world.
The course, entitled "Accredita tion of Quality
System Certification Bodies", is based on ISO/IEC
Guides 61 and 62 and the outline of the course
was as follows:
• Requirements for Certification Bodies
Relationships between ISO/IEC Guide 62, the cor-
responding IAF Guidance document and HKCAS 003.
• Key issues in ISO/IEC Guide 62
Detailed consideration of the content, interpretation
and application of the key requirements of ISO/IEC
Guide 62 and the related documents.
• Accreditation of Certification Bodies
Relationships between ISO/IEC Guide 61, the cor-
responding IAF Guidance document and HKCAS 002.
• Assessment of Certification Bodies
Detailed consideration of the assessment process,
including the appl icat ion for accreditat ion,
preparation and planning, the administration audit,
witnessing audits, and the assessment report.
• Techniques of Assessment
Effective information and evidence gathering,
inc luding ef fect ive quest ioning techniques ,
examination of records, and examination of facilities;
s trateg ies for improving ef fect iveness of
investigation and improving communication.
This course was attended by fourteen participants,
comprising potential assessors, members of the
interim working group for accreditation of
certification bodies and HKAS Executive staff.
An informal workshop on the content and
application of the requirements of ISO/IEC Guide
65 - General Requirements for Bodies Operating
Product Certification Systems was also conducted.
12 printed by the Printing Department
HKAS
NEWS
NEWS