Louisiana Administrative Code › Title 48 - PUBLIC HEALTH-GENERAL › Part V - Preventive Health Services › Subpart 28 - Drinking Water Laboratories › Chapter 80 - Certification of Laboratories Performing Drinking Water Analyses › Subchapter B - Program Procedures and Requirements › Section V-8033 - On-Site Assessment

Current through Register Vol. 50, No. 6, June 20, 2024
A. The
					 department will perform an initial on-site assessment of an environmental
					 laboratory seeking certification, except as provided in §8017, prior to
					 granting certification, and reassessments at intervals of three years and at
					 such other times as the department deems necessary to determine continued
					 compliance to this rule. All assessments performed by the department shall be
					 pursuant to the USEPA Manual for the Certification of Laboratories Analyzing
					 Drinking Water.
B. The department
					 may conduct announced or unannounced on-site assessments of an environmental
					 laboratory to ensure compliance with this Chapter or orders issued by the
					 department at any time.
C. The
					 laboratory shall ensure that records including its quality manual, analytical
					 methods, standard operating procedures, quality assurance/quality control data,
					 proficiency testing data, and all records needed to verify compliance to the
					 federal Safe Drinking Water Act (42
					 USC 300f et seq.) and its implementing
					 regulations (40 CFR Parts 141 and 143); the Louisiana State Sanitary Code (LAC
					 51) and this rule are available for review during the on-site assessment. The
					 laboratory shall allow the department's authorized personnel to examine
					 records, observe laboratory procedures, facilities, equipment and to interview
					 staff during the on-site assessment.
D. The department will provide the laboratory
					 with a written assessment report documenting any findings found by the
					 department, observations documenting competence and conformity, within 30
					 calendar days of the last day of the assessment.
E. The laboratory shall submit a corrective
					 action plan to the department within 30 calendar days from receipt of the
					 on-site assessment report from the department where the department has found
					 deficiencies. The corrective action plan shall document the corrective action
					 taken by the laboratory to correct each deficiency.
F. In addition to on-site assessments, the
					 department shall perform other surveillance activities to monitor certified
					 laboratories' continued compliance to the provisions of this Chapter throughout
					 the period of certification. Annually, the department shall review among other
					 things, proficiency testing, internal audits, corrective action reports and any
					 other certification-related laboratory records the department deems appropriate
					 to establish continued compliance to the provisions of this Chapter.
G. Nothing in this Section shall be construed
					 as requiring the department to reassess a laboratory prior to taking a
					 regulatory or administrative action affecting the status of the laboratory's
					 certification. Nothing in this Section shall be construed as limiting in anyway
					 the department's ability to revoke or otherwise limit a laboratory's
					 certification upon the identification of such deficiencies as to warrant such
					 action.
H. Copies of all assessment
					 reports, checklists, and laboratory responses shall be retained by the
					 department for a period of at least 10 years, or longer if required by specific
					 State or Federal regulations.
AUTHORITY NOTE:
						Promulgated in accordance with
						R.S.
						36:254(B)(7).