Problems of Forensic Sciences 2001 Vol. 47 (XLVII) 201-206
IMPLEMENTATION OF NEW METHODS
Lydia BESTEBREUR
Netherlands Forensic Institute, Rijswijk, the Netherlands
Streszczenie
In case of accreditation, a laboratory has to use preferably established test procedures, such as official or standardised methods, published by referable technical scientific journals, or suggested by the apparatus manufacturer. If such methods are not available, or if the laboratory concerned wishes to use more recent, quicker, economically more interesting test procedures, or which performances are superior, this laboratory is free to adopt, to develop and/or to design new methods, but these will have to be fully documented and validated before being used, i.e. their liability will be evaluated and accepted by accreditation authorities. The following points will be developped in this presentation:
– Rules related to the selection of the method (Norm EN ISO, CEI 17025).
– Different types of methods supposed to be implemented in Forensic Laboratories, the circumstances in which these methods have to be validated.
– Rules to be applied to ensure the concerned laboratory has reached the level of performance required in the new implemented method (in the case of use of validated methods or others).
– General validation procedure for in-house designed or developped methods for qualitative or quantitative tests (how to document and evaluate the proper method).
– How to simplify the process for adopting a method issued from a simple adaptation of a validated method (verification of the efficiency of the modification, check the level of performance obtained by the laboratory).
– The problem of methods that cannot be validated.
– The problem of mutual acceptance of accreditated methods by European accreditation organisms.
– Ideas concerning the agreement of validation rules on a European scale and concerning the importance of publishing the methods established in mutual understanding within the ENFSI working groups.
Słowa kluczowe
New methods; Validation; Verification.