Guidelines for quality management in soil & plant laboratories Section 5: Land and water development FAO Soils bulletin Series, Vol. 74

This Soils Bulletin sets out guidelines for quality management in soil and plant laboratories for the use of heads and staff of laboratories aiming at improving laboratory performance. The Bulletin introduces a number of basic measures to be adopted in a laboratory regarding, among others, standard operating procedures (protocols), organization and personnel, facilities and safety, equipment and working materials, analytical or testing systems and basic statistical tools, quality control and reporting and filing of results. It emphasizes the change in attitude and practices of all laboratory personnel for quality assurance and control without substantial additional cost. These guidelines are based on the principle of Good Laboratory Practices discussed in various relevant documents such as ISO, IS/IEC Guides, ISO 9000 Series, OECD and CEN documents, national standards and a number of textbooks.

Introduction. Standard operating procedures. Organization and personnel. Facilities and safety. Materials : apparatus, reagents, samples. Basic statistical tools. Quality of analytical procedures. Internal quality control of data. External quality control of data.