Virginia Administrative Code

A. General. 1. The laboratory shall document its quality system in a quality manual. The quality manual shall reflect all quality assurance and quality control practices and programs used by the laboratory. The required elements of the quality system may be described in more than…

The laboratory shall specify and document the functional responsibility, level of authority, and interrelationship or lines of communication of all personnel who manage, perform or verify work affecting the quality of tests, analyses, measurements and monitoring. One person may c…

The laboratory shall maintain a record system to suit its particular circumstances and comply with any applicable regulations. This system shall produce unequivocal, accurate records that document all laboratory activities.Statutory Authority§ 2.2-1105 of the Code of Virginia.

A. The laboratory shall have a recordkeeping system that allows historical reconstruction of all laboratory activities that produced the analytical data. The history of the sample shall be readily understood through the documentation. This shall include inter-laboratory transfers…

A. The laboratory shall keep all records, certificates, and reports as required by applicable state and federal recordkeeping laws and regulations. The laboratory shall safely store these records and hold them secure. B. The laboratory shall retain all records for a minimum of th…

A. Sample handling. 1. The laboratory shall maintain a record of all procedures to which a sample is subjected while in the possession of the laboratory. These shall include but are not limited to all records pertaining to sample preservation, identification, receipt, acceptance …

A. Internal audits. 1. The laboratory shall arrange for annual internal audits to verify that its operations continue to comply with the requirements of the laboratory's quality system. It is the responsibility of the quality assurance officer to plan and organize audits as requi…

A. Where a laboratory subcontracts any part of the testing covered under this chapter, the testing shall only be subcontracted to a laboratory certified under 1VAC30-46. B. The report from the subcontractor shall be a separate part of the laboratory report and identified as labor…

A. The laboratory shall have a policy and procedures for the selection and purchasing of services and supplies it uses that affect the quality of environmental tests. Procedures shall exist for the purchase, reception and storage of reagents and laboratory consumable materials re…

A. Duty to apply. All owners of noncommercial environmental laboratories shall apply for certification as specified by the provisions of this section. Applications for certification must be obtained from DCLS program staff by email at Lab_Cert@dgs.virginia.gov. B. Owners of nonco…

The laboratory shall have documented policy and procedures for the resolution of complaints about the laboratory's activities. Where a complaint or any other circumstance raises doubt concerning the laboratory's compliance with the laboratory's policies or procedures, or with the…

Laboratory accommodations, test areas, energy sources, lighting, heating and ventilation shall be such as to facilitate proper performance of tests. Laboratories shall meet the requirements of subdivisions 1 through 8 of this section as appropriate to provide compliance with this…

A. The laboratory shall be furnished with all items of equipment, including reference materials, required for the correct performance of tests for which certification is sought. The laboratory shall maintain records of reference materials sufficient to provide proper performance …

A. Methods documentation. 1. The laboratory shall have documented instructions on the use and operation of all relevant equipment, on the handling and preparation of samples, and for calibration or testing, where the absence of such instructions could jeopardize the calibrations …

A. General requirements. All equipment used for environmental tests, including equipment for subsidiary measurements (e.g., for environmental conditions) having a significant effect on the accuracy or validity of the result of the environmental test or sampling shall be calibrate…

A. General. The laboratory shall have quality control procedures for monitoring the validity of environmental tests undertaken. The resulting data shall be recorded in such a way that trends are detectable and, where practicable, statistical techniques shall be applied to the rev…

A. General. 1. The quality control protocols specified by the laboratory's SOPs shall be followed (1VAC30-45-730 C). The laboratory shall ensure that either the (i) applicable essential standards outlined in this section through 1VAC30-45-775, 1VAC30-45-790 through 1VAC30-45-798,…

A. Negative control – method performance. 1. Purpose. The method blank is used to assess the preparation batch for possible contamination during the preparation and processing steps. The method blank shall be processed along with and under the same conditions as the associated sa…

A. General. All procedures used shall be documented. Documentation shall include the quality system matrix type. All supporting data shall be retained. B. Limit of detection (LOD). The laboratory shall utilize a test method that provides an LOD that is appropriate and relevant fo…

The procedures for data reduction, such as use of linear regression, shall be documented.Statutory Authority§ 2.2-1105 of the Code of Virginia.

A. The source of standards shall comply with 1VAC30-45-740 C. B. Reagent quality, water quality and checks. 1. Reagents. In methods where the purity of reagents is not specified, analytical reagent grade shall be used. Reagents of lesser purity than those specified by the test me…

A. The laboratory shall evaluate selectivity by following the checks established within the method, which may include mass spectral tuning, second column confirmation, ICP inter-element interference checks, chromatography retention time windows, sample blanks, spectrochemical abs…

A. The laboratory shall assure that the test instruments consistently operate within the specifications required of the application for which the equipment is used. B. Any cleaning and storage procedures that are not specified by the test method shall be documented in laboratory …

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These standards apply to laboratories undertaking microbiological analysis of environmental samples. Microbiological testing refers to and includes the detection, isolation, enumeration, or identification of microorganisms and/or their metabolites, or determination of the presenc…

A. Sterility checks and blanks. The laboratory shall demonstrate that the filtration equipment and filters, sample containers, media and reagents have not been contaminated through improper handling or preparation, inadequate sterilization, or environmental exposure. 1. A sterili…

For test methods that specify colony counts such as membrane filter or plated media, duplicate counts shall be performed monthly on one positive sample, for each month that the test is performed. If the lab has two or more analysts, each analyst shall count typical colonies on th…

A. Laboratories are required to demonstrate proficiency with the test method prior to first use. This shall be achieved by comparison to a method already approved for use in the laboratory, or by analyzing a minimum of 10 spiked samples whose quality system matrix is representati…

A. All growth and recovery media shall be checked to assure that the target organism(s) respond in an acceptable and predictable manner (see 1VAC30-45-791 B). B. To ensure that analysis results are accurate, target organism identity shall be verified as specified in the method, e…

The calculations, data reduction and statistical interpretations specified by each test method shall be followed.Statutory Authority§ 2.2-1105 of the Code of Virginia.

A. The laboratory shall ensure that the quality of the reagents and media used is appropriate for the test concerned. B. Culture media may be prepared from commercial dehydrated powders or may be purchased ready to use. The laboratory may prepare media from basic ingredients when…

In order to ensure identity and traceability, reference cultures used for positive and negative controls shall be obtained from a recognized national collection, organization, or manufacturer. Microorganisms may be single use preparations or cultures maintained by documented proc…

A. Laboratory facilities. Floors and work surfaces shall be nonabsorbent and easy to clean and disinfect. Work surfaces shall be adequately sealed. Laboratories shall provide sufficient storage space, and shall be clean and free from dust accumulation. Plants, food, and drink sha…

A. Certification remains in effect until withdrawn by DCLS, withdrawn voluntarily at the written request of the certified laboratory, or until expiration of the certification period. To maintain certification, the certified laboratory shall comply with the elements listed in this…

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