Abell M T, Doemeny L J
Division of Physical Sciences and Engineering, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Cincinnati, OH 45226.
Am Ind Hyg Assoc J. 1991 Aug;52(8):336-9. doi: 10.1080/15298669191364839.
To monitor the performance of occupational health laboratories analyzing workplace air, the American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA), with assistance from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, has established four national quality assurance programs. They are the Proficiency Analytical Testing (PAT) Program, the AIHA Laboratory Accreditation Program, the Asbestos Analysts Registry, and the Bulk Quality Assurance Program. This paper focuses on the PAT program, a quality audit program that provides samples of asbestos, silica, metals, and solvents to laboratories quarterly. PAT data for asbestos, silica, and lead were examined for trends in precision. Simple graphs of coefficient of variation during the 18-yr history of the program provide evidence of improved agreement among laboratories performing these analyses. The improvement took place in spite of growth in the number of laboratories and decreases in the levels being analyzed. The improvement is attributed to several factors, including improved analytical methods and the very existence of the PAT and AIHA Laboratory Accreditation Programs.
为监测分析工作场所空气的职业健康实验室的性能，美国工业卫生协会（AIHA）在美国国家职业安全与健康研究所的协助下，制定了四项国家质量保证计划。它们分别是能力验证分析测试（PAT）计划、AIHA实验室认可计划、石棉分析人员登记册和批量质量保证计划。本文重点介绍PAT计划，这是一个质量审核计划，每季度向实验室提供石棉、二氧化硅、金属和溶剂样本。对石棉、二氧化硅和铅的PAT数据进行了精密度趋势检查。该计划18年历史期间变异系数的简单图表提供了执行这些分析的实验室之间一致性提高的证据。尽管实验室数量增加且分析水平降低，但仍实现了改进。这种改进归因于几个因素，包括分析方法的改进以及PAT和AIHA实验室认可计划的存在。
