International Convention on Quality (JUSK ICQ 2014) was held

The Accreditation Body of Serbia (ATS) participated again with the Directorate of Measures and Precious Metals (DMDM) in the sixth special conference “National system of accreditation - current prospects and future developments” and the fifth special conference “National metrology system - current prospects and future developments” as part of the JUSK international convention on quality (Quality for European and World Integrations, JUSK ICQ 2014, www.jusk.rs) that were held on Wednesday, 4^th June 2014, at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering.

ATS representatives introduced the delegates to the ATS activities implemented in the last twelve months when they gave a series of lectures on the subject of new regulations transposing the New Approach Directives into our legislation (personal protective equipment pressure vessels), and a series of lectures on the subject of drafting PT programmes and plans with practical examples relating to testing and traceability of measurement, equipment calibration periods, inter-checks and reference materials.

Jasna Stojanović, ATS Acting Director, opened the conferences when she thanked DMDM and the Institute for Standardization (ISS) for their support and cooperation and stressed the need for constant upgrade of our accreditation system.

Jasna Stojanović, ATS

The first lecture was given by Milica Jovčić MSc, ATS, on the subject of “Effectiveness of management systems – requirements of reference documents for accreditation” when she focused on the effectiveness requirements of the standard pertaining to top management responsibilities, obligation of laboratories to constantly upgrade the effectiveness of their management systems, quality objectives, undertaking of corrective actions and internal audits.

Milica Jovčić MSc, ATS

During his lecture “Accreditation in the field of personal protective equipment”, Nikola Kostić, ATS, stressed the importance of technical regulations governing this field and highlighted that the Regulation on Personal Protective Equipment (“Official Gazette of the RS”, No. 100/11) was harmonised with principles and key requirements of Directive 89/686/EEC and was followed by the List of Serbian PPE Standards. He also pointed out that, in case of adoption of the decision on the appointment or designation, possession of the accreditation certificate would mean that a CAB had fulfiled the prescribed requirements as formulated in the scope of accreditation when conformity assessment procedure and products covered by accreditation would be taken into consideration (Law on Technical Requirements for Products and Conformity Assessment, Article 19).

Nikola Kostić, ATS

During her presentation “Accreditation in the field of pressure equipment” Marija Smiljanić, ATS, explained that the the Law on Technical Requirements for Products and Conformity Assessment (“Official Gazette of the RS”, No. 36/2009) created a basis for the adoption of sub-laws (ordinances and regulations) governing pressure vessels given that these implemented the EU directives and, whereas the said Law incorporated the EU practice confirming that the accreditation certificate for specific field was the best way for CABs to demonstrate their competence to perform conformity assessment activities.

Marija Smiljanić, ATS

Jelena Stojanović, ATS, gave a lecture on the subject “Traceability of measurement, equipment calibration intervals, inter-checks, reference materials” and emphasised that accredited CABs or those seeking accreditation to perform conformity assessment activities (testing, calibration, inspection and certification) as per the respective standard were obliged to ensure traceability to SI units in keeping with the EU and global policy and as prescribed by the requirements of relevant standards. Therefore, ATS produced the document ATS-PA03 Rules for obtaining acceptable traceability of measurement that was drafted in line with the EA guides and ILAC policies and principles pertaining to traceability of measurement. The key issue related to the intervals of recalibration that laboratories had to define on the basis of their own assessment and risk analysis.

Jelena Stojanović, ATS

Azra Redžepović and Maja Aleksić PhD, ATS, gave a joint lecture on the subject of “How to draft PT scheme plans and programmes – practical examples” when they explained that CABs should, in keeping with the ATS-PA02 document, draft PT programmes in line with the scopes of accreditation and accreditation validity period when sub-disciplines, level and frequency of participation in PT schemes would be defined. The delegates were informed that ATS organised “ATS-PA02 Rules” workshops aiming at harmonisation of the work of technical assessors as regards the assessment of the ATS-PA02 requirements, and content of the PT scheme programmes that CABs were obliged to put in place in line with the ATS-PA02 requirements. Practicals PT scheme programme examples for the calibration fields presented during the Conference were defined on the basis of different scopes of accreditation.

Azra Redžepović, ATS

Maja Aleksić PhD, ATS

You can download all presentations given by the DMDM representatives during the fifth special conference “National metrology system - current prospects and future developments”:

Implementation of the development project for pre-packed products – Branka Radanov MSc, DMDM

Verification of vertical cylindrical tanks storing petroleum and petroleum derivates by means of total station – Dušan Jovanović, Boško Stefanović, DMDM

Development project for national primary standard of the Republic of Serbia (AC Josephson Effect) – Jelena Pantelić Babić PhD, Zoran Šofranac, Vida Živković, DMDM

Development of the national time scale through participation in the international project entitled “Fast resolution of Coordinated Universal Time” – Jadranka Marendić-Miljković, Snežana Renovica, DMDM

New national standard of length and optical frequencies - comb generator – Slobodan Zelenika, DMDM