Mount Isa Mines Medical Laboratory receives first class results
The National Association of Testing Authorities (NATA) is Australia's leading authority for laboratory quality assessment. To meet industry standards, Mount Isa Mines Medical Laboratory undergoes regular evaluations and audits through NATA's external quality assurance program.
Blood lead level analysis is conducted on-site at Mount Isa Mines in a dedicated medical laboratory, which operates under the Analytical Laboratory. This lab holds NATA accreditation for 19 test methods, including blood lead analysis.
NATA provides an independent evaluation of our quality systems and endorses our technical competence in testing.
For over 50 years, the medical laboratory has played a crucial role in the company's commitment to ensuring a safe working environment for its employees. The primary focus of the laboratory is the testing of blood lead levels, a vital health indicator.
Thia Sher, Manager Technical Services and Planning said the proficiency testing scheme for lead in blood is provided externally by the Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia (RCPA).
“During testing, twenty-four blood samples with unknown concentrations of lead are provided to us and analysed as if they are normal samples. The results are reported back to RCPA and benchmarked against other leading Australian laboratories”.
“During 2023, the medical laboratory achieved outstanding results, and in December attained the highest rank possible for both precision statistics and Measure and Performance Score,” says Thia.
Thia commends the Medical Laboratory team for their discipline and dedication in adhering to the rigorous quality system requirements. Multiple systems have been established which are maintained and reviewed regularly by the team to uphold our accreditation with NATA.
“Maintaining accreditation is evidence of our commitment to quality, safety and reliability and the business can be confident that the integrity of blood lead results produced by the onsite medical laboratory meet the most rigorous Australian standards,” Thia says.