Midterm Deck Flashcards
This is implementing a statement of intent to serve as guidelines or rules for a plan of action.
What is policy?
These are the specific orders of action to conduct a series of official proceedings.
What are procedures?
These are the step-by-step instructions assembled by an organization to achieve competence, quality output, and standardization of performance.
What is an SOP?
What is the difference between quality assurance and quality control?
Quality assurance refers to actions taken in a lab to monitor its performance, while quality control refers to measures taken to ensure the product, results, and interpretation meet a specified quality standard.
What year was the ISO/IEC 17025 published?
1999
To certify compliance with state/federal laws and regulations, providing streamlined internal processes.
What is the purpose of policy and procedures?
What consists of an administrative SOP? List 4 things.
1) Agency overview
2) Scope
3) General personnel guidelines
4) In-service training
Provides an overall description of requirements for forensic testing laboratories that ASCLD, ISO, and the FBI provide.
What is the purpose of a quality manual?
What is the ASCLD, and where was it founded?
ASCLD - American Society of Crime Lab Directors
Founded in the US
This is the accepted or approved example of something against which others are judged.
What is a standard?
This is the standard of science.
What is the scientific method?
This is the standard of quality.
What is quality management standard, ISO 9001:2015?
What important information is provided in a personnel file?
Signed and dated certification of personnel proficiency
What are the 3 facets of equipment needed for documentation?
1) Inspection
2) Maintenance
3) Calibration
How are equipment records kept?
Via computer tracking documenting any and all maintenance performed on a piece of equipment
What are the 4 parameters for method validation?
1) Sensitivity
2) Specificity
3) Linearity
4) Reproducibility
What does ISO stand for?
International Organization for Standardization
What is the purpose of maintaining separate evidence facilities?
Preventing cross-contamination
Why must environmental factors be considered when establishing control over lab facilities?
They can influence the validity of test results
This is the hazard information provided by chemical manufacturers to downstream users.
What is a safety data sheet (SDS)?
What information can you find on an SDS?
Pretty much everything you can think about for a chemical
What education and training does ISO require?
Education - Graduate and/or undergraduate coursework, depending on position, in biology, chemistry, or forensic science
Training - Policy and procedure for identifying training needs as well as programs relevant to present and anticipated lab tasks
This is the mandate that employers and employees must be informed of the hazards of all chemicals used in the lab.
What is OSHA’s right-to-know?
The official name of OSHA’s right-to-know (HINT: HCS).
What is the 1910.1200 Hazard Communication Standard (HCS)?
What big takeaway did Peter Neufeld, co-director of the Innocence Project, say about the Virginia crime lab errors (2 things)?
(1) The audit revealed that the senior DNA analyst made serious errors in many state capital cases, and (2) the lab’s system to catch the errors failed.
Why did HPD’s former DNA chief Vanessa Nelson resign?
She and two criminalists in HPD’s biology department openly discussed what to look for and how to identify specific body fluids in an active proficiency test
Why did the Houston Crime Lab come under fire in 2002?
From 1987 onward, an independent review found serious problems with DNA and blood evidence analysis across multiple cases. Three of these cases involved death row inmates.
What happened in April 2017 at the Massachusetts state crime lab?
Chemist Annie Dookan made national headlines for misconduct leading to the dismissal of 21,000-plus drug convictions (largest in US history)
What are the 3 key elements of a QA program?
1) Ensure samples are not contaminated
2) Ensure samples are handled properly
3) Ensure all of the above is properly documented
These are procedures that are specific to a particular study as opposed to SOPs, which have general application to lab operations.
What are study protocols?
