Quality Flashcards

1
Q

what are the purpose of ISO standards

A

a degree where a set of inherent characteristics of an object fulfils certain requirements

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2
Q

what does ISO stand for

A

international organisation of standardisation

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3
Q

what is meant by a standard in forensic science

A

a document established by a consensus and approved by a recognised body aiming to achieve a degree of order

provides common and repeated use of rules and guidance for activities

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4
Q

what are the 5 current quality standards seen in forensic science

A
  1. ISO 17025 or 17020 accreditation
  2. criminal procedure rules
  3. rules of evidence - admissibility and relevance
  4. common law
  5. professional codes
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5
Q

what is the professional body in forensic science

A

The Chartered Society of Forensic Science

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6
Q

what is a regulatory body in forensic science

A

The Forensic Science Regulator

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7
Q

which is the accreditation applied to crime scenes

A

ISO 17020

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8
Q

which is the accreditation applied to labs

A

ISO 17025

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9
Q

what are the three areas within forensic science that combined represent quality

A

scientific
legal
ethical

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10
Q

in order to have high quality in the work conducts how must an individual act (3 words)

A

impartially
logically
rationally

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11
Q

what standards relate to remaining ethical

A

moral principles and the adherence to professional codes of conduct

e.g from the regulator

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12
Q

what are the 5 requirements outlined by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) relating to quality in forensic science

A
  1. comply with Codes of Conduct and Practice set by the regulator
  2. ensure Quality Standards and Assurances processes are applied and consistent - compliant with the ISO standards and UKAS accreditation
  3. have clear communication and interpretation of scientific processes and the strengths and weaknesses
  4. engage with SFR reporting with correct prosecution requirements
  5. be fully aware and complaint with CPIA Disclosure and Expert Witness Obligations
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13
Q

what does UKAS stand for

A

United Kingdom Accreditation Service

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14
Q

why are Quality Standards in forensic science important

A

without these there is the greater risk of those guilty escaping justice or those innocent being convicted

leading to miscarriages of justice

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15
Q

when is a method not good even though it is based on good scientific background

A

it is not a good method if it is not constantly applied in the same way every time it is used

without these robust comparisons can not be made and their method is unreliable

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16
Q

what are some roots of analysis error seen in forensic science (4)

A
  1. a reliable method but not qualified analyst
  2. method reliable and analyst qualified but method applied incorrectly
  3. analyst qualified but method unreliable
  4. analyst not qualified and method unreliable
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17
Q

what three things make a method used unreliable

A
  1. inconsistent or non existent criteria for conclusions
  2. not rooted by good science
  3. not accounting for uncertainties
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18
Q

why it is often seen that old methods are regularly updated

A

due to technological and scientific advancements the holes in our knowledge are now filled and we understand the processes better in order to make improvements to them

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19
Q

what approach was introduced to mitigate against bias

A

the Bayesian approach using Bayes Theorem

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20
Q

what area in forensic science does ISO 17025 apply to

A

labs

the most important standard for the calibration testing in labs around the world

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21
Q

what can bias and poor quality lead to

A

miscarriages of justice

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22
Q

when was ISO 17025 first used

what is the other term you might see other that ISO in front of the number

A

1999

IEC = international electrotechnical Commission

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23
Q

what was the Runciman Commission

A

Also called The Royal Commission on Criminal Justice
established in London in 1991 by the Home Secretary

the purpose = to examine the English criminal justice system and making recommendations of changes in order increase the efficiency of the system and improve quality

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24
Q

what 4 things is ISO17025 built around

A
  1. a competent organisations
  2. competent people
  3. valid methods
  4. impartiality
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25
Q

what two things has a lab shown it can do to be given a ISO 17025 accreditation

A
  1. they are technically competent
  2. they can produce precise and accurate test and/or calibration data
26
Q

what are the two main areas the ISO 17025 accreditation is split into (briefly explain each)

A
  1. management requirements = related to the operational effectiveness of the quality management system within the lab
  2. technical requirements = factors that determine correctness and reliability of the tests/calibrations
27
Q

what are the five elements of the ISO 17025 accreditation

A
  1. scope
  2. normative references
  3. terms and definitions
  4. management requirements
  5. technical requirements
28
Q

what is meant by scope in the ISO 17025 accreditation requirements

A

the extent of what the laboratory can do

if they intend to extend their scope they need a new audit

e.g a drugs labs can’t do DNA analysis

29
Q

what is meant by normative references in the ISO 107025 accreditation requirements

A

rules and detailed instructions with criteria that support the implementation of the standards

includes ISO/IEC 99 and 17000

giving basic general concepts and associated terminology

30
Q

what is meant by terms and definitions in the ISO 107025 accreditation requirements

A

a standardised vocabulary to be used across fields so everyone has the same understanding

31
Q

what is meant by management requirements in the ISO 107025 accreditation requirements (4)

A

management of systems and documentation

keeping control of records

actions to address risks and correct them

internal audits and management reviews

32
Q

what is meant by technical requirements in the ISO 107025 accreditation requirements (6)

A

the handling of the test and calibration items

technical records

evaluation of measurements and uncertainties ensuring validity

reporting of opinions and interpretations

report amendments

complains and nonconforming work

33
Q

what is meant by the term accreditation and why are they useful

A

a voluntary, third-party reviewed process

for forensic services to get clients they must be accredited to certain standards to suggest the quality of their work

34
Q

how often are lab accreditations revised

A

on a regular basis to ensure the lab is being compliant and has continued technical competence

35
Q

what is expected of a laboratory after they have received an accrediatation/quality standard

A

they are expected to exhibit continual development and maintain their knowledge on the relevant scientific and technological advances

36
Q

what is the purpose of regular audits in lab accreditation

A

to highlight opportunities for improvement in the lab

37
Q

what is the difference between accreditation and certification

A

accreditation = recognition by an accreditation authority that the organisation has technical and organisational competence to carry out a service in accordance with the standards of the accreditation

certification = process where a third party gives written assurance that a product, process, system or person conforms to a specified requirement

38
Q

in the UK what is the name of the national accreditation body recognised by the British government

what is the purpose this organisation

A

UKAS founded in 1995

to assess the competence of organisations that provide certification, testing, inspection and calibration

39
Q

what is something that labs use to ensure they maintain quality standards

A

SOPs = standard operating procedures

everything has a procedure and these procedures must be adhered to

40
Q

what is a quality management system

A

an organisation that aims to reduce and eliminate non conformance to specifications, standards and customer expectations in a cost effective and efficient manner

41
Q

name some areas that would be covered in a SOP report

A

evidence control
review
reports
proficiency testing
corrective action
audits
organisation and management
facilities

42
Q

what is proficiency testing

A

an assessment of the performance of laboratory personnel using samples that are known to the proficiency testing administrator but unknown to the examinee

a measure of individual performance and give evidence of an examiners capability

43
Q

what are the 4 types of proficiency testing seen in labs (briefly explain each)

A

internal proficiency testing = done in lab by lab person

external ‘’ = using commercially prepared tests compared against manufactures validated results

blind ‘’ = without the scientist being aware, using mock evidence

double-blind ‘’ = another agency submits mock evidence - assess the individual examiner and the agencies overall performance

44
Q

when would a scientist be aware they have undertaken a blind proficiency test

A

if the work they produce is below the standard

45
Q

what is a type 1 error

A

a false positive

potentially incriminating the innocent

46
Q

what is a type 2 error

A

a false negative

falsely exonerating an individual

47
Q

what do type 1 and 2 errors emphasise the importance of

A

control and reference samples to check the instrumentation is working correctly and the process carried out by the examiner is correct

can identify poor quality reagents or processes

48
Q

what is the purpose of the ISO 17020 accreditation

A

for accreditation of crime scene examination

the international standard for carrying out inspection activities and is more appropriate than 17025 so is used

49
Q

what are the three main areas ISO 17020 covers

A

examination strategy
scene examination
crime scene interpretation

(evidence discovery, collection, enhancement, comparisons and interpretation)

50
Q

what is the forensic science regulator responsible for (4)

A
  1. producing the standards
  2. identifying when there is a need for improved standards
  3. giving advice to ministers and forensic science providers to help comply with standards
  4. ensure arrangement are in place to monitor standards, manage complaints about the standards
51
Q

what is ISO 9001

what does this apply to

A

the standard for business processes

applies to processes that control the products, services and organisation suppliers to fulfil customer requirements

52
Q

what is ISO 17043 associated with

A

the operation and management of the proficiency testing schemes

53
Q

what is ISO 18385 associated with

A

minimising the risk of human DNA contamination in products used to collect, store and analyse biological material for forensic purposes

giving acceptable methods and pass/fail criteria for DNA contamination testing

54
Q

what is suggested in ISO 18385 to reduce DNA contamination in forensic products

A

products used in DNA casework are treated with ethylene oxide

this is a toxic gas that splits the DNA helix into small fragments that are too small to show on the DNA profile

55
Q

what PPE is required in DNA labs - outlined in ISO 18385 (7)

A

full overall
hairnet - mob cap
over sleeves
over boots
nitrile gloves
facemasks
eye protection

56
Q

what is ISO 14644 associated with

A

the standard that applies to clean rooms

considering:
air quality
benches
contamination
use of controls
sampling
review

57
Q

what are the quality standards we have considered (6)

A

ISO:
17025
17020
9001
17043
18385
14644

58
Q

what is a standard that used to be used in fingerprint comparisons that is no longer used

therefore what was adopted

A

the 16 point standard which proved a match in 1953

1983 is was deemed that a match could be made with less than 16 points of similarity

therefore the non numerical standard was adopted in 2001 - it was accepted that for a print to be identified by an officer it can then be checked by another two qualified fingerprint experts

59
Q

what is CPD and why is it important

A

continuing professional development

the need to keep up with information, skills and development in forensic science

refers to any learning activity that promotes the development of knowledge - gain CPD credits

important in maintaining quality standard in forensic science and one being competent to do so

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