Quality Flashcards
what are the purpose of ISO standards
a degree where a set of inherent characteristics of an object fulfils certain requirements
what does ISO stand for
international organisation of standardisation
what is meant by a standard in forensic science
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
what are the 5 current quality standards seen in forensic science
- ISO 17025 or 17020 accreditation
- criminal procedure rules
- rules of evidence - admissibility and relevance
- common law
- professional codes
what is the professional body in forensic science
The Chartered Society of Forensic Science
what is a regulatory body in forensic science
The Forensic Science Regulator
which is the accreditation applied to crime scenes
ISO 17020
which is the accreditation applied to labs
ISO 17025
what are the three areas within forensic science that combined represent quality
scientific
legal
ethical
in order to have high quality in the work conducts how must an individual act (3 words)
impartially
logically
rationally
what standards relate to remaining ethical
moral principles and the adherence to professional codes of conduct
e.g from the regulator
what are the 5 requirements outlined by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) relating to quality in forensic science
- comply with Codes of Conduct and Practice set by the regulator
- ensure Quality Standards and Assurances processes are applied and consistent - compliant with the ISO standards and UKAS accreditation
- have clear communication and interpretation of scientific processes and the strengths and weaknesses
- engage with SFR reporting with correct prosecution requirements
- be fully aware and complaint with CPIA Disclosure and Expert Witness Obligations
what does UKAS stand for
United Kingdom Accreditation Service
why are Quality Standards in forensic science important
without these there is the greater risk of those guilty escaping justice or those innocent being convicted
leading to miscarriages of justice
when is a method not good even though it is based on good scientific background
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
what are some roots of analysis error seen in forensic science (4)
- a reliable method but not qualified analyst
- method reliable and analyst qualified but method applied incorrectly
- analyst qualified but method unreliable
- analyst not qualified and method unreliable
what three things make a method used unreliable
- inconsistent or non existent criteria for conclusions
- not rooted by good science
- not accounting for uncertainties
why it is often seen that old methods are regularly updated
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
what approach was introduced to mitigate against bias
the Bayesian approach using Bayes Theorem
what area in forensic science does ISO 17025 apply to
labs
the most important standard for the calibration testing in labs around the world
what can bias and poor quality lead to
miscarriages of justice
when was ISO 17025 first used
what is the other term you might see other that ISO in front of the number
1999
IEC = international electrotechnical Commission
what was the Runciman Commission
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
what 4 things is ISO17025 built around
- a competent organisations
- competent people
- valid methods
- impartiality
what two things has a lab shown it can do to be given a ISO 17025 accreditation
- they are technically competent
- they can produce precise and accurate test and/or calibration data
what are the two main areas the ISO 17025 accreditation is split into (briefly explain each)
- management requirements = related to the operational effectiveness of the quality management system within the lab
- technical requirements = factors that determine correctness and reliability of the tests/calibrations
what are the five elements of the ISO 17025 accreditation
- scope
- normative references
- terms and definitions
- management requirements
- technical requirements
what is meant by scope in the ISO 17025 accreditation requirements
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
what is meant by normative references in the ISO 107025 accreditation requirements
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
what is meant by terms and definitions in the ISO 107025 accreditation requirements
a standardised vocabulary to be used across fields so everyone has the same understanding
what is meant by management requirements in the ISO 107025 accreditation requirements (4)
management of systems and documentation
keeping control of records
actions to address risks and correct them
internal audits and management reviews
what is meant by technical requirements in the ISO 107025 accreditation requirements (6)
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
what is meant by the term accreditation and why are they useful
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
how often are lab accreditations revised
on a regular basis to ensure the lab is being compliant and has continued technical competence
what is expected of a laboratory after they have received an accrediatation/quality standard
they are expected to exhibit continual development and maintain their knowledge on the relevant scientific and technological advances
what is the purpose of regular audits in lab accreditation
to highlight opportunities for improvement in the lab
what is the difference between accreditation and certification
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
in the UK what is the name of the national accreditation body recognised by the British government
what is the purpose this organisation
UKAS founded in 1995
to assess the competence of organisations that provide certification, testing, inspection and calibration
what is something that labs use to ensure they maintain quality standards
SOPs = standard operating procedures
everything has a procedure and these procedures must be adhered to
what is a quality management system
an organisation that aims to reduce and eliminate non conformance to specifications, standards and customer expectations in a cost effective and efficient manner
name some areas that would be covered in a SOP report
evidence control
review
reports
proficiency testing
corrective action
audits
organisation and management
facilities
what is proficiency testing
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
what are the 4 types of proficiency testing seen in labs (briefly explain each)
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
when would a scientist be aware they have undertaken a blind proficiency test
if the work they produce is below the standard
what is a type 1 error
a false positive
potentially incriminating the innocent
what is a type 2 error
a false negative
falsely exonerating an individual
what do type 1 and 2 errors emphasise the importance of
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
what is the purpose of the ISO 17020 accreditation
for accreditation of crime scene examination
the international standard for carrying out inspection activities and is more appropriate than 17025 so is used
what are the three main areas ISO 17020 covers
examination strategy
scene examination
crime scene interpretation
(evidence discovery, collection, enhancement, comparisons and interpretation)
what is the forensic science regulator responsible for (4)
- producing the standards
- identifying when there is a need for improved standards
- giving advice to ministers and forensic science providers to help comply with standards
- ensure arrangement are in place to monitor standards, manage complaints about the standards
what is ISO 9001
what does this apply to
the standard for business processes
applies to processes that control the products, services and organisation suppliers to fulfil customer requirements
what is ISO 17043 associated with
the operation and management of the proficiency testing schemes
what is ISO 18385 associated with
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
what is suggested in ISO 18385 to reduce DNA contamination in forensic products
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
what PPE is required in DNA labs - outlined in ISO 18385 (7)
full overall
hairnet - mob cap
over sleeves
over boots
nitrile gloves
facemasks
eye protection
what is ISO 14644 associated with
the standard that applies to clean rooms
considering:
air quality
benches
contamination
use of controls
sampling
review
what are the quality standards we have considered (6)
ISO:
17025
17020
9001
17043
18385
14644
what is a standard that used to be used in fingerprint comparisons that is no longer used
therefore what was adopted
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
what is CPD and why is it important
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
