National first for AER

AER staff bag a prized dust monitoring accreditation in under a year

AER has a new feather in its’ cap – as of 24 November, it is the first company in SA to gain ISO17025 accreditation for dust fallout monitoring services.

The ISO 17025 is a demanding international standard that specifies comprehensive requirements for carrying out tests and/or calibrations. Accreditation means that AER’s management systems, caliber of personnel and quality controls are in line with international standards.

“It is a unique accreditation in this specific area for two reasons,” ECOSERV MD Quentin Hurt says proudly. “Firstly we are the only group in SA accredited to this specific method and, secondly, our accreditation covers field and laboratory work as well as our reporting systems. It is a very comprehensive endorsement of the quality of work the AER team is performing.”

AER is the biggest service provider of dust monitoring in SA, counting among its customers some significant companies like DRD, Crust and Anglo.

“It is essential that we put credible numbers on the table for our clients and offer them the assurance that the service is world class. The ISO17025 is a stamp of approval that says the methodologies used to acquire the figures were audited by the SA National Accreditation Agency (SANAS), which has links to international standards organizations,” Quentin says.

The accreditation is also a sign that not only is AER committed to improve their quality year on year, and that they are prepared to go the extra mile for their customers by getting independent, critical assessment of their systems. “It is a reassurance to our customers that we are continually lifting our game.”

The quest to bag the accreditation began at the end of 2007, when SGS purchased ECOSERV. “One of SGS’s aims was to get the labs accredited,” says Jonathan Smith, AER team leader and quality manager. “We talked about getting accreditation for a long time and had our first meeting in February. The team felt they wanted to demonstrate their commitment to quality and it really has been a group undertaking by the whole staff.”

Quentin confirms the decision to pursue accreditation came from grassroots level. “Normally laboratory accreditation is something only sought by huge labs, but this team decided they wanted it, too. It shows the initiative and innovation they have applied to many aspects of their careers and the spirit in which this was accomplished. The fact that everyone pulled together and successfully concluded it less than one year later is quite telling. It is one hell of a feather in their cap,” Quentin says.

The team performed an enormous amount of fundamental research to reach their goal. One example was their clarification of method uncertainty. “They set up really neat tests,” recalls Quentin. “For example, they used nearly 30 years’ worth of data to estimate the error associated with typical measurements they use. It is quite a feat to pull in that much historical data from one customer and from one site to see how much results vary by.”

This was a path the team beat on their own, with the help of guidance from AER founder Harold Annegarn. “There was no experience to draw on because no one has achieved this before. They set up many of their systems from scratch,” Quentin says. “We were fortunate to be assisted by SGS South Africa SHEQ Manager, Clara Borman, who took a personal interest in the project. Not only did she assist in the implementation of the SGS management system, but audited regularly.”

Jonathan says the team is justifiably proud of what they have achieved. “AER has been running for more than 25 years now and certain customers have been with us the whole time. It just goes to show the job we are doing is still relevant and that the work we have been doing all this time is of a very high quality. Our customers can trust our results.”

Jonathan said while it took a massive team effort to achieve the certification, the real work was only just beginning. “SANAS will reassess us every six to 24 months to ensure we don’t lapse in any areas. But the main driver comes from within the team. We are continually looking for ways to make improvements so that we can offer our clients service of the highest standard.”