Implementation of the quality system at National Laboratory for Metrology of Ionizing Radiation (Laminar) of the Institute of Radiation Protection and Dosimetry (IRD)

The National Metrology Laboratory of Ionizing Radiation (LNMRI) of Brazil at the Institute of Radiation Protection and Dosimetry (IRD) is a Secondary Standard Dosimetry Laboratory recognized by IAEA and Who since 1976. With this competence, the Brazilian National Metrology Laboratory (Imatran) delegated to Laminar in 1989 the responsibility to act as a National Laboratory for ionizing radiation metrology, since Imatran does not cover this area. With the signature of the Mutual Recognition Arrangement (MR A), one of the main goals of Laminar is the implementation of the ISO 17025 in the Laboratory. Considering that the accreditation of the calibration laboratories in Brazil is performed by Imatran but since it does not have technical staff for ionizing radiation metrology for technical evaluation in this field, Laminar is developing its Quality System as well as its Quality Manual according to ISO 17025. Moreover, the National System of Measurements Accreditation Service (NAMAS) from UK will act as a technical adviser to INMETRO in order to perform the technical evaluations of procedures and equipment of LNMRI; in 1998 it was made a preliminary evaluation giving guidelines and results which were favorable to obtain the formal laboratory accreditation. (author)