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Accredited Laboratories & Scopes of Accreditation Directory of Accredited
Tests & Calibrations
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HOKLAS logo

  • The Hong Kong Laboratory Accreditation Scheme (HOKLAS)
  • Accreditation Criteria
  • Available Accreditation Services
  • Proficiency Testing
  • Proficiency Testing Providers
  • Accreditation Process
  • Maintenance of Accreditation of a Laboratory
  • What is a HOKLAS endorsed test certificate?
  • Test Methods
  • Measurement Traceability
  • Joint ISO-ILAC-IAF Communique

The Hong Kong Laboratory Accreditation Scheme (HOKLAS)

HOKLAS is an accreditation scheme operated by Hong Kong Accreditation Service (HKAS). The scheme is open to voluntary participation from any Hong Kong laboratory that performs objective testing and calibration falling within the scope of the Scheme and meets the HOKLAS criteria of competence. The aims of HOKLAS are:

  • to upgrade the standard of testing and management of Hong Kong laboratories,
  • to identify and officially recognise competent testing and calibration laboratories in Hong Kong,
  • to promote the acceptance of test and calibration data from accredited laboratories, both locally and internationally.
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Accreditation Criteria

For non-medical testing and calibration laboratories

HOKLAS Accreditation Criteria are in accordance with ISO/IEC 17025:2005 "General Requirements for the competence of testing and calibration laboratories". Clauses 4 and 5 of the Standard are reproduced verbatim in HOKLAS 003 which also includes the HOKLAS policies on application of the requirements.

ISO/IEC 17025 contains both management system requirements and technical requirements.

For medical testing laboratories

HOKLAS Accreditation Criteria are in accordance with ISO 15189:2007(E) "Medical laboratories - Particular requirements for quality and competence". Clauses 4 and 5 of the Standard are reproduced verbatim in HOKLAS 015 which also includes the HOKLAS policies on application of the requirements.

ISO 15189 contains both management system requirements and technical requirements.

For proficiency testing providers

HKAS Accreditation Criteria for proficiency testing providers are in accordance with ISO/IEC 17043:2010 "Conformity assessment - General requirements for proficiency testing". Clauses 4 and 5 of the Standard are reproduced verbatim in HOKLAS 017 (Second Edition) which also includes the HOKLAS policies on application of the requirements.

ISO/IEC 17043 contains both technical requirements and management requirements.

 

For reference material producers

In the first phase of this programme, it will cover chemical reference materials, both certified and non-certified. As the need arises, the programme may be extended to cover other types of reference materials.

The accreditation criteria is given in HOKLAS 022 Technical Criteria for the Accreditation of Reference Material Producers. The main text of this document is a verbatim reproduction of ISO Guide 34:2009. In addition, HOKLAS policies on individual elements are given in this document. Reference Material Producers interested in seeking our accreditation may contact HKAS Secretariat to obtain a copy of this document. An abridged version with the main text removed is available from our website at www.hkas.gov.hk. Copies of original ISO Guide 34:2009 are available for purchase from Innovation and Technology Commission and International Organisation for Standardisation.

Accreditation Regulations Specific to HOKLAS - Reference Material Producers are given in HOKLAS Supplementary Criteria No. 39. This document is available from our website.

 

Accreditation is recognition of a laboratory's capability to perform specific tests and does not guarantee individual test results or equate with product certification. Laboratories accredited or seeking accreditation under HOKLAS are required to have their testing and measuring equipment regularly calibrated by a competent calibration organisation to obtain measurement traceability to the International System of Units (SI). The Standards and Calibration Laboratory - The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region has been designated by HOKLAS as one of such competent calibration organisations capable of providing the necessary measurement traceability.

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Available Accreditation Services

HKAS accreditation services are classified in accordance with test categories and test areas. Accreditation services currently available are detailed below. HKAS will provide new accreditation service from time to time. For details of tests and calibration covered, please contact the respective accreditation officer.

Test Categories Test Areas
Accreditation Officers
Calibration Services Acoustic and Vibration Measurements Mr. K W Chen
Construction Materials Testing Equipment
Electrical Measurements
Ionising Radiation
Mass Measurements
Mechanical & Metrology Measurements
Temperature & Humidity Measurements
Volume Measurements
Chemical Testing Azodye Dr. C W Ho
Cadmium
Composition - Gas Products
Composition - Metal and Metallic Alloys
Composition - Precious Metal Analysis
Corrosion Test
Dangerous goods
Non-metallic Constituents - Coal
Non-metallic Constituents - Gypsum
Pharmaceutical Analysis Dr. D D Ho,
Dr. C W Ho
Race Control Analysis Dr. C W Ho
Toxic Elements - Total Lead and Cadmium Contents
Trace Metals - Consumer Products
Trace Organic Residue - Leather, Textile and Wood
Chinese Medicine Microbiological examination Dr. D D Ho,
Dr. C W Ho
Organic residues
Toxic element analysis
Construction Materials Acoustic Tests Mr Jeffrey T T Leung
Bituminous Materials Mr C F Pang
Building Components - Bathroom and Kitchen sets, , Doors, Gates, Joint fillers and Tiles
Building Components - Blocks and Bricks, Tapeware and Valves
Building Components - Curtain Wall, Windows and Pipes Mr Steven F C Lee
Building Components - Ironmongery Mr. K W Chen
Chemical Analysis Dr. D D Ho
Concrete and Concrete Constituent Materials Dr Fiona W Y Chan
Diagnostic Tests on Concrete
Fire Testing Mr Steven F C Lee
Foundation Testing Dr Fiona W Y Chan
Non Destructive Test - Welding of Steel Mr Steven F C Lee
Soil and Rock Mr. K M Heung
Steel - Cold Reduced Wire, Metallic Materials, Railway Rolling Stock, Reinforcing steel, Steel Fabric, Structural Steel Mr. C F Pang
Electrical and Electronic
Products
Compliance Inspection and Safety Tests Mr. K W Chen
EMC Tests
Product Performance
Telecommunication Equipment
US EPA ENERGY STAR® Program Mr. C C Leung
Others Mr. K W Chen
Environmental Testing Air Quality Monitoring Dr. D D Ho
Asbestos
Environmental Radiation Monitoring Dr. C W Ho
Noise Mr. K M Heung
Saline Water Mr. W W Wong
Sediment, Soil & Biota - Trace Metals, Organic Pollutants
Water & Wastewater
Food Chemical Dr. D D Ho,
Dr. C W Ho
Food Composition Dr. C W Ho
Food Containers - Chemical
Genetically Modified Organisms
Microbiological
Forensic Testing   Mr. W W Wong
Medical Testing Autopsy Ms. Bella S W Ho
Chemical Pathology
Clinical Microbiology and Infection
Cytogenetics
Cytopathology
Haematology
Histopathology
Immunology
Molecular Genetics
Miscellaneous
Cigarette Testing Dr. C W Ho
Cosmetics, Pharmaceutical Products and Sterile Products (Microbiological Tests)
Petroleum Products
Gas Appliances Testing Mr. K W Chen
Polymer Testing
Sound Measurements
Proficiency Testing Provider
Chinese Medicine Mr. W W Wong
Environmental Testing
Food
Medical Testing Ms. Bella S W Ho
Pharmaceutical Products Physical and Chemical Tests Dr Daria C H Wong
Microbiological Examination
Physical and Mechanical Testing Condom Mr. W L Shum
Cutlery and Cookware Mr. K W Chen
Flexible Rubber Tubing for LPG and Towngas
Furniture Testing
Gemstone Testing Mr Jeffrey T T Leung
Metal Finished Products Dr. C W Ho
Paper and Paperboard Products Mr. K W Chen
Reference Material Producer
Chinese Medicine Mr. W W Wong
Food
Textiles and Garments Care Performance Test/Dimensional Stability Mr. W L Shum
Chemical Analysis
Colour Fastness Test
Construction Test
Feather and Down Analysis
Fibre Analysis
Flammability Test
Performance Test
Strength Test
Testing Required By The China Compulsory Certification System (CCC) Information Technology Equipment Mr. K W Chen
Lighting apparatus
Switches, Protective Devices and Connection Devices for Electrical Installations
Toys
Toys and Children's
Products
Chemical Tests Dr. C W Ho
Electrical Tests Mr. K W Chen
Flammability Tests Mr. W L Shum
Microbiological Tests Dr. C W Ho
Physical & Mechanical Tests Mr. K W Chen
Safety & Performance Tests

HKAS also provides accreditation service to support Hong Kong laboratories to participate in overseas testing and certification programs. Currently, such supporting service is available for the following:

  • Testing for the China Compulsory Certification (CCC) System
  • US EPA ENERGY STAR® Program

For more details, please check the above titles.


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Proficiency Testing

HKAS coordinates proficiency testing programmes covering different test categories. Accredited and applicant laboratories may be invited to participate in these proficiency testing programmes. Interested parties may contact Mr Calvin Ho at 2829 4804 for details.

Programme Test Category Starting Date Final Report Distribution
(Tentative Date)
Status
APLAC T082

Essential and Toxic Elements in Seafood
Food Jul 2011 Jun 2012 Testing in progress. Result submission deadline is 31 Jan 2012.
APLAC T081

Pesticides in Green Tea
Food Aug 2011 Aug 2012 Samples will be despatched in Nov 2011.
APLAC T078

PolyCyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Sediment
Environmental Testing Jul 2010 Feb 2011 Final Report was published in Apr 2011
APLAC T077

Essential and Toxic Elements in Bovine Liver
Food Aug 2010 Mar 2011 Final Report was published in May 2011.
APLAC T071

Melamine in Milk
Food Jun 2009 Dec 2009 Final Report was published in Dec 2009.
- -

Proof Load Test on Anchor Bolts
Construction Materials - - Planning.
- -

Non-Destructive Test (NDT)-Covermeter Test
Construction Materials - - Planning.
- -

Non-Destructive Test (NDT)-Welding
Construction Materials - - Planning.
HCAL/2011/01

Calibration of a 61/2-digit DMM
Calibration Service Sep 2011 Jun 2012 Testing in progress.
HCM/2011/01

Determination of Liquid and Plastic Limits of Soil
Construction Materials Sep 2011 Jan 2012 Interim Report was issued on 28 Oct 2011.
HCM/2010/05

Determination of Flakiness and Elongation Indices of Aggregates
Construction Materials Nov 2010 Feb 2011 Final Report was published in Mar 2011
HCM/2010/04

Determination of Unit Mass, Yield Stress, Tensile Strength & Total Elongation at Fracture of Reinforcing Steel
Construction Materials Jul 2010 Sep 2010 Final Report (revised) was published in Jan 2011.
HCM/2010/03

Determination of Density and Fineness of Cement
Construction Materials May 2010 Aug 2010 Final Report was published in Nov 2010.
HCM/2010/02

Determination of Compressive Strength & Saturated Densities of Concrete Cubes
Construction Materials Jun 2010 Sep 2010 Final Report was published in Dec 2010.
HCM/2010/01

Determination of the Bulk Density of Sand for Sand Replacement Test
Construction Materials Apr 2010 Aug 2010 Final Report was published in Oct 2010.
HFD/2010/01

Metallic Contaminants in Food
Food Mar 2010 Aug 2010 Final Report was published in Aug 2010.

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Proficiency Testing Providers


HKAS MRA partners offer accreditation service for Proficiency Testing Providers. You may find proficiency testing programmes accredited by these accreditation bodies through their websites.

 

Accreditation body

Country

Website address

1

American Association for Laboratory Accreditation (A2LA)

USA

http://www.a2la.org/dirsearchnew/ptproviders.cfm

2

International Accreditation Service (IAS)

USA

http://www.iasonline.org/
(Accredited programmes not listed)

3

Raad Voor Accreditatie (Dutch Accreditation Council) (RvA)

The Netherlands

http://www.rva.nl/?p=cins0100&action=codelist&item=R

4

National Association of Testing Authorities (NATA)

Australia

http://www.nata.asn.au/

5

International Accreditation New Zealand(IANZ)

New Zealand

http://cabis.ianz.govt.nz/ianzwebportal/

6

Czech Accreditation Institute (CAI)

Czech Republic

http://www.cai.cz/default.aspx?id=56&scopeId=16

7

China National Accreditation Service for Conformity Assessment (CNAS)

China

http://eng.cnas.org.cn/col712/index.htm1?colid=712

8

The United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS)

UK

http://www.ukas.com/about-accreditation/accredited-bodies/proficiency-testing-organisations.asp

9

Standards Council of Canada (SCC)

Canada

http://palcan.scc.ca/SpecsSearch/SpecsSearchAction.do



Other proficiency testing programmes

Information on other proficiency testing programmes are also available on the database maintained by the European information system on proficiency testing schemes (EPTIS). Laboratories are recommended to check with the relevant PT providers on their accreditation status before participation.

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Accreditation Process

A laboratory interested in joining the HOKLAS scheme should contact the HKAS Executive to obtain the necessary documents. The accreditation process is shown below:

accreditation process flow

The compliance of an applicant laboratory is determined through rigorous on-site assessment conducted by a team of independent specialist assessors. The assessors' findings and reports are evaluated by the Accreditation Advisory Board (AAB) which makes recommendations in respect of a laboratory's fitness to be accredited.

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Maintenance of Accreditation of a Laboratory

Mandatory reassessments are conducted one year after the granting of accreditation and at two-year intervals thereafter. Surveillance visits, announced or unannounced, are also conducted. Accredited laboratories are visited at least once a year and are required to participate in proficiency testing activity at least once every four years for each major sub-area of major disciplines.

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What is a HOKLAS endorsed test certificate?

HOKLAS accreditation is granted for specific tests or calibrations. An accredited laboratory is allowed to issue HOKLAS endorsed test reports/certificates only for tests and calibrations which it is accredited. The laboratory may carry out other activities for which it does not hold HOKLAS accreditation, but if it wishes to include the results of such activities on a HOKLAS endorsed test report/certificate, approval from the HKAS Executive must be obtained. Such activities will have to be clearly marked as non-accredited.

Users of HOKLAS accredited laboratory service should note that because a laboratory's accreditation for an individual test or calibration, or a range of tests or calibrations, may be granted, modified or withdrawn at any time, it is important to insist on that the results be reported in certificates or reports which are HOKLAS endorsed. If there is any doubt please check the current status of an accreditation with the HKAS Executive. Alternatively, the up-to-date accreditation status of a laboratory can be found at this website under "Directory of Accredited Laboratory"

A HOKLAS endorsed certificate should contain the information shown below:

test report picture

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Test Methods

It is the responsibility of the customer to specify test methods, where necessary, after discussion with the laboratory. HOKLAS does not dictate tests or rule on relative merits of test methods.

Measurement Traceability

Specific recommendations for calibration and recalibration of selected items of equipment required by laboratories operating in the test categories for which HOKLAS accreditation are given in HOKLAS Supplementary Criteria No. 2. Where traceability to the International System of Units (SI) is required, the calibration is to be performed by a "competent calibration body"

Click here for the list of nominated primary standards institutions.

Click here for the list of laboratories accredited by HOKLAS for specific calibration services.

Click here to access websites of MRA partners of HOKLAS (Accessibility to lists of laboratories accredited by MRA partners for specific calibration services will depend on the structure of individual accreditation body's webpage.)

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