Environmental Laboratory of PPLH IPB University Achieves Certification of Eligibility as a Testing Laboratory

The Environmental Laboratory of the Environmental Research Center (PPLH) of IPB University has achieved eligibility certification as a testing and calibration laboratory according to the Indonesian National Standard (SNI) ISO/IEC 17025-2017 set by the National Accreditation Committee (KAN).

This achievement has gone through a series of assessments, including initial assessment activities, witness sampling, and testing. This standard is used to obtain certification of eligibility as a competent environmental laboratory. The assessment team consisted of Yohanes Susanto Ridwan, MSi (Chief Assessor), Lukman (Assessor) and Intan Fitalia, SSi, (Assessor).

For information, the Environmental Laboratory of PPLH IPB University has received accreditation for testing as many as 42 environmental parameters for groundwater quality, surface water, ambient air quality, noise, and soil and sediment quality until now. 

According to the Chief of the Environmental Laboratory of PPLH IPB University, Dr Zaenal Abidin, the preparation for this accreditation process was carried out for approximately one year, starting from strengthening human resources (HR) to updating analytical equipment in the laboratory. Thus, he said, when the assessment took place there were no significant obstacles found. 

Quality improvement of the laboratory’s internal human resources is carried out by involving laboratory technicians and administration personnel to attend training in water sampling techniques. The laboratory team was also sent for comparative studies to accredited testing laboratories.

“This is important, because as a testing laboratory, in addition to the tools needed, qualified infrastructure must also be supported by reliable human resources. Reliable in the sense that it is not only qualified expertise, but the character of the human resources themselves is tough and tested,” he detailed.

He added, “The testing laboratory has a heavy task as the spearhead in producing reliable data related to environmental quality, be it water, air or soil.”

Previously, PPLH IPB University had also sent laboratory staff to conduct a comparative study to the Environmental Laboratory Technical Implementation Unit (UPTD) of the Environment and Land Agency (DLHP) of South Sumatra Province. The comparative study was carried out in order to expand the network of sustainable cooperation. The PPLH IPB University laboratory team also brought in resource persons who understood the implementation of ISO 17025. 

Connecting to this, the Chief of PPLH IPB University, Dr Yudi Setiawan, has instructed the PPLH education and training team to organize training activities to strengthen internal laboratory human resources. This is because one of the main competencies of PPLH IPB University includes preparing reliable human resources in the environmental field.

“This series of training is made regularly to answer the need for human resources in the environmental field, one of which is in terms of water sampling. PPLH IPB University has experience in conducting water sampling, both in river, lake and sea waters. This is to help fulfill the obligations of our partners both from government institutions, ministries, state-owned and private companies, “explained Dr Yudi.

Finally, he mentioned that the future target of the PPLH Laboratory of IPB University will not only be an educational laboratory, but also directed to become an environmental analysis laboratory that has superior competence. 

“Alhamdulillah, I congratulate the Chief of PPLH IPB University Environmental Laboratory and staff for their extraordinary effort and hard work. Hopefully you will get the best results and blessings. Hopefully it will be an endeavor towards a PPLH IPB Laboratory that is credible and becomes a reference,” he said.

In the future, he said, PPLH IPB University Environmental Laboratory will also apply for accreditation for testing additional environmental parameters. The process towards a more complete accreditation will be carried out with the addition of human resources analyzers and adequate analytical tools. (my/Rz) (IAAS/NAU)