ASTM_D_4621_-_99.pdf

Designation:D 4621 99Standard Guide forQuality Management in an Organization That Samples orTests Coal and Coke1This standard is issued under the fixed designation D 4621;the number immediately following the designation indicates the year oforiginal adoption or,in the case of revision,the year of last revision.A number in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval.Asuperscript epsilon(e)indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.1.Scope1.1 This guide describes the essential activities that arerequired to establish and operate a quality management systemin a laboratory or organization that provides services in samplecollection,sample preparation,or testing of coal,coke,orcombustion residues from coal and coke.NOTE1The word“laboratory”is used throughout this guide whenreferring to an organization that provides services in coal sampling ortesting,or both.It is recognized,however,that the word may not beappropriate to an organization that does not perform actual laboratorysample testing.1.2 The principles of this guide are suggested as being theminimum acceptable requirements for the management ofquality in a coal or coke sampling or testing organization,although some elements may not be necessary or appropriatefor organizations that provide limited services.1.3 Laboratories meeting the requirements of this guide mayor may not meet the requirements of the ISO 9000 series ofstandards.NOTE2An accrediting body may also impose other nontechnicalrequirements such as payment of fees or submittal of quality documenta-tion for review.1.4 This guide is based upon many of the issues presented inGuide E 548.The user may also consult Guide E 882 for otheritems that may be pertinent.ISO Guide 25 has also beenextensively consulted.1.5 This standard does not purport to address all of thesafety concerns,if any,associated with its use.It is theresponsibility of the user of this standard to establish appro-priate safety and health practices and determine the applica-bility of regulatory limitations prior to use.2.Referenced Documents2.1 ASTM Standards:D 346 Practice for Collection and Preparation of CokeSamples for Laboratory Analysis2D 2013 Method for Preparing Coal Samples for Analysis2D 2234 Practice for Collection of a Gross Sample of Coal2D 3180 Practice for Calculating Coal and Coke Analysesfrom As-determined to Different Bases2D 3302 Test Method for Total Moisture in Coal2D 4182 Practice for Evaluation of Laboratories UsingASTM Procedures in the Sampling and Analysis of Coaland Coke2E 177 Practice for Use of the Terms Precision and Bias inASTM Methods3E 456 Terminology Relating to Quality and Statistics3E 548 Guide for General Criteria Used for EvaluatingLaboratory Competence3E 882 Guide for Accountability and Quality Control in theChemical Analysis Laboratory4E 1187 Terminology Relating to Laboratory Accreditation3E 1323 Guide for Evaluating Laboratory MeasurementPractices and Statistical Analysis of the Resulting Data3E 1579 Guide for Ensuring Data Integrity in Highly Com-puterized Laboratory Operations32.2Other ASTM Document:Manual on Presentation of Data and Control Chart Analy-ses,ASTM Manual 7,199652.3ISO Document:Guide 25 General Requirements for the Competence ofCalibration and Testing Laboratories63.Terminology3.1 control limits,nlimits on a control chart which areused as criteria for signaling the need for action,or for judgingwhether a set of data does or does not indicate a state ofstatistical control3.1.1 DiscussionAction may be in the form of investiga-tion of the source(s)of an“assignable cause,”making aprocess adjustment,or terminating the use of a process.(E 456)1This guide is under the jurisdiction ofASTM Committee D-5 on Coal and Cokeand is the direct responsibility of Subcommittee D05.30 on Editorial Review andQuality Assurance.Current edition approved Dec.10,1999.Published April 2000.Originallypublished as D 4621 86.Last previous edition D 4621 94.2Annual Book of ASTM Standards,Vol 05.06.3Annual Book of ASTM Standards,Vol 14.02.4Annual Book of ASTM Standards,Vol 03.06.5The procedure described herein was adapted from Basic StatisticsTools forContinuous Improvement,M.J.Kiemele and S.R.Schmidt,Air Academy Press,Colorado Springs,CO,1991.6Manual on Presentation of Data and Control Chart Analyses,ASTM Manual 7,American Society for Testing and Materials,1996.1Copyright ASTM International,100 Barr Harbor Drive,PO Box C700,West Conshohocken,PA 19428-2959,United States.3.2 calibration,nthe set of operations which establishes,under specified conditions,the relationship between valuesindicated by a measuring instrument or measuring system,orvalues represented by a material measure,and the correspond-ing known values of a measurand.(E 548)3.2.1 DiscussionThe act of calibration is also sometimesreferred to as standardization.The result of a calibration issometimes expressed as a calibration factor,or as a series ofcalibration factors in the form of a calibration curve.3.3 certified r