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Home My WebLink About#5589_2012 INSPECTION REPORT ROUTING SHEET To be attached to all inspection reports in-house only. Laboratory Cert. #: 5589 Laboratory Name: Catlin Engineers and Scientists Inspection Type: Field Initial Inspector Name(s): Todd Crawford Inspection Date: July 24, 2012 Date Report Completed: August 10, 2012 Date Forwarded to Reviewer: August 10, 2012 Reviewed by: Jeff Adams Date Review Completed: August 10, 2012 Cover Letter to use: X Insp. Initial Insp. Reg. Insp. No Finding Insp. CP ___Corrected Unit Supervisor: Dana Satterwhite Date Received: August 10, 2012 Date Forwarded to Linda: August 14, 2012 Date Mailed: August 14, 2012 _____________________________________________________________________ On-Site Inspection Report LABORATORY NAME: Catlin Engineers and Scientists ADDRESS: P.O. Box 10279 W ilmington, NC 28405-0279 CERTIFICATE #: 5589 DATE OF INSPECTION: July 24, 2012 TYPE OF INSPECTION: Field Initial AUDITOR(S): Todd Crawford LOCAL PERSON(S) CONTACTED: Michael D. Mason and Dimitri Talbert I. INTRODUCTION: This laboratory was inspected to verify its compliance with the requirements of 15A NCAC 2H .0800 f or the analysis of environmental samples. II. GENERAL COMMENTS: The facility has all the equipment necessary to perform the analyses. The system for traceability of consumables was in place but needed more information. Proficiency Testing (PT) samples have been analyzed for all certified parameters for the 2011 proficiency testing calendar year and the graded results were 100% acceptable. Please be reminded that acceptable PT results must be received in our office before September 30, 2012 in order to satisfy the 2012 PT requirements. Be sure to report the correct method reference as well as your EPA Lab Code number and NC Certification number when submitting results. Contracted analyses are performed by Environmental Chemists, Inc. (Certification #94). III. FINDINGS, REQUIREMENTS, COMMENTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS: Documentation Comment: Purchased standard and reagent traceability documentation did not indicate who the vendor/manufacturer was. The Quality Assurance Policies for Field Laboratories document states: All chemicals, reagents, standards and consumables used by the laboratory must have the following information documented: Date Received, Date Opened (in use), Vendor, Lot Number, and Expiration Date. A system (e.g., traceable identifiers) must be in place that links standard/reagent preparation information to analytical batches in which the solutions are used. Documentation of solution preparation must include the analyst’s initials, date of preparation, the volume or weight of standard(s) used, the solvent and final volume of the solution. This information as well as the vendor and/or manufacturer, lot number, and expiration date must be retained for chemicals, reagents, standards and consumables used for a period of five years. Consumable materials such as pH buffers and lots of pre -made standards are included in this requirement. Notification of acceptable corrective action (i.e., an updated Calibration Solution Receipt Log) was received by email on 08/03/12. No further response is necessary for this finding. Page 2 #5589 Catlin Engineers and Scientists A. Finding: The laboratory is not documenting Proficiency Testing (PT) sample analyses in the same manner as environmental samples. Requirement: All PT sample analyses must be recorded in the daily analysis records as for any environmental sample. This serves as the permanent laboratory record. Ref: Proficiency Testing Requirements, February 20, 2012, Revision 1.2. Comment: The analysis of PT samples is designed to evaluate the entire process used to routinely report environmental analytical results; therefore, PT samples must be analyzed and the process documented in the same manner as environmental samples. pH – Standard Methods, 21st Edition, 4500 H+ B B. Finding: Values were reported that exceed the method specified accuracy (0.1 units) for this analysis. Requirement: By careful use of a laboratory pH meter with good electrodes, a precision of ±0.02 unit and an accuracy of ±0.05 unit can be achieved. However, ±0.1 pH unit represents the limit of accuracy under normal conditions, especially for measurement of water and poorly buffered solutions. For this reason, report pH values to the nearest 0.1 pH unit. Ref: Standard Methods, 4500 H+ B-2000, (6). Conductivity – EPA Method 120.1 Comment: To date, no samples have been analyzed for conductivity. Certification is being maintained in anticipation of future work. There was no environmental sample data to review. Comment: The benchsheet for this parameter did not contain a space to document the analysis of a calibration check standard. The North Carolina W astewater/Groundwater Laboratory Certification Approved Procedure for Field Analysis of Specific Conductance (Conductivity) states: Analyze and document the value of a daily calibration standard. It is recommended that the calibration standard be in the range of 1413 µmhos/cm. Rinse the conductivity cell with conductivity-free water between standards. Analyze and document a calibration verification check standard. It is recommended that this standard be at a lower range. The value obtained from the calibration check standard must read within 10% of the true value of the check standard. If the obtained value is outside of the ±10% range, corrective action must be taken. Notification of acceptable corrective action (i.e., an updated benchsheet which includes space for the check standard known concentration and analytical result) was received by email on 08/02/12. No further response is necessary for this finding. C. Finding: The Automatic Temperature Compensator (ATC) has not been verified. Requirement: The ATC must be verified annually (i.e., every twelve months) and the process documented. The ATC must be verified by analyzing a standard at 25 °C (the temperature that conductivity values are compensated to) and a temperature(s) that brackets the temperature ranges of the samples to be analyzed. This may require the analysis of a third temperature reading that is > 25 °C. Ref: North Carolina W astewater/Groundwater Laboratory Certification Approved Procedure for Field Analysis of Specific Conductance (Conductivity). Please submit supporting documentation with your response. Temperature – Standard Methods, 21st Edition, 2550 B D. Finding: The temperature sensor check of the pH meter used to obtain reported temperatures was not documented. Page 3 #5589 Catlin Engineers and Scientists Requirement: Thermometers and temperature measuring devices, used to measure temperature for compliance monitoring, must be checked every 12 months against a NIST traceable thermometer. The thermometer/meter readings must be less than or equal to 1ºC from the NIST traceable thermometer reading. The documentation must include the serial number of the NIST traceable thermometer that was used in the comparison. Document any correction that applies on both the thermometer/meter and on a separate sheet to be filed. Ref: North Carolina Wastewater/Groundwater Laboratory Certification Approved Procedure for Field Analysis of Temperature. Please submit supporting documentation with your response. IV. PAPER TRAIL INVESTIGATION: The paper trail consisted of comparing field testing records and contract lab reports to Discharge Monitoring Reports (DMRs) submitted to the North Carolina Division of Water Quality. Data were reviewed for Port of Wilmington (Stormwater permit # NCS000174) and Port of Morehead City (Stormwater permit # NCS000173). Data were reviewed for June, October and November, 2011, and June, 2012. No transcription errors were detected. The facility appears to be doing a good job of accurately transcribing data. V. CONCLUSIONS: Correcting the above-cited findings will help this lab to produce quality data and meet certification requirements. The inspector would like to thank the staff for its assistance during the inspection and data review process. Please respond to all findings. Report prepared by: Todd Crawford Date: August 10, 2012 Report reviewed by: Jeff Adams Date: August 10, 2012