Quality Assurance Plan Elements

A radon measurement professional should develop a QAP which includes the following elements:

1. A Policy Statement committing to provide quality work
2. A description of Management and Structure of the organization
3. A listing of personnel, their Qualifications and Training
4. Procedures for Procurement of Equipment and Services
5. Procedures for Maintaining Documents and Records
6. A description of Relevant Office Equipment including computer hardware and software
7. A Planning Process for radon and radon progeny services
8. Procedures for Calibration and testing of instruments
9. Procedure for Responding to Complaints
10. A Corrective Action Program
11. Standard Operating Procedures
12. Appendices

Policy Statement

A policy statement briefly explains, in the most general terms, what you are doing and why. This should include a commitment to providing quality services to your clients, and working in accordance with your state regulations or national standards.

Management and Organization

All individuals who have responsibilities in providing radon services must be identified. Three basic sections encompass the Management and Organization component of the QAP:

1. Include personnel names, job titles, descriptions, responsibilities, and reporting structure, a statement of who holds ultimate responsibility for work, who carries out work, and who has the authority to stop unsafe or inadequate work.
2. Evaluation and maintenance procedure of the QA program. Periodically (at least once a year), the QAP should be reviewed, revised or upgraded, and approved for use. 
3. Identify provisions for periodic audits of the program. Audits are formal, structured and comprehensive reviews. An audit can be conducted by the professional, an employee, or an outside auditor. An audit should include a written report of findings, a written assessment of whether or not the QAP is achieving its goals, and suggestions for improving the program due to changes in technology, quality concepts, regulations or environmental conditions.

Personnel Qualifications & Training

Your radon staff needs to be qualified. Part of the QAP is to establish what training and qualification requirements you have for your radon staff. This includes identifying the training requirements for both licensed/certified and unlicensed/non-certified workers. For each worker, you are required to keep and maintain evidence of all training for the duration of employment, and for five years past the end of employment.

Procurement of Items and Services

To ensure that your radon services are reliable, you need to plan and control your purchase of equipment and services from suppliers. When you order equipment, you should be sure to clearly describe the item or service being purchased and the associated technical and quality specifications of the purchase.

Control of Documents and Records

All documents and records relating to your radon work must be carefully controlled.  In the QAP, you need to spell out which documents you are going to use, how you are going to use them, how you will replace outdated documents, and how you are going to store your documents and records to ensure their future protection and availability. Records of radon measurements, mitigations, QAP, calibration measurements, equipment repairs and worker protections plans shall be retained by the license/certification for at least 5 years or the length of time of any warranty or guarantees, whichever is longer.

Calibration

Use of instruments and testing equipment used in your radon program needs to be controlled, and the devices need to be calibrated at specified intervals so that their accuracy is kept within regulatory limits. In the QAP, you need to layout your program for ensuring that each of your instruments will be calibrated.

Planning

For a radon measurement or mitigation organization, there is a business need to attain and maintain a desired, or required, level of quality of services. The consistent fulfillment of this need is related to the planned and efficient use of technology, personnel, and materials. Planning provides applicants for a Measurement license or certification an opportunity to ensure that functions are consistent with and fulfill specified requirements state regulations or national standards and the applicant’s quality goals and procedures.

Computer Hardware and Software

Any computer hardware and software developed specifically for use in your radon business must be documented, including where they were acquired and how they are installed, tested, used, maintained, modified and controlled. Any changes to hardware or software must be tested and documented.

Suggestions and Complaints

Your QAP should include a procedure for accepting, assessing and responding to suggestions and complaints from customers, regulatory agencies, and others. This procedure should include documenting the suggestion or complaint, assessing it, determining how you will consider alternative resolutions for the problem and carrying out a response.

Corrective Actions

You need to describe how corrective actions-whether they originate in a periodic review, an annual program audit, or from suggestions or complaints-will be determined and implemented. This includes detailing how the proposed remedy will be implemented and how you will verify its effectiveness once implemented. This should also include assessing any impact the corrective action will have on other aspects of your program.

Standard Operating Procedures

All relevant aspects of your radon activities should have written standardized procedures. In your QAP, you need to establish which standard procedures are necessary, who will develop and use them, and how staff will be trained in their use.

Appendices to QAP Descriptions

In your QAP, descriptions include pertinent information such as definitions, acronyms, illustrations, standard forms, tables, charts, etc.