Updates

      

 

 The PT Program                                                                                                           

• Background                                                                                                                
• How it Works?                                                                                                         
• Who can enroll?
• Cost?
• How to Join?                                                                     

 Forms

• Membership Form     or     ORDER ON-LINE
• FTIR Result Reporting Form
• Raman Result Reporting Form

    

Safety
        

Reporting Guidelines
        

Contact Us

 

Background

The FTIR and Raman PT Program offered through the Nebraska Public Health Laboratory is a quality assurance program for all IR and Raman devices, and is a means of maintaining competency on these instruments.  The Nebraska Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) Proficiency Testing (PT) program was started in 2004 as a means of assuring capabilities of laboratories in Nebraska to test for unknown substances.  The program was founded mainly to maintain proficiency on the FTIR Microscopy laboratory units, but has since then expanded to include agencies that have the field versions of FTIR as well.  We are now offering the proficiency testing program to laboratories and agencies outside Nebraska that may be involved in testing of unknown substances using FTIR analysis.  In 2009 a RAMAN proficiency program was added.  Our program is now also offered internationally!  The PT program is suitable for all FTIR and Raman devices and this includes both laboratory and hand-held devices. 

The FTIR and Raman PT programs are two separate programs and a membership is needed to participate in each program.  They are however structured very similarily.  The program is voluntary and results are not submitted to any accrediting agency.  

How it Works

• There will be 3 PT challenges per year.  Three samples are mailed out to laboratories in each challenge.  
• Samples are to be identified using FTIR or Raman analysis and reported within two weeks. 
• Results will be mailed to laboratories along with event summaries within two weeks of the reporting deadline.

Who Can Enroll

This program is open to any laboratory that tests unknown substances using FTIR or Raman analysis.  This includes public health laboratories, civil support teams, environmental laboratories, HAZMAT units, fire departments, health departments, and the military.

Cost

The cost of this program is $300/year for each program for laboratories within the Continental US. For international pricing please contact us at ftir-pt@nphl.org. Payment can be made through a check made payable to: University of Nebraska Medical Center/NPHL or by using a purchase order number or by credit card.  This will cover 3 PT challenge exercises. 

How to Join                                                                                                                                                                                  TOP OF PAGE

If you are interested in participating in this proficiency testing program please send an e-mail to: ftir-pt@nphl.org, or call us at (402) 559-9421 or simply fill the on-line membership form and we will confirm your membership.  Laboratories can join at any time in the year but in order to be eligible to participate in the upcoming PT, the membership form needs to be received by our facility one month prior to when the PT challenge exercise begins. 

Reporting                                          

Reporting of results can be accomplished either electronically by filling the form below and sending it to the e-mail address: ftir-pt@nphl.org, or by faxing it to (402) 559-7799. 

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

Reporting Guidelines

The results from proficiency testing (PT) events are for educational purposes only and are not sent to any regulatory agency. PT's will be graded as follows:

M= Match (Result matches exactly with test sample)

NM= No Match (Result does not match with the test sample)

PM= Partial Match (Result matches partially with the test sample)

In addition, greater than 80% of participants must score a Match (M) for a PT sample to be evaluated.  If the score is less than 80%, the PT sample will be considered Unscored (U) and will be used for educational purposes only.

 

SUMMARY PT RESULTS

Summary reports and group statistics will be mailed out along with the reports.

                                                                                                                                                                                                            TOP OF PAGE

Safety

All samples sent will be non-hazardous common chemicals and will comply with 49 CFR Part 172 Subpart G.  These regulations permit for shipping of small quantities of non-hazardous substances without an MSDS (material safety data sheet) accompanying the shipment.

Contact Us

For questions or comments:

Dana El-Hajjar, MBA, BS Program Coordinator

Phone: (402) 559-9421

Fax: (402) 559-7799

E-mail: ftir-pt@nphl.org

Contact Us

Address:

FTIR and Raman Proficiency Program

NPHL, DRC II 8th Floor

985900 Nebraska Medical Center

Omaha, NE 68198-5900

  Last Updated 11/11/2011                                                                                                                                                              TOP OF PAGE

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