Training on sampling procedures

Submitted by TemoL on Mon, 22/02/2010 - 7:48am

The Environment Management Act 2005 (EMA) has commenced enforcement through the Fiji Islands Government Gazette notice No. 1 of 2005. The 1st of January 2008 was appointed the commencement date of enforcement.

Since the enforcement of the EMA, the Department of Environment has managed to develop two regulations from the EMA. They are the Environment Management (EIA Process) Regulations 2007 and the Environment Management (Waste Disposal and Recycling) Regulations 2007 that was passed in Cabinet in December 2007.

Considering that it had been more than two years since the enforcement of the EMA, there is a need to make regulations to give effect to the Provisions of the Act, in particular regulating procedures in regards to the collection of samples.

In Fiji, there is only one internationally accredited laboratory, which is the University of the South Pacific (USP) at the Institute of Applied Science (IAS) laboratory.

Although the EMA states that all samples needs to be tested under an accredited laboratory, most clients however have often used their own procedures which do not guarantee correct results. In fact, all test results needs to conform to any laboratory procedure as the requirement of its Quality Management System. Correct handling and collecting of samples is important as some of these results would eventually be used in court as evidence.

In this regard, the Department had sought the assistance of the USP laboratory to provide training on sampling procedures.

The technical staff at the Department of Environment, a select few Health Inspectors and District officers attended a one day training focusing on the importance of proper sampling, proper water and environmental sampling techniques for physical, chemical and microbiological analysis, samples integrity, storage and transportation conditions, labeling and traceability.

The training was held on the 12th of February at the University of the South Pacific, Institute of Applied Science training room (lower campus).