QUACHA:: European-wide training on quality assurance for chemical analysis

Many decisions taken nowadays based on the results of chemical analyses, dealing e.g. with product quality assessment, environmental management, medical diagnosis, etc. All these decisions have a direct impact on either industry or society and have to rely on a good quality background. Quality control and quality assurance lire in principle well known to modern laboratories (either commercial or with national responsibilities) which are often accredited in various analytical sectors. However, there is an enormous gap in the transfer of knowledge to smaller laboratories. Training actions ale, therefore, urgently needed especially for analysts working in tine laboratories. This paper describes a European-wide initiative carried out under the umbrella of the EC Standards, Measurements and Testing programme.