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AGLAE, its assets
Body
AGLAE Association
A.G.L.A.E. stands for "Association Générale des Laboratoires d’Analyses et d'Essais" which means General Association of Analytical and Testing Laboratories. This is a non-profit-association.
AGLAE is accredited by the French Accreditation body Cofrac for the provision of proficiency testing (No. 1-1664). Scope available on www.cofrac.fr
Find out more about AGLAE
Key facts
- Around 1400 laboratories where test samples are distributed, with 30% international
- Around 270 tests per year
- More than 10000 parcels sent per year
AGLAE's assets
Acknowledgement of the Association
- COFRAC (French accreditation body) accreditation for its provision of interlaboratory comparisons (ILC)
- Partnerships (ANSES, Aquaref)
- 1400 members among which 30% internationals (covers around 60 countries)
- Around 200 laboratories participating in the tests in the fields of water microbiology and basic physico-chemical analyses
- Development support (transfer of technology to Cuba)
- Member of Commissions: ISO (TC/147-SC4), French standardisation Committee, COFRAC and technical assessor for the COFRAC (ISO 17025)
⇒ Participation in ISO and French standards development
- Groups of experts in the field of the environment or medical biology that support AGLAE to provide proficiency tests adapted to laboratories' needs and to interpret laboratories results
- Skills, level of qualification and experience of the Association's employees, particularly in the technical and statistical fields
⇒ Proficiency tests:
- On samples close to those analysed in routine to validate the analytical chain
- Adapted test design: duplicate samples and repeated measurements to assess laboratory reproducibility and repeatability
Supporting laboratories in their quality assurance approach
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With a complete service offer:
- Diversity of matrices and large list of parameters
- Additional test samples to evaluate technicians, test new methods
- Supply of Quality Control Materials for the analysis of sludge, sediment and soil
- Training sessions in water microbiology in order to implement a quantitative Internal Quality Control, evaluate the uncertainty of measurement, characterise a method
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With quick returns, source of improvement:
- Quick review two days after the deadline to report the results in order to implement, if necessary, corrective actions
- Complete report within about 3 weeks including:
The study of the influence of analytical methods, equiment and consommables
Estimation of your uncertainties in water microbiology
Check of your uncertainty estimates in chemistry (zeta-score)
The evaluation of trueness and measurements repeatability
⇒ These elements provide suggestions to identify the origin of possible anomalies
- Easy, annual registration as a subscription
- Online schedule of events with a system for monitoring the report of results and reminders in the event of non-entry
- Personalized report: direct access to each laboratory performance
- Personalized member area of the web site with information storage
- Pre-filled online results forms
- Results file as an Excel sheet so that laboratories can easily update their control charts
- Possible results' summaries per period
Services tailored to members' needs
- Satisfaction surveys and collection of needs to best meet members' expectations
- Tests based on French / European approvals, the Water Framework Directive and laboratory accreditation
- Development of tests during the year to meet new expectations
- Customized service offers
- Members-focused investments
- Commercial policy with price stability
- Discounts based on invoiced test volumes
- Possible splitting of the payment according to the amount of the service offer
- More favourable payment terms than EU legislation