Course

Principles of Quality Assurance and Quality Control in Environmental Field Programs


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Improving Environmental Data Usability through Systematic Project Planning and Data Analysis
Course Title: Principles of Quality Assurance and Quality Control in Environmental Field Programs
Course ID: STAT-350
Status: CLOSED
Date(s): November 19, 2019: 8:30am - 4:30pm
November 20, 2019: 8:30am - 4:30pm
Location: TBD

Tukwila, WA
Instructor: Dr. Deb Gaynor
Tuition: $695 / $645*
$645 / $595* (Before October 18, 2019)
Class is Closed

 

Description:

**Note - For every course we have implemented live stream remote attendance options for those who prefer a no-contact alternative to in-person attendance.  You will need a computer and an internet connection.  We will follow the maximum in-person meeting size as per health authorities and if recommended we will only offer remote attendance.

If conditions permit, you are welcome to attend the course in-person, we likely will have between 5 to 10 in-person attendee's in a large room to provide safe spacing.  We also wipe every surface down and provide hand washing and disinfectant wipes as a courtesy.  If you would like more information or have any questions, please contact us via email or phone 425 270 3274.

 

In this course, attendees will learn the role of quality assurance and quality control in developing environmental programs for site investigations, remediation, and monitoring at contaminated sites. Participants will become comfortable with concepts, tools, and the basic statistical methods needed for designing and implementing a field program, and will gain knowledge regarding how to work with a laboratory to ensure the right chemical analyses are performed on the right samples. There will be empahsis on how to plan for and then evaluate data produced to achieve the greatest usability.

Upon completion of the course, attendees will come away with tools for deciding how to assess environmental laboratory data, how to maximize data defensibility, and when an independent data validator is needed. The extensive hands-on exercises include working through a Quality Assurance Project Plan and setting up Excel worksheets to perform efficient assessments for standard analytical data.

 

Intended Audience:

This course is intended for environmental professionals who need a good grounding in the concepts and framework of quality assurance for environmental data.

Continuing Education Units: 1.30 CEUs

More Information

Course Topics

a. Quality Assurance Overview
b. Quality Management Planning and Implementation
    i. Setting Data Quality Objectives
    ii. Regulatory Compliance
    iii. Identifying Responsible Personnel
c. Systematic Project Planning:
    i. Quality Management Plan (QMP)
    ii. Quality Assurance Project Plan (QAPP)
    iii. Field Sampling Plan (FSP); Work Plan (WP); Sampling and Analysis Plan (SAP)
    iv. Coordination of laboratory and field sampling activities
d. Issues in Field Sampling
    i. Preparation
    ii. Implementation/Communication
    iii. Corrective Action
iv. Post-Sampling Review
e. Data Quality Indicators
    i. Precision
    ii. Accuracy
    iii. Representativeness
    iv. Reproducibility
    v. Completeness
f. Data Quality Assessment I: Statistical Methods
g. Data Quality Assessment II: Data Verification and Data Validation
h. Data Quality for Decision-making and Defensibility

 

About the Instructor

Dr. Deb Gaynor

Dr. Deb Gaynor

Dr. Gaynor has more than 30 years of analytical chemistry and environmental management and consulting experience. For eleven years she worked closely with the USEPA through the Contract Laboratory Program (CLP). In 2000, she founded Phoenix Chemistry Services, to provide expert analytical chemistry consulting services, data validation, and quality assurance services to laboratories and engineering companies performing hazardous site investigation and remediation services as well as long-term monitoring for all environmental contaminants in solids, liquids, air, sediment, and biota. She has extensive experience in the development and performance of analyses of environmental samples on GC and GC/MS systems, while ensuring compliance with quality assurance programs. She has managed the GC/MS section of a large environmental laboratory, and has worked as the Quality Assurance Officer of a microbiology laboratory. Dr. Gaynor has provided software training for chromatographic instrumentation in laboratories serving the needs of environmental, petrochemical, pharmaceutical, and clinical industries.She has also developed and taught in-house courses for laboratory personnel on chromatography and quality assurance. Dr. Gaynor is a member of The NELAC Institute Chemistry Expert Committee. 

What to Bring

A personal laptop with Excel and a pen or pencil and paper if you prefer not to write in your course manual. 

Billing Information

In order to guarantee a space in a course, the tuition must be paid in full TWO WEEKS before the first day of the course by either check or credit card. State and government agencies paying with a purchase order are allowed payment under the two-week time frame if a copy of the purchase order is received by NWETC.

If You Need to Cancel

Cancellations*

  • With 31 or more days notice, we will offer a 100% refund or credit towards a future course. The credit is good for one year and may be applied to any course.
  • With 30-8 days notice, we will offer a course credit towards a future course. The credit is good for one year and may be applied to any course.
  • With fewer than 8 days notice, there is no course credit available


*Please note that attendee replacement is welcome at any time

Disability Accommodations

Disability Accommodations:

To request disability accommodations, please contact us at info@nwetc.org or 425-270-3274 at least 30 days prior to the event.


Directions

  • From:

  • To:
  •   TBD Tukwila, WA TBD

Accommodations

 



*Reduced tuition available to employees of Native American tribes, nonprofits, and government agencies; students; and NAEP members.

If you have any trouble registering please call (425) 270-3274 ext 103
Please wait to receive a course confirmation email, roughly one month prior to the class, before making any travel arrangements. Please review what to bring!

 

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