Welcome to the Spring issue of the BMTA Newsletter
This Spring we cover the theme: agile practices in standards, testing, measurement and calibration. Jeff Ruddle’s article regarding the ISO/IEC 17011 revision discusses how more focus has been placed on accreditation bodies taking a risk-based approach to the planning and conduct of assessments.
Paul Greenwood, also profiled in our new BMTA Council Member feature, takes a look at how flexible scopes of accreditation can provide a mechanism to allow accredited organisations to undertake new or modified activities. Professor Samia Nefti-Meziani explores robotics, soft cobots and cognitive automation and how they can offer an overarching approach towards a human-centred smart production environment.
Jeff Llewellyn explores this year’s World Accreditation Day theme, which will highlight how accreditation and accredited conformity assessment activities can support the implementation of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. While on the subject of sustainability, Dr Elinor Hughes tells us that despite reports that our soil health is under threat, it has been overlooked in UK environment policy in recent decades.
Our member company profile features Autoscribe Informatics and its Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) solution, Matrix Gemini.
Enjoy the read.
Laura Vallis
Editor – BMTA Newsletter
editor@bmta.co.uk
THE FEATURES INCLUDE:
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PAGE 3 – MEET OUR NEWSLETTER CONTRIBUTORS
PAGE 4 – NEWS
PAGE 8 – THE IMPACT OF IMPORT / EXPORT CONTROLS BETWEEN THE UK AND EU ON TESTING, EXAMINATION OR CALIBRATION
By Laura Vallis, Editor, BMTA Newsletter
In response to member concerns, BMTA undertook a survey of accredited organisations to help understand the impact that the changes to the Import and Re-export of goods from the EU are having on Calibration, Measurement and Testing businesses. We publish the findings of this survey.
PAGE 10 – HMRC BRIEF 15 AND ITS POTENTIAL IMPACT FOR THE METROLOGY AND TESTING INDUSTRY
By David Hooper MBA, Managing Director of Hooper and Co International Trade Consultancy Ltd
David Hooper of Hooper and Co International Trade Consultancy Ltd looks at three potential HMRC authorisations that could be sought for the temporary movement of goods across borders.
PAGE 13 – THE APPLICATION OF FLEXIBLE SCOPES IN ACCREDITATION
By Paul Greenwood, UKAS Operations Director
Flexible scopes of accreditation provide a mechanism to allow accredited organisations to undertake new or modified activities within their scope of accreditation. Paul Greenwood, UKAS Operations Director discusses.
PAGE 14 – SOFT COBOTS FOR SEMI-AUTONOMOUS METROLOGY: TOWARDS INDUSTRY5.0
By Professor Samia Nefti-Meziani
Professor Samia Nefti-Meziani takes a look at robotics, cobots and cognitive automation and how they offer an overarching approach towards a human-centred smart production environment.
PAGE 16 – SOIL ANALYSIS TO ASSESS SOIL HEALTH AND CONTAMINATION
By Dr Elinor Hughes, Technical Copywriter at Markes International
Despite reports that the health of our soil is under threat from climate change, population growth, urban development, waste, pollution and the demand for more food and crops for bioenergy, soil has been overlooked in UK environment policy in recent decades. Article by Dr Elinor Hughes, Technical Copywriter at Markes International.
PAGE 20 – RISK BASED UKAS ASSESSMENTS
By Jeff Ruddle, Strategic Development Director, UKAS
The revision of ISO/IEC 17011 “Conformity assessment — Requirements for accreditation bodies accrediting conformity assessment bodies” in 2017 placed more focus on accreditation bodies taking a risk-based approach to the planning and conduct of assessments. Jeff Ruddle, Strategic Development Director, UKAS tells us more
PAGE 21 – COMPANY PROFILE – AUTOSCRIBE INFORMATICS
You may have heard of Autoscribe Informatics and its Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) solution, Matrix Gemini. People tend to assume that Autoscribe is USA based but in fact it is a home-grown success with a UK development team. Find out more about Autoscribe in our profile feature.
PAGE 22 – WORLD ACCREDITATION DAY
By Jeff Llewellyn, President, BMTA, and non-Executive Director, UKAS
World Accreditation Day 2021, celebrated annually on June 9th, will highlight how accreditation and accredited conformity assessment activities can support the implementation of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals; a series of 17 objectives that have been developed and adopted by United Nations member states as part of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
PAGE 24 – COUNCIL MEMBER PROFILE
Paul Greenwood, Divisional Director, UKAS
To help us provide our BMTA members with useful information we would like your help to:
- identify and share relevant topics;
- provide research on new technologies or techniques;
- let us know industry news;
- promote events and training sessions;
- inform us of publications you think may be of interest to your fellow BMTA members.
If you would like to contribute to the next issue of the BMTA Newsletter please contact editor@bmta.co.uk with a brief synopsis.
Equally, should your business produce any information, white papers or interviews that you would like to share, please submit this to enquiries@bmta.co.uk.