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Applying Data Integrity to Field Activities Training
In 2006, the Office of Inspector General (OIG) in the US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) issued a report dedicated to improving drinking water laboratory integrity (Report No. 2006-P-00036). While focused on laboratory data integrity, the authors recognized that field activities (including field measurements and sample collection) were subject to vulnerabilities and lapses in data integrity. The NELAC Institute (TNI), in its standard “General Requirements for Field Sampling and Measurement Organizations (FSMO)”, outlined requirements for a robust data integrity program. The integrity of the collected sample is key to providing clients with test results of known and verifiable quality. If the original sample does not represent the source, the test results are useless. The concept of data integrity has been a long-neglected subject in field operations but is an integral component that serves to ensure the collection of proper and representative samples.
It is imperative that field operations understand the need for data integrity and address the vulnerable activities that could result in unintentional or deliberate actions that could impact sample representativeness.
This course will introduce the field community to the concept of data integrity, and how the implementation of procedures that enhance the ability of an organization to ensure that their records, field measurements, and collected samples are collected under a system that not only supports data integrity and ethical behavior but provides the assurance that the information are accurate and true.
Greater awareness of data integrity - the good and the bad. Understand how good data integrity practices can discourage unethical or unacceptable practices.
- Understands the definitions of data integrity and quality systems.
- Understands how a robust quality system can deter inappropriate behaviors.
- Knows how to formulate an Ethics and Data Integrity policies.
- Understands the difference between intentional and non-intentional field improper practices.
- Understands the consequences of poor performance, unethical behavior or any activity that might misrepresent the quality of the organization’s work
- Familiar with examples of improper sample collection practices (i.e., erroneous sampling site, lack of field instrument calibration, improper well purging, etc.)
- Knows how to detect and deter unethical behavior.
- Understands how to address Conflict of Interest.
- Familiar with published documents regarding sample collection vulnerabilities (i.e., OIG Evaluation Report No. 2006-P-00036 (Promising Techniques Identified to Improve Drinking Water Laboratory Integrity and Reduce Public Health Risks).
- Understands the requirements related to ethics and data integrity in Sections 4.2.8 and 5.2.2.2 of the FSMO-V1-ISO-2014-Rev.2.0: General Requirements for FSMOs standard.