Guidance for Developing Quality Systems for Environmental Programs

By Environmental Protection Agency

Book Id: WPLBN0000124935
Format Type: PDF eBook:
File Size: 0.6 MB
Reproduction Date: 2007

Title:	Guidance for Developing Quality Systems for Environmental Programs
Author:	Environmental Protection Agency
Volume:
Language:	English
Subject:	Ecology, Natural resource issues, Environemtal protection
Collections:	Environmental Awareness Library Collection
Historic Publication Date:
Publisher:	United States Environmental Protection Agency


Citation APA MLA Chicago Protection Agency, B. E. (n.d.). Guidance for Developing Quality Systems for Environmental Programs. Retrieved from http://gutenberg.cc/

Description
Excerpt: FOREWORD The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has developed an Agency-wide program of quality systems for environmental data. EPA’s Quality System requires documentation of both management and technical activities. This document, Guidance for Developing EPA Quality Systems for Environmental Programs, provides methods and tools for developing and documenting the elements of a functional quality system. It is pertinent to organizations that carry out environmental data operations within or for EPA.

Table of Contents
TABLE OF CONTENTS Page INTRODUCTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 1.1 PURPOSE AND SCOPE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 1.2 SUPERSESSION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 1.3 PERIOD OF APPLICABILITY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 1.4 HOW TO USE THIS GUIDANCE DOCUMENT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 ELEMENTS OF A QUALITY SYSTEM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 2.1 THE EPA QUALITY SYSTEM MODEL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 2.1.1 Specifications for EPA Organizations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 2.1.2 Specifications for Non-EPA Organizations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 2.2 QUALITY SYSTEM STANDARDS AND MODELS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 2.2.1 Elements of the ANSI/ASQC E4-1994 Quality System Standard . . . . . . . . 10 2.2.2 Other Quality System Standards and Models . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 HOW TO DEVELOP A QUALITY SYSTEM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 3.1 OVERVIEW OF THE QUALITY SYSTEM DEVELOPMENT PROCESS . . . . . 13 3.1.1 Quality Systems for Small Organizations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 3.2 INITIATION ACTIVITIES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 3.2.1 Senior Management Commitment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 3.2.2 Quality System Development Team . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 3.2.3 Establish Quality Policy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 3.2.4 Analyze Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 3.2.5 Inventory Existing Quality Procedures and Practices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 3.2.6 Obtain Management Approvals, Resources for Development . . . . . . . . . . . 23 3.3 DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 3.3.1 Assign Tasks and Develop Detailed Schedule . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 3.3.2 Analyze Work Processes Using a Quality System Model . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 3.3.3 Write Standard Operating Procedures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 3.3.4 Write a Quality Management Plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 3.3.5 Develop Supporting Systems and Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 3.3.6 Conduct Detailed Compliance Audit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 3.3.7 Obtain Management Approvals and Resources for Implementation . . . . . . . 34 3.4 IMPLEMENTATION AND START-UP ACTIVITIES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 3.4.1 Determine the Implementation Strategy and Schedule . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 3.4.2 Publish and Distribute Quality Management Plan and Quality Procedures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 3.4.3 Training . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38