INTRODUCTION

1. The Institute in 1986 introduced the IKM Laboratory Accreditation Award for chemical laboratories and later in 1994 changed this to the IKM Quality Award to accord recognition to laboratories that have achieved competency in the practice of analytical work. This award was renamed as IKM Laboratory Excellence Award in 2001.

2. This award was designed to ensure the laboratory’s commitment to achieve excellence in providing quality and competent testing services pertaining to local legislation especially in the fields of health, safety and the environment.

3. Participating laboratories are required to operate a quality system according to the requirements as stipulated in MS ISO/IEC 17025. The requirements include:

• Appropriate management structure for implementation and monitoring of the quality system;
• Adequate control of test samples and has adequate and right resources for the scope of works; and
• Implement an effective quality assurance/control programmes to ensure validity of test results.

4. The award also requires laboratories to operate with safety and health features in the workplace. This includes: 

• Good laboratory design to facilitate safe operation;
• Staff responsible to health and safety aspects of laboratory;
• Hazard communication;
• Operation control over hazardous chemical and waste;
• Safe use of equipment; and
• Complying with local laws and regulations

Details of the requirements are given in the Self-Declaration and Verification Form (Form A). 

Laboratories meeting the criteria will be awarded a certificate. In addition, a plaque will be awarded to laboratories which have in the past been continuously awarded the IKM Laboratory Excellence Award or the IKM Quality Award for a certain number of years.The plaque will be awarded for the following 3 categories: 

IKM Laboratory Excellence Silver Award: 10 years

IKM Laboratory Excellence Gold Award: 15 years

IKM Laboratory Excellence Platinum Award: 20 years

Application for the Award is on a voluntary basis. The Award exercise is carried out annually and is on a calendar year basis.  All applications must reach the IKM Secretariat latest by 5.00 pm on 28 June each year. Participating laboratories will be assessed by assessors appointed by the IKM Laboratory Excellence Award Committee.  Assessment is expected to be carried out in months of July – September.

IKM PRESIDENT LABORATORY AWARD

This is a new category of award which will be awarded once every 3 years to laboratories with excellent achievement in the development of the professionalism and practice in chemistry. The first IKM President Laboratory Award was awarded in 2014 and the second IKM President Laboratory Award was awarded in 2017. The third IKM President Laboratory Award will be awarded in 2020. Laboratories which have been awarded the IKM Laboratory Excellence Award for 3 continuous years and have shown significant improvements and achievements will be nominated by the assessors for the IKM President Award in 2020.