Released On 3rd May 2022
Bulk and Stand-Alone Sample Analysis: A Look Under the Microscope
TEAMS supports a fully functional lab system, capable of processing samples collected by your own surveyors, as well as stand-alone sample jobs that are generated from third parties, or from surveys that have not been undertaken using the mobile TEAMS system.
Bulk Sample Analysis
Samples that are collected as part of an asbestos survey, are automatically assigned the corresponding site references and notes, once the surveyor transfers the survey from the mobile TEAMS system, TEAMS will automatically set the job up, in the Outstanding Sample Reports section, ready to receive the results
Stand-alone Sample Analysis
Stand-alone analysis jobs are required when the samples are supplied directly by a third party or a consultancy, where an asbestos survey has been carried out without using the mobile TEAMS system.
When the samples are received at the laboratory, a new stand-alone sample job will need to be created within TEAMS. The number of samples, sample descriptions and any site references will need to be entered into TEAMS, which can be done by simply filling out a spreadsheet template, before the samples can be checked in.
Once complete, the job will appear in the Outstanding Sample Reports section as normal, ready to be analysed.
For any samples received via Sample Exchange, when the samples have been received, laboratory users will be able to download the job itself from Sample Exchange. This will contain all of the relevant sample details collected during the survey, and once checked in, the results can be analysed as normal.
Recording observations
The TEAMS analysis software itself is compatible with either a touchscreen or with a mouse, lab technicians can use TEAMS to track and record sample observations as they perform the sample analysis in the lab.
As each individual sample observation is selected onscreen, TEAMS builds up and finally suggests a suspected fibre type which the technician can choose to agree with, override, or discard the analysis. This in turn saves the current set of observations and presents a new screen to the technician ready to begin again.
Multiple fibre observations can be stored against individual samples and once an overall result has been established, this result is in turn, automatically saved against the sample.
Final approval and Sample QC
To complement the TEAMS sample analysis system, the built in sample QC function allows you to easily monitor, perform and review sample QC checks. Once the samples have been analysed, the results are automatically stored against the samples along with the technician who performed the analysis, the sample classification if required, and any appropriate notes recorded during the analysis.
The QC overview screen has been designed to be the central hub where all information can be viewed at a glance to give users an overview of the labs workload.
Commonly requested information has been grouped together, and allows the user to quickly and accurately find when and where sample QC has taken place and needs to take place. This can be done for individual lab technicians or for the whole lab team collectively.
Alongside the overview information, a detailed log of all samples analysed on a given day is shown along with the individual technician's automatic points tally for all samples analysed. This allows you to see at a glance their progress as well as cherry pick samples to be quality checked.
Before the bulk sample analysis report can be produced, the results must be approved by the approving officer. Once approved, the signature of the approver is applied to the report and time stamped.
Once the approval process is completed, the report is moved automatically to the completed sample reports section. All reports can be generated again at any point by simply clicking the PDF icon next to the completed report.
Find out more
To find out more about TEAMS Sample Analysis, click here.
Category: Asbestos
