Blog Post
Laboratory
My name is Joe, I am the Quality Manager for our laboratory. For this blog, I will try to introduce our laboratory, as well as give an insight into what is going on with us at the moment.
INTRODUCTION
Since Causeway was founded in 2012, it has always had a lab. Although with just a handful of staff, it was difficult to offer the wide range of testing required for many of the contracts being carried out by the company. When I joined the lab team in 2014, we had 5 staff.
Since then, I have seen a huge commitment to making the laboratory capable of handling the testing demands of the company as it continues to grow. Investment in our premises, equipment and staff have allowed us to keep up with all the samples coming our way from near and far.
We have our main office in Ballymoney, plus offices in Belfast and Dublin, along with several projects on (or off) mainland UK. But our lab at HQ is where all the testing takes place.
WHAT’S HAPPENING?
We attained accreditation from UKAS in 2018 to ensure the quality of our work. December sees our yearly visit from UKAS to check we are still achieving the same testing standards. A time of year where senior and junior technicians alike tell tales of all kinds sickness and amnesia to avoid being asked to do a demonstration of a test procedure they have carried out a hundred times.
Over the past few years, we have come to realise the yearly audit, which used to bring such trepidation, is not so bad after all. So much so we have requested an extra visit next year, with a view to adding a few more tests to our scope for 2024.
Also, as I write, we are currently carrying out a bit of a remodel of our lab and storage facilities. Not for the first time, we are aiming to best utilise the space within our lab to accommodate some new equipment. A brand-new storage facility is underway to keep up with the increase in samples being received, with work to be completed early in the new year.
WORKLOAD
The addition of a dedicated Marine section to our business, mentioned on our last blog, along with several large ongoing projects on land has meant this year has been our busiest yet in the laboratory. However, now with a more experienced group of around 20 staff, we have been able to keep up with our increased workload and are looking forward to whatever challenges 2024 may have in store.
After a well-earned week or two off of course.
Find out more about our Laboratory
