The Agency's Laboratories Seibersdorf and Vienna

QUALITY POLICY STATEMENT

Mission

The International Atomic Energy Agency is seeking to accelerate and enlarge the contribution of Atomic Energy to peace, health and prosperity throughout the world. The Agency shall encourage and assist research and make provisions for materials, services, equipment and facilities to meet the needs of its Member States. The Agency shall establish, apply and administer international safeguards designed to ensure, within its abilities, that special fissionable and other materials, services, facilities, equipment and information are only used for peaceful purposes.

Within this context, the Mission of the Agency's Laboratories at Seibersdorf and Vienna is:

in the field of international safeguards:
to provide analytical data and services, in support of Agency inspections, which ensure the credibility of the operation of international safeguards and the monitoring in compliance with the signatories of the Safeguards Agreements to the commitments made to the Agency and the International Community;

in the field of nuclear science, technologies and their applications:
through technology transfer, services and research, to contribute to the implementation of the Agency's programmes on sustainable development by the effective use of nuclear sciences in protection of the environment, food and agriculture, human health, industry, physical and chemical sciences, and the management of water resources.

Quality Objectives

The quality policy represents the commitment of all parts of the Agency's Laboratories to implement the Agency's programme, as approved by the General Conference and within their mandate and abilities, to fully satisfy the requirements of the Member States.

Its general objectives are:

To ensure that the management of the laboratories, the services provided to its counterparts in Member States and within the Secretariat, and its calibrations and measurements are maintained and performed in accordance with the principles of a quality system established in compliance with relevant quality standards such as ISO

To ensure that all activities and services are performed following established procedures and methods agreed to by its partners within the Agency and in the Member States;

To ensure that all staff members involved in activities within the scope of the quality management system are aware of the quality policy, its documentation and implementation, and continuously evaluate opportunities for improving the Laboratories' performance;

To maintain the Laboratories as an internationally recognized focal point for nuclear research, development and training;

To provide the Laboratories' personnel with a stimulating and rewarding environment;

To achieve these objectives in a safe, efficient and effective manner

Quality Commitment

The Laboratories are committed to achieving these objectives through the implementation of a quality system structured to address, as applicable, the criteria given in international standards of the ISO 9000 series and other relevant international standards and guides. The quality system shall be further developed to meet international best practice in activities carried out.

The laboratory management at all hierarchical levels, hereby represented by the Laboratory Director, fully committed to endorsing the quality policy, to achieving the quality objectives and to implementing the quality system. Overall responsibility for the implementation of the quality system resides with the Laboratory Director supported by a proper quality organizational structure.

Laboratory and Unit Heads shall be responsible for the development, implementation and maintenance of the quality system in their respective Laboratories and Units in accordance with this policy;

The achievement of the quality required in the performance of a specific task shall rest with the staff assigned to the task;

The Laboratories' staff shall be provided with a stimulating environment, rewarding safety, efficiency and effectiveness;

Progress towards the achievement of the quality objectives of the Laboratories' constituent parts shall be evaluated;

The implementation of the quality policy and the maintenance of the quality system shall be verified and monitored on a regular basis;

Adequate resources shall be provided to implement the quality policy.