Elaboración e implementación de un manual de calidad en los laboratorios: físico-químico y microbiológico de la empresa pública municipal de agua potable y alcantarillado Santo Domingo

Abstract

The Public Municipal Water and Sewage Company of Santo Domingo (EPMAPA-SD) does not operate with a Quality Manual, a tool that contributes significantly to the management and continuous improvement of the quality of the physical-chemical and microbiological laboratories within the company, which is why the company develops processes and activities in an empirical manner. The objective of this work was the elaboration and implementation of the Quality Manual for the physical-chemical and microbiological laboratories of EPMAPA-SD according to ISO/IEC 17025. The methodology implemented was of a descriptive non-experimental type both for the determination of the initial situation of the company in relation to quality issues, and the development of the Quality Manual, added to a documentary research for the collection of necessary information within the facilities and the existence or not of the minimum documentation required as stipulated by the ISO/IEC 17025:2018 Standard. The research was carried out using the following techniques: bibliographic analysis, internal technical visits, interviews and staff presentations. Through this methodology, the deficiencies of the laboratories were determined for the subsequent development of the Quality Manual based on ISO/IEC 17025: 2018 General requirements for the competence of testing and calibration laboratories, and its implementation was carried out and a potential progress in the quality of the laboratories were provided as results. It is concluded that according to the results obtained after the implementation this work was satisfactorily fulfilled due to the level of compliance evaluated with a considerable growth in quality assurance; thus, the company is committed to continuous improvement of laboratories through the implementation of the Manual.