RMQA Holds Business Continuity Management Planning

Thirty-three IRRI staff from research, management services, operations, and external relations participated in a 2-day training workshop, Practical course on incident management and business continuity based on BS 25999, held on 1-2 December 2011 at the IRRI Guest House.

Richard Regalado, a qualified ISO 9001, ISO 27001, and BS 25999 lead assessor, was invited as course facilitator/tutor and discussed business continuity (BC) concepts and requirements of the BS 25999 standard.

Workshop activities included identification of crisis-prepared versus crisis -prone situations, strategies, policy review, prioritization of services, business impact analysis, risk assessment, and crisis communication. Sophie Clayton, head of IRRI Public Relations, joined the exercises on crisis communications.

RMQA Holds Chemical Waste Management Seminar

A training workshop/seminar, Chemical Waste Management, was held on 11 October 2011 at IRRI.

Charita Saloma Kwan of the Research and Analytical Services Laboratory under the Natural Sciences Research Institute, University of the Philippines-Diliman, was resource speaker for the workshop, which aimed to inform users on proper handling of various chemicals used in experiments, as well as develop effective strategies for managing laboratory waste.

One hundred fifty-three staff from various units at IRRI attended the workshop, which was organized by IRRI's Risk Management and Quality Assurance office.

Ms. Kwan spoke on the importance of reading the material safety data sheet (MSDS) of each chemical used in both laboratory and field experiments, as the MSDS contains information on toxicity, environmental hazards, and first aid and treatment, among others.

She also discussed chemical waste management and minimizing waste in experiments and other Institute activities.

Waste minimization strategies, Ms. Kwan said, cuts across offices and begins with purchasing, inventory control, chemical exchange, materials substitution, and procedures modification.

Glenn Enriquez, senior manager of IRRI's Safety and Security Services, introduced to the participants the only two IRRI staff authorized to handle chemical waste in the Institute: Rodelo Empalmado and Pablo Erasga.

RQMA Conducts Refresher Course on Proper Use of Laboratory Oven

A refresher course, Proper Use of the Laboratory Oven: Baking 101, was held on 22 September 2011 in IRRI.

The course aimed to enhance awareness of oven users in the laboratory with the risks related to improper use, such as oven fire, loss of samples, and quality and integrity of data.

Sixty-three participants attended from IRRI's various divisions.

Resource speakers were Menchu Bernardo, Risk Management and Quality Assurance (RMQA) senior manager (risks related to improper use of oven); Lithium Li, from YANA Chemodities, Inc. (technical aspects of the laboratory oven); Evangeline Ella (preventive maintenance); Rolly Torres (roles and responsibilities of oven users); and Glenn Enriquez, senior manager for Security and Safety Services (responding to oven fire).

A hands-on exercise on the proper use of the laboratory oven was facilitated by Ofie Namuco.

The course was organized by the RMQA team of IRRI's Crop and Environmental Sciences Division.

RMQA Holds Mass Metrology and Calibration Training Workshop

To address accuracy and traceability of data collected using weighing balance, a training workshop, Understanding the Principles of Mass Metrology and Corresponding Uncertainty Components in Mass Calibration, was held in 15 July 2011 at Umali Rooms B and C.

The course was held in 2 parts: (A) principles of mass calibration (lecture) and (B) hands-on calibration of weighing balances.

Seventy participants from laboratories around IRRI attended the workshop, which was organized by IRRI's Risk Management and Quality Assurance (RMQA) office and conducted by Roxan de Luna Roxas, quality and technical manager, Metrologie Concepts Solutions, Inc., Philippines.

Proper calibration of weighing instruments will ensure that measurement data generated are accurate and traceable to international weight standards.

RMQA Conducts First Mendeley Training Workshop

IRRI-RMQA and CPS are now offering their first FREE training workshop on Mendeley for the month of July 2011.

Anyone who writes papers for publication and secretaries who assist in preparing bibliographical entries/references are invited to join.

For further information, you can contact the IRRI Mendeley Advisors:

CPS: Darell Sison (x2703)RMQA: Icoy Mercado (x2969)