The NHA was recently informed that its Laboratory has during 2021 yet again achieved a 100% score within the Association of Official Racing Chemists (AORC) international laboratory proficiency testing program for horseracing laboratories.
The International Federation of Horseracing Authorities (IFHA) has a range of prohibited and forbidden substances which need to be detected at specified sensitivities. This proficiency program, overseen by the AORC, tests the abilities of the participating laboratories in achieving these demanding requirements. The urine and plasma (blood) specimens are supplied blind and each could contain no substance or up to several substances - which must be detected and then also correctly identified.
In addition, similar to previous years, several batches of negative NHA racing specimens were, during the past 12 months, re-analysed at several overseas racing laboratories. Again the overseas tests confirmed with a 100% result that such negative specimens of the NHA did not contain prohibited substances.
The above was achieved within the control of an international ISO/IEC 17025 chemical and biological testing laboratories quality control system. This has been in place since 1994 and was yet again recently upgraded at the NHA Laboratory. Also important is ongoing compliance to the racing quality standard ILAC-G7 (which prescribes accreditation requirements and operating criteria for horseracing laboratories). Compliance by the NHA Laboratory to these two standards is overseen by the national accreditation body SANAS (the South African National Accreditation System).
Our above quality compliance, racing standard compliance and the international standing of our Laboratory has confirmation in the fact that racing jurisdictions such as England, France and Hong Kong have the confidence in the NHA Laboratory for it to act as a confirmatory analysis laboratory for their positive findings, as and when this is required.
The NHA is proud of the above achievements, despite the operational, supply and other difficulties which laboratories are experiencing during the current pandemic situation.
Well done however there are more local and international accreditation's besides the ones connected to horse racing. Not wanting to be negative but it is easy to blow a trumpet when nobody else can see the music notes.
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