To celebrate National Chemistry Week 2020, the Integrated Chemists of the Philippines (ICP) has organized a seminar-workshop on Risk and ISO/IEC 17025:2017. Dubbed “Risky Business”, this was held on February 17 at the Manila Elks Lodge in Makati and facilitated by international asessor and ICP honorary member Dr Edgar Paski. Despite the continuing threat of the novel coronavirus, the event was well-attended by around 150 participants, coming mostly from chemical laboratories that will undergo ISO 17025:2017 re-accreditation.
Dr Paski oriented the participants on the definition of risk — the effect of uncertainty on an organization’s ability to meet its objectives — and also discussed recent guidelines and developments on risk management and ISO/IEC 17025. Throughout the event, Dr Paski offered best practices and techniques on how an organization can best address its own set of risk and how to weather it to become an opportunity.
The participants were also treated to solving a few situation-type problems involving SWOT analysis and risk assessment, which should prove beneficial especially to those participants who are directly involved in their respective company’s risk profile.
Also in attendance was the honorable Adoracion Resurreccion, chair of the Board of Chemistry of the Professional Regulation Commission. She formally handed out licenses to operate (LTO) to chemical laboratories and gamely shed light on some issues regarding hazard pay.
Certainly, the participants gained a plethora of knowledge and practical wisdom on how to further improve their respective institutions on the issue of risk and ISO/IEC 17025:2017. The ICP would like to express its gratitude to them for attending this event, and for Dr Paski for graciously conducting it.