Economic services Minister Joseph Bonnici on Wednesday inaugurated the new premises of the Malta National Laboratory Co. Ltd at San Gwann Industrial Estate.
The MNL is a pivotal element in the country's infrastructure, particularly with regard to consumer benefits, industrial production and the free movement of goods.
Its prime function is that while the Malta Standards Authority and other international standards authorities lay out the requisite specifications for various goods and services, the Malta National Laboratory measures these specifications so that one can determine whether a product or service conforms to the specifications.
The state-of-the-art analytical equipment installed in the laboratory (some of which was never available in Malta) was mostly purchased with European Union pre-accession funds.
The premises were leased from the Malta Development Corporation and the Malta Government Investment Services provided the share capital of Lm200,000 for the company to be set up in December 1999. Malta Investment Management Company Limited (MIMCOL) provides advisory and consultancy services.
On Malta's accession to the EU, unless goods are certified by another laboratory of a EU member state, MNL certification would be required for imports and exports to and from Malta to be granted access to the EU market including Malta. For example a particular paint, fertilizer, etc. coming from Japan would need to be certified by MNL. Once certified, the product would then have freedom of movement throughout all the EU member states.
Goods made in Malta, once certified by MNL would enjoy unhindered access to the EU markets upon accession.
The need for an accredited national scientific facility to undertake testing activities in Malta had long been recognized. The spur to establish such a facility arose from the need to provide Malta with the capability to carry out conformity testing on consumer goods, pharmaceuticals and other products. The availabilty of such a service was an integral part of the National Plan for the Adoption of the Acquis in preparation for Malta's EU membership.
The equipping of the Malta National Laboratory was funded by the EU through the third financial protocol with an investment of Lm1.2 million. The company amalgamated with the functions of the previous Standards Laboratory and was housed in the Evans Laboratories Building in Merchant Street, Valletta, but it soon became evident that both the space and location were inadequate. This led to the move to the current premises.
Structure
The activity of Malta National Laboratory is currently focused on five main divisions, each division being a testing laboratory in its own right. These are the Chemical, Biological, Forensic, Engineering and the Building & Construction divisions.
The Chemical Division has the analytical capability to undertake analysis of food and beverages in terms of constituents, additives and contaminants. The international market and the EU place particularly high standards from food products and beverages placed on the market for consumer consumption.
The division also undertakes a wide range of environmental testing such as that of seawater, wastewater and effluents in order that providers can ensure compliance with legislative and regulatory requirements.
Another activity of this division is the analysis of textile materials, medical gases and will shortly be providing pharmaceutical testing services for both the public and private sectors.
The Biology Division provides microbiological testing services, primarily in food and environmental samples to Government and the hospitality sector.
The Engineering Division undertakes conformity testing of a wide range of consumer products such as, shoes, paints, textiles, building fixtures including pipes, and other consumer items. It is currently checking on electromagnetic radiation from cellular antennae on behalf of the regulatory authority.
Tests undertaken by the Forensic Division include serology or blood testing, analysis of illicit drugs and poisons. Its staff members are undergoing training as court experts for finger print certification and it is participating in international programmes to combat drug trafficking. It is intended to develop DNA, handwriting and gun shot residue analysis within the next twelve months.
The Forensic Division, through its trained and qualified personnel will provide the Judiciary with autonomous and impartial testing expertise to confirm or otherwise evidence presented to it. To further achieve this end MNL will be commercially acquiring sophisticated equipment such as the scanning electron microscope currently being housed within the General Police Headquarters.
The recent White Paper issued by the Ministry of Justice recommends further services to be provided by the National Laboratory. Once the appropriate agreements are put in place the Forensic division of MNL would be honoured to provide such services.
The Building and Construction Division undertakes the testing of building materials such as aggregate, cement, asphalt, kerb linings, and tensile steel rods.
This division is a concrete example of private sector-public sector partnership because MNL succeeded in merging the government laboratory at Kordin with that of a private laboratory operated by the company Harrison and Co. to provide a more exhaustive service. This joint-venture operation also undertakes core sampling and the investigation of prospective building sites to certify the suitability of sites to bear the weight of edifices scheduled to be built on them.
The MNL also undertakes specialised projects such as the surveying of residential and industrial areas for electro-magnetic emissions from mobile phone stations as already mentioned.
In association with the International Atomic Energy Agency, the Malta National Laboratory has embarked on a project to set up a radioanalytical laboratory, to measure low-level radioactivity in food and environmental samples, and to provide workplace monitoring as required.
This laboratory, which will be the first testing facility of its kind in Malta, will form part of a wider national response plan in this area and it will thereby make possible the provision of such testing services and a level of protection to consumers and other individuals much higher than any previously available.
The Malta National Laboratory has entered into long-term agreements to provide testing services to a number of public entities such as the Customs Department and the Environment Protection Department.
Mission
The mission of the Malta National Laboratory is to incorporate most of the various spread out government laboratories, train its staff and equip itself to be an autonomous provider of scientific conformity testing services and consultancy capable of serving the needs of the public and private sectors in a customer-oriented manner in compliance with international operational and quality standards. The cornerstones of the MNL's activities are competence, autonomy, impartiality and confidentiality.
Vision
The laboratory's vision goes beyond its national mission and local horizon. It is currently seeking a strategic partner, an international player in the laboratory services industry which would enable it to become a regional testing facility providing services to neighbouring governments and multinational companies.
In developing this vision the laboratory has embarked on a quality programme leading to ISO 17025 accreditation which is the international standard recognizing the technical competences of analytical laboratories.
Nearly all the laboratory's staff and directors are university graduates (three Ph.Ds, several M.Scs, scientists, engineers, pharmacists and accountants) with several years of experience in their specialty.
Any enquiries on services provided by the company may be addressed to the General Manager, Josef N. Grech at the Malta National Laboratory Co. Ltd, UB14, San Gwann Industrial Estate, San Gwann, tel. 2149-6016, fax. 2149-6048 or by e-mail at info@mnl.com.mt.