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The National Mine Action Policy approved in 2007 covered the QA/QC in its articles 15 through 18 as the following:
Article 15.
1. Quality Assurance and Control Officers (QA/QC Officers) shall carry out the supervision and inspection of all mine action activities according to National Standards.
2. The QA/QC officers shall be a separate section of the LMAC and shall report to the Director in order to provide independent quality control and assurance of mine action activities and to avoid any potential conflicts of interest.
3. The LMAC authorises the QA/QC officer for the fulfilment of their duties.
Article 16.
1. During the conduct of demining activities, the QA/QC officer shall ensure compliance with National Standards and Procedures.
2. Upon the completion of clearance activities, the QA/QC officers shall ensure that a quality assurance evaluation of the clearance task has been completed in accordance with National Standards.
Article 17.
In case of major irregularities or severe violations of national mine action standards the mine action operator may lose either individual or organisational accreditation.
Article 18.
1. Mine action implementation agencies shall have the right to appeal the decisions made by the QA/QC officer.
2. First level appeals shall be made no later than three days after QA/QC officer’s decision to the Director LMAC. The Director LMAC shall respond to appeals within eight days of receipt.
3. Second level appeals shall be made to the LMAA no later than 7 days after receipt of the response to the First Level appeal. The LMAA shall make a decision no later than 14 days after receipt of the Second Level appeal.
The QA/QC Section Head is responsible for the following functions:
a. Check that all of the clearance organizations have their relevant documents up to date and in place in order for accreditation and licensing.
b. Carry out the accreditation of the clearance organizations assets prior to commencement of clearance activities.
c. The clearance organizations SOP’s are amended in order to fall in line with National Standards.
d. Allocate tasks to the LMAC QA Officers on a weekly basis.
e. Ensure the safety of the QA officers and know their whereabouts at all times.
f. Conduct Boards of Inquiry into accidents and incidents.
g. Attend coordination and operations meetings.
h. Provide technical advice to both the LMAC and the clearance organizations.
i. Conduct a final check of completion dossiers to ensure that clearance and handovers are in accordance with IMAS and National Standards.
j. Monitor the QA Inspection reports and ensure that they are correctly entered in the database.
k. Inspect, monitor or evaluate technical aspects of the operations in the country when directed, including monitoring mine survey and clearance activities, monitoring the conduct of training courses and internal evaluation processes in all mine/UXO clearance operations.
l. Production of TSG amendments.
QA Officers Role (MANUAL AND MECHANICAL):
The primary role of the QA/QC Officer is to observe and report and he is responsible to the LMAC QA/QC Section Head. When conducting Mechanical evaluations he is to be fully conversant with the parameters of the mechanical machines used with the mechanical SOP’s of the clearance organisation operating the machine. The QA/QC officer is also responsible for conducting the following functions:
a. Conduct on site external QA evaluations of mine clearance organisations in accordance with the LMAC QA schedule.
b. The comprehensive completion of the QA evaluation forms after conducting QA assessments.
c. Provide immediate feedback to the clearance organisation with the results of the QA assessment.
d. Give weekly feedback to the LMAC QA team on all QA evaluations conducted.
e. The immediate reporting to the LMAC QA/QC Section Head of any major breaches in safety, which would mean the closure of that particular site.
f. Ensure that safety procedures, communications and casualty evacuation arrangements are appropriate prior to the commencement of work at any task site, and throughout the duration of the task.
g. Technical Assistance to clearance organizations operations.
h. Observe and report on the clearance organizations internal QA/QC in accordance with the organizations SOPs.
i. Cease on-site operations if safety procedures are not being followed or clearance is not as per the LMAC clearance plan.
j. Assist with or conduct Boards of Inquiry into accidents and incidents.
k. Compile all QA documentation following a site visit.
l. Assist with or conduct completion handovers as necessary.
COMPLETIONS OFFICER
The Completions Officer is employed to carry out the completion handovers of a cleared area from the LMAC and the landowner. The Completions Officer reports to the LMAC QA/QC Section Head and is responsible for the following:
a. The clearance organization IMSMA completion report is filled out accurately.
b. The task dossier is complete with all relevant information to the particular site included inside the dossier.
c. Walking the cleared area and checking that the turning points bearings and distances are correct.
d. The site schematic diagram is a true reflection of the site
e. Liasing with the community liaison officers to arrange the attendance of landowners and Mukhtars at handoverss.
f. Explaining to the landowner and Mukthar what clearance has taken place on the site.
g. Completing the Completion QAE form.
h. Rejecting land that has not been cleared in accordance with the clearance plan.
i. Collating and filing all original QAE forms on a site-by-site basis.
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