RICE - Asbestos fibre counting; and UK/MMMF
RICE tests the proficiency of labs which measure airborne asbestos concentrations. IOM developed and, for over 20 years, operated the scheme on beghlaf of the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and the Health and Safety Laboratory. The UK/MMMF scheme was also developed and operated by IOM on behalf of the HSE. Both schemes are now operated by the HSE's Health and Safety Laboratory.
The IOM has published several papers and an IOM Research Report describing these fibre counting PT schemes, which are listed below:
- Crawford NP, Cowie AJ, Thorpe HL. British experience in operating the National Quality Assurance Scheme (RICE). In: Baunach F, ed. Proceedings of the fifth international colloquium on dust measuring technique and strategy. Johannesburg, October 1984. Held under the auspices of Asbestos International Association and South African Asbestos Producers Advisory Committee. (With Addendum). Johannesburg: SAAPAC, 19&5: 70-74.
- Crawford NP, Brown PW, Cowie AJ. The RICE and AFRICA schemes for asbestos fibre counting. Annals of Occupational Hygiene 1992; 36: 59 – 69.
- Crawford NP, Brown PW, Jones AD, Maclaren WM, Miller BG. Towards development of RICE to include low density samples from asbestos clearance operations. In: Brown RH, Curtis M, Saunders KJ, Vandendriessche S, eds. Clean air at work: new trends in assessment and measurement for the 1990S. The proceedings of an international symposium held in Luxembourg, 9-13 September 1991, organised by the Commission of the European Communities, Health and Safety Directorate and the Community Bureau of Reference. Cambridge: Royal Society of Chemistry, 1992: 463-465. (EUR 14214).
- Crawford NP. Recent developments in RICE and AFRICA. In: Asbestos International Association, National Institute of Occupational Health, Hungary. 7th International Colloquium on Dust Measurement Techniques and Strategy, Budapest, Hungary, 19-21 November 1991. Paris: AIA, 1992.
- Brown PW, Crawford NP, Jones AD, Miller BG, Maclaren WM. Development of the Regular Interlaboratory Counting Exchanges (RICE) Scheme to include visual reference counts and samples from asbestos clearance operations. Annals of Occupational Hygiene 1994; 38: 687-703.
- Brown PW, Jones AD, Miller BG. (2002). Developments in the RICE Asbestos Fibre Counting Scheme, 1992-2000. Annals of Occupational Hygiene; 46: 329-339.
- Jones AD, Arroyo MC, Grosjean R, Tylee B, Miller BG, and Brown P. (2005) A Comparison of Fibre Counting Across Three European National Proficiency Testing Schemes. Annals of Occupational Hygiene; 49: 309-324.
- Jones AD, Brown PW. (2006). Report on the Training Exercise to help RICE laboratories prepare for the change to the current counting scheme. (IOM Report TM/06/03).
Proficiency testing schemes operated by IOM include:
AFRICA | WHO/EURO/MMMF