News

Following a successful audit by the American Association for Laboratory Accreditation (A2LA), the Cayman Islands Forensic Science Laboratory accreditation to international ISO 17025 standards for forensic testing was renewed for another four years.

“The reaccreditation recognises the continued quality work that we at the Cayman Islands Forensic Science Laboratory perform according to international standards, so the people in our islands can have confidence in their test results,” said Forensic Quality Manager Angela Tanzillo-Swarts.

The Cayman Islands Forensic Science Laboratory has maintained its accreditation since 2009 and it undergoes annual internal audits and biennial external audits.

The international accreditation process focused on areas such as maintenance of equipment, qualification and competency of the scientists, and verification of methodologies. A laboratory’s fulfillment of the requirements means the laboratory possesses both the technical competence and management system that are necessary for it to deliver technically sound and valid test results consistently.

“The road to accreditation and reaccreditation involves hard work, consistency, and a dedicated team. Our laboratory continues to succeed in the process of continuous assessment and improvement, maintaining its credibility and ability to compete and succeed on the world stage,” said Deputy Medical Director of the Health Services Authority, Dr. Courtney Cummings.

The Cayman Islands Forensic Science Laboratory is an established multifunctional, state of the art laboratory, operated by the Cayman Islands Health Services Authority in Grand Cayman. It offers expertise in a number of areas, including forensic biology and DNA testing, DNA databasing services, DNA paternity testing, forensic toxicology testing, forensic drug analysis, pathology, and forensic criminalistics testing in selected areas.

Visit www.hsa.ky or call (345) 949-8600 for more information and services offered at the HSA.