Sop

STANDARD OPERATING
PROCEDURE
(SOP)
Supervised by Dr./ kadria

Prepared by ph./Shaimaa Ahmadeen

•DEFINITION
•INTRODUCTION
•CONTENTS OF SOP
•PURPOSE
•BENEFITS
•WRITING STYLE
•SOP PREPARATION
•SOP REVIEW AND APPROVAL
•REVISIONS AND REVIEWS
•CHECKLISTS
•SOP GENERAL FORMAT
•TYPES OF SOPS
•EXAMPLES SOP FOR ANALYTICAL INSTRUMENTS

DEFINITION
A Standard Operating Procedure
(SOP) is a set of written
instructions that document a
routine or repetitive activity
followed by an organization.

3

INTRODUCTION
The development and use of SOPs
are an integral part of a successful
quality system as it provides
individuals with the information to
perform a job properly, and facilitates
consistency in the quality and
integrity of a product or end-result.

4

 The term “SOP” may not always be
appropriate and terms such as protocols,
instructions, worksheets, and laboratory
operating procedures may also be used.
For this document “SOP” will be used.

 SOPs describe both technical and
fundamental programmatic operational
elements of an organization

5

CONTENTS OF SOP
Since each institute operates and
functions differently depending on
varying circumstances, and has its
own ways of carrying out certain
procedures, the SOPs in different
factories will differ. However, the
basic content, structure, and the
concepts of SOPs will obviously be
the same.
6

Some of the important contents of
SOPs are :
 Name & Address of the company
 SOP number, and Date when the SOP was
prepared/reviewed.
 Aim or Objective of the SOP
 Scope of the SOP
(area which will be covered by the SOP)
 Process/Steps to be carried out, in sequential
order.
 Whose responsibility it is to carry out the SOP.
 Any other useful information
 Name and signature of the person/s who
made/reviewed the SOPs, along with date of
7
review.

PURPOSE
 SOPs detail the regularly recurring work
processes that are to be conducted or followed
within an organization.

 Theydocument the way activities are to be
performed to facilitate consistent conformance to
technical and quality system requirements and to
support data quality.

 SOPs are intended to be specific to the
organization or facility whose activities are
described and assist that organization to maintain
their quality control and quality assurance
processes and ensure compliance with
8
governmental regulations.

 Ifnot written correctly, SOPs are of limited
value.
 In addition, the best written SOPs will fail if they
are not followed.

 Therefore, the use of SOPs needs to be
reviewed and re-enforced by management,
preferably the direct supervisor.

 Current copies of the SOPs also need to be
readily accessible for reference in the work
areas of those individuals actually performing
the activity, either in hard copy or electronic
format, 9

BENEFITS
 Thedevelopment and use of SOPs minimizes
variation and promotes quality through
consistent implementation of a process or
procedure within the organization, even if
there are temporary or permanent personnel
changes.

 When historical data are being evaluated for
current use, SOPs can also be valuable for
reconstructing project activities when no
other references are available.
10

 Ultimately,the benefits of a valid SOP are
reduced work effort, along with improved
comparability, credibility, and legal
defensibility.

 SOPs are needed even when published
methods are being utilized. For example, if an
SOP is written for a standard analytical
method, the SOP should specify the
procedures to be followed in greater detail
than appear in the published method.

11

WRITING STYLE
 SOPs should be written in a concise, step-by-
step, easy-to-read format.
 The information presented should be
unambiguous and not overly complicated.
 The active voice and present verb tense
should be used. The term "you" should not
be used, but implied.
 The document should not be wordy,
redundant, or overly lengthy.
 In addition, follow the style guide used by
your organization, e.g., font size and margins.12

SOP PREPARATION
 Theorganization should have a procedure in
place for determining what procedures or
processes need to be documented.

 Those SOPs should then be written by
individuals knowledgeable with the activity
and the organization's internal structure.

A team approach can be followed, especially
for multi-tasked processes where the
experiences of a number of individuals are
critical. 13

 SOPs should be written with sufficient detail so that
someone with limited experience with or knowledge
of the procedure, but with a basic understanding, can
successfully reproduce the procedure when
unsupervised.

 The experience requirement for performing an
activity should be noted in the section on personnel
qualifications.

 For example, if a basic chemistry or biological
course experience or additional training is required
that requirement should be indicated.
14

SOP REVIEW AND APPROVAL
 SOPs should be reviewed (that is, validated)
by one or more individuals with appropriate
training and experience with the process.

 Itis especially helpful if draft SOPs are
actually tested by individuals other than the
original writer before the SOPs are finalized.

 The finalized SOPs should be approved as
described in the organization’s Quality
Management Plan or its own SOP for
preparation of SOPs.
15

REVISIONS
AND
REVIEWS
 SOPs should be also systematically reviewed on a
periodic basis, e.g. every 1-2 years, to ensure that the
policies and procedures remain current and
appropriate, or to determine whether the SOPs are
even needed.

 If an SOP describes a process that is no longer
followed, it should be withdrawn from the current file.

 The review process should not be overly
cumbersome to encourage timely review.

 That plan should also indicate the individual(s) 16
responsible for ensuring that SOPs are current.

CHECKLISTS
 Any checklists or forms included as part of
an activity should be referenced at the points
in the procedure where they are to be used
and then attached to the SOP.

 In those cases, the SOP should describe, at
least generally, how the checklist is to be
prepared, or on what it is to be based.

 Copies of specific checklists should be then
maintained in the file with the activity results 17
and/or with the SOP.

SOP DOCUMENT TRACKING AND
ARCHIVAL
 The organization should maintain a master list
of all SOPs.
 This file or database should indicate the SOP
number, version number, date of issuance, title,
author, status, organizational division, branch,
section, and any historical information
regarding past versions.
 The QA Manager (or designee) is generally the
individual responsible for maintaining a file
listing all current quality-related SOPs used
within the organization. 18

 Ifan electronic database is used, automatic
“Review SOP” notices can be sent .This list
may be used also when audits are being
considered.
 The Quality Management Plan should indicate
the individual(s) responsible for assuring that
only the current version is used.
 That plan should also designated where, and
how, outdated versions are to be maintained or
archived in a manner to prevent their continued
use, as well as to be available for historical
data review.
 Electronic storage and retrieval mechanisms
are usually easier to access than a hard-copy
document format.
19

SOP GENERAL FORMAT
 SOPs should be organized to ensure
ease and efficiency in use and to be
specific to the organization which
develops it.

 There is no one “correct” format; and
internal formatting will vary with each
organization and with the type of SOP
being written.
20

1.TITLE PAGE
 The first page or cover page of each SOP should
contain the following information: a title that
clearly identifies the activity or procedure, an SOP
identification (ID) number,
 Date of issue and/or revision, the name of the
applicable agency, division, and/or branch to
which this SOP applies, and the signatures and
signature dates of those individuals who prepared
and approved the SOP.
 Electronic signatures are acceptable for SOPs
maintained on a computerized database
21

2.TABLE OF CONTENTS

A Table of Contents may be needed for
quick reference, especially if the SOP is
long, for locating information and to
denote changes or revisions made only
to certain sections of an SOP.

22

3.TEXT
 Well-written SOPs should first briefly describe the
purpose of the work or process, including any
regulatory information or standards that are
appropriate to the SOP process, and the scope to
indicate what is covered.
 Define any specialized or unusual terms either in a
separate definition section or in the appropriate
discussion section.
 Denote what sequential procedures should be
followed, divided into significant sections;
E.g., possible interferences, equipment needed,
personnel qualifications, and safety considerations
(preferably listed in bold to capture the attention of the
23
user).

 SOPs should be clearly worded so as to
be readily understandable by a person
knowledgeable with the general concept
of the procedure, and the procedures
should be written in a format that clearly
describes the steps in order.

 Use of diagrams and flow charts help to
break up long sections of text and to
briefly summarize a series of steps for
the reader.

24

 Attach any appropriate information, e.g.,
an SOP may reference other SOPs. In
such a case, the following should be
included

 Cite the other SOP and attach a copy, or
reference where it may be easily located.

 Ifthe referenced SOP is not to be
followed exactly, the required
modification should be specified in the
SOP at the section where the other SOP
is cited.
25

1. SOPs may be written for any repetitive
technical activity,

2. As well as for any administrative or
functional programmatic procedure, that
is being followed within an organization.

3. General guidance for preparing both
technical and administrative SOPs
follows and examples of each are
located in the Appendix
27

GUIDELINES FOR TECHNICAL SOP TEXT
 Technical SOPs can be written for a wide variety
of activities.
 Examples are SOPs instructing the user how to
perform a specific analytical method to be
followed in the laboratory or field (such as field
testing using an immunoassay kit), or how to
collect a sample in order to preserve the sample
integrity and
 Representativeness (such as collection of
samples for future analysis of volatile organic
compounds or trace metals), or how to conduct
a bioassessment of a freshwater site.
28

 Technical SOPs are also needed to cover activities
such as data processing and evaluation (including
verification and validation), modeling, risk
assessment, and auditing of equipment operation.
 Citing published methods in SOPs is not always
acceptable, because cited published methods may
not contain pertinent information for conducting the
procedure-in-house.
 Technical SOPs need to include the specific steps
aimed at initiating, coordinating, and recording
and/or reporting the results of the activity, and
should be tailored only to that activity.
 Technical SOPs should fit within the framework
presented here, but this format can be modified,
reduced, or expanded as required.

29

GUIDELINES FOR ADMINISTRATIVE OR
FUNDAMENTAL PROGRAMMATIC SOP
 As with the technical SOPs, these SOPs can be written
for a wide variety of activities,
E.g., reviewing documentation such as contracts, QA
Project Plans and Quality Management Plans;
inspecting (auditing) the work of others; determining
organizational training needs;
 Developing information on records maintenance;
validating data packages; or describing office
correspondence procedures.
 Administrative SOPs need to include a number of
specific steps aimed at initiating the activity,
coordinating the activity, and recording and/or
reporting the results of the activity, tailored to that
activity. 30

 For example, audit or assessment SOPs should specify
the authority for the assessment, how auditees are to
be selected, what will be done with the results, and who
is responsible for corrective action.

 Administrative SOPs should fit within the framework
presented here, but this format can be modified,
reduced, or expanded.

 In general, administrative/programmatic SOPs will
consist of five elements: Title page, Table of Contents,
Purpose, Procedures, Quality Assurance/Quality
Control, and References.
31

EXAMPLES
SOP FOR ANALYTICAL
INSTRUMENTS

32

 Analytical
SOPs are SOPs that describe
exactly how the lab performs the method.

 Thereare generally three ways for the lab to
create their own analytical SOPs.
Option 1: The analytical SOP may consist entirely of the
referenced published analytical method
Keep in mind that this option will only work if the lab
follows the method exactly (very unlikely).
Option 2: The lab may reference a published method
and include an addendum that details exactly where
the lab deviates from the published method.
Note that when this option is used, the addendum must
include a date of issue or a date of revision. Generally
speaking, this option is considered the most practical
approach for small wastewater laboratories.
Option 3: The lab may choose to create their own SOP
from “scratch”. 33

Ifthis option is chosen the code
specifically requires that the SOP
includes each of the following
elements:
1. Identification of the test method
2. Applicable analytes
3. Applicable matrices
4. Method sensitivity
5. Potential interferences
6. Equipment and analytical instruments
34

7. Consumable supplies, reagents and
standards.
8. Sample preservation, storage and hold
time.
9. Quality control samples and frequency of
their analysis.
10. Calibration and standardization.
11. Procedure for analysis
12. Data assessment and acceptance
criteria for quality control measures
13. Corrective actions and contingencies
for handling out of control or 35

unacceptable data

 Analytical SOPs created from “scratch” must
include a date of issue or a date of revision.
 These SOPs can be done in any format/style
the lab chooses as long as all of the required
elements are included and understandable.
 Analytical SOPs can be kept in an “analytical
methods manual”, can be included as part of
the quality manual or can be kept as individual
SOPs.
 As with all other procedures in the laboratory,
SOPs should be reviewed periodically to
ensure that they remain current.

36

REFERENCES
 Garner, Willa Y. and Maureen S. Barge, editors, "Good Laboratory
Practices. An Agrochemical Perspective," ACS Symposium Series
369, American Chemical Society

 Guidance for the Preparation of Standard Operating Procedures.
U.S. EPA. Current Version.

37

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