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Thomas Turf Services, Inc. is dedicated to providing the highest quality
laboratory soil testing available in support of the turf industry. We
specialize in the physical analysis of sands, soils, and soil amendments
for application as root zone mixes for putting greens, tees, and athletic
fields.
We also measure the physical properties and make recommendations concerning
the suitability of topdressing sands, bunker sands, fairway and rough
soils. Additional laboratory analyses performed include the chemical analysis
of soil, tissue and water samples. We also provide physical analysis of
soil samples from existing facilities to aid in determining the cause
of poor turf growth or for turf managers who want to characterize the
soil conditions on their facility. As a part of our work we are called
upon to work closely with architects, builders, sand suppliers, organic
material suppliers and USGA personnel.
Our commitment to providing quality analyses to the turf industry is
exemplified by our rigorous training and quality control programs. All
laboratory technicians are carefully trained and tested prior to conducting
any analyses for client samples. Training includes a period of observation,
followed by hands-on supervised training, and finally an in-house test
using our in-house quality control sample. Only after demonstrating good
laboratory technique and the ability to correctly analyze the in-house
quality control sample, is a new technician cleared for analysis of client
samples.
While the turf laboratory industry has not had any quality control
program until recently, Thomas Turf Services, Inc. has developed and utilized
an in-house quality control system since its formation in 1992. This program
involves running a control sample along with certain sets of unknown client
samples and accepting the data only if the control data fall within the
long term mean plus or minus one standard deviation. This rigorous quality
control program insures that the analyses are performed correctly and
the data are accurate and reproducible.
In addition, Thomas Turf Services, Inc. has participated in the USGA
Green Section Proficiency Testing Program administered by Dr. Robert O.
Miller since its beginning.
In addition, to the use of an in-house control sample and participation
in proficiency testing, our laboratory organization adds an additional
level of quality control. The analyses are conducted by the laboratory
technicians. The data is entered into the computer by the Senior
Technicians and double checked for accuracy. The Quality Manager then
prints out the completed data analysis forms, double checks the data
and submits them to the Technical Manager for preparation of the
narrative report.
As part of the preparation of the final narrative
report all data are double checked for technical grammar, internal
consistency and, if possible, are compared to related analyses of the
same materials. This three-tiered approach to quality control ensures
that data are not reported until they are reviewed and checked
repeatedly for validity and consistency.
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