Safety Alliance Standards Updates Approved
Image:
Description:
The National Thoroughbred Racing Association announced that an updated set of racetrack safety and integrity standards has been approved by members of the NTRA Safety & Integrity Alliance advisory board and the full board of the NTRA.
The compliance standards will serve as the basis for future racetrack Alliance accreditation, the NTRA said in a release. The update was presented by Safety & Integrity Alliance executive director Steve Koch during a session on medication testing laboratories at the University of Arizona Race Track Industry Program Global Symposium on Racing & Gaming.
The material changes to sections 3.G and 3.H within the Code of Standards encourage governing jurisdictions to adopt criteria set forth by the Racing Medication and Testing Consortium pertaining to official testing laboratories, the release said.
According to the Alliance, the new subsection of 3.H was adopted as follows:
"3.H. Laboratory Selection and Performance Standards: Members shall insist that local regulatory authorities implement industry performance standards and quality control mechanisms consistent with RMTC's "Model Request for Proposals for Equine Drug Testing Laboratory" in their Official Testing Laboratory selection and performance criteria. Members shall require documentation from the local regulatory body specifying the adopted selection and performance criteria, and ongoing quality control protocols.
To the extent that the local regulatory body has not so adopted RMTC's recommended performance standards and quality control protocols, member shall advocate the adoption of such standards consistent with RMTC's 'Model Request for Proposals for Equine Drug Testing Laboratory'."
The Alliance's 2016 Code of Standards can be reviewed at www.NTRAalliance.com.