From:TheBahamasWeekly.com
Bahamas Bureau of Standards and Quality members participate in international metrology workshop
By J. Sawyer & Associates
Sep 4, 2015 - 12:57:05 PM
Permanent Secretary Ministry of Financial Services - David Davis; Minister of Financial Services Hon. Hope Strachan, Miss Arielle Braynen, Bureau’s new Metrologist and electrical engineer, and Dr. Renae Bufford, Director of the BBSQ.
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The Bahamas Bureau of
Standards and Quality (BBSQ) recently participated in a “Calibration of
Weights” workshop in Quito, Ecuador, from the 10th to 14thof
August to provide a unique hands-on training experience for key personnel of
the BBSQ.
Praising the progress that
the BBSQ (which is a part of the Ministry of Financial Services)has made in
pursuing training opportunities for technical officers was Minister of
Financial Services, Hon. Hope Strachan: There is a new buzz word in town
– “Metrology”; but it is simply the science of measurement.
“At the most basic level of any
trading system is metrology – the provision of accurate and reliable
measurements. Economies cannot survive in the absence of trade; it is therefore
essential that the building blocks of a national quality infrastructure (NQI) -
such as metrology and standardization), are correctly put in place to
facilitate trade and open market access of goods and services, internally and
externally, and also in ensuring consumer protection, and the health and safety
of our citizens.” So I applaud the work of the BBSQ in participating in the
Calibration of Weights training activity as a step in the right direction in
preparing technical officers to meet the demands of a NQI system for our
citizens.”
Minister Strachan also noted that
the “process of standardization will most likely result in increased
trade-flows that would undoutebdly create a stronger Bahamian economy.”
The workshop was partly
funded by the Inter-American System of Metrology (SIM), of which the BBSQ is a
member. Attending the workshop were Miss Arielle Braynen, Bureau’s new Metrologist and electrical engineer, and Dr.
Renae Bufford, Director of the BBSQ.
The purpose of the workshop
was to introduce new Metrologists at national metrology institutes (such as the
BBSQ) to the basic principles of calibration of weights according to
international standards established in the International Organization of Legal
Metrology (OIML).
Topics covered at the
workshop ranged from the conversion between true mass and conventional mass to
calibration of the volume of weights and the measurement of magnetic
susceptibility.
Ms. Braynen expressed
appreciation at the chance to have her first hands-on experience in the
calibration of weights and measurement activities at the
internationally-renowned mass and volume laboratories of the Ecuadorian
Institute for Standards and Quality (INEN).
“My training in Ecuador on
the calibration of weights was very informative – both theoretically and
practically. It was very useful to me in acquiring enhanced metrology skills.
As a new Metrology Officer of the BBSQ, I am grateful to have gained hands-on
experience in a well-established work environment like the Ecuadorian Metrology
lab. The opportunity to train and work alongside other trained and experienced Metrologists
further increased my enthusiasm for Metrology and also enabled me to be able to
effectively train other technical staff.”
The BBSQ is mandated by the
Weights and Measures Act of 2006 to regulate all weights and measures
activities in the Commonwealth of The Bahamas in relation to ensuring high
standards in consumer protection, health, public safety, the environment, and
the local trade of goods. It functions as the foundation in establishing the National
Quality Infrastructure (NQI), which encompasses all areas of metrology, standardization,
testing, quality management, certification and accreditation and ensures access
to (and fulfillment of) international standards and technical regulations.
Director Bufford believes
that such opportunities for training are essential to ensuring that BBSQ
members stay up to date and aligned with international standards and developments
as the Bureau begins to implement its own local standards.
“The workshop on the calibration of weights was indeed a timely one for
the Bureau. As we begin the process of implementing our mandate, it is of the
utmost importance that we maintain the highest of standards; opportunities for
training and continuing education are key to accomplishing this goal. In
pursuit of this objective, all of the technical staff at the Standards Bureau
will be participating in international training workshops at various member
states for the month of September.”
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