newsletter the Standards Link

“MAKING QUALITY
AND STANDARDS
OUR WAY OF LIFE”
ISS UE 4
VOLUM E 2
J a n u ar y, 2 0 10 – Apr i l 2 01 0
THE STANDARDS
Saint Lucia Bureau of Standards is Champion of
Consumer Rights
LINK
INSIDE THIS EDITION
Minister of Commerce, Industry and Consumer Affairs, Saint Lucia Bureau of Stan‐
Honourable Charlotte Tessa Mangal says the Saint dards (SLBS) was a pioneer‐
Lucia Bureau of Standards has done an “outstanding ing step in protecting the job” in carrying out its mandate to protect the health interest of the Saint Lucian and safety of the Saint Lucian consumer. The Minister consumer. To date, the Bu‐
made the statement in her address to the nation to reau has done an outstanding mark World Consumer Rights Day. The following is an job in carrying the Honourable Charlotte Tessa Mangal: Minister
excerpt from her address; consumer’s stan‐ of Commerce, Industry and Consumer Affairs
dard for a wide Saint Lucia Bureau of 1 “The Government of Saint Lucia has demonstrated range of goods and Standards is Champion of Consumer Rights its commitment to consumers by signing on to a services. The Saint Lucia attends Codex meet‐
1 number of Regional and International Treaties Consumer Affairs ing in Peru and Agreements under which we are duty bound to Department of the Editor’s Note/ A Taste of India 2 take the necessary administrative and legislative Ministry also contin‐ Consultation on Recreational 3 actions to protect and promote the interest of ues to do important Water Quality SLBS Congratulates New QMS 4 consumers. Among these Agreements are: the work in dealing with Lead Auditors United Nations Guidelines for Consumer 4 consumer issues and Consumer Corner Protection, the EU‐ACP Cotonou Agreement and the complaints New Standards Officer/Interns 5 while At SLBS Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas (CSME Treaty). In collaborating with Training in SIM Guidelines on 6 the Calibration of Non‐ Auto‐
meeting our obligations under regional and inter‐ t h e N a t i o n a l matic Weighing Instruments national agreements, the Government of Saint Lucia C o n s u m e r s SLBS Highlights 7 has brought tremendous benefits to the Saint Association (NCA).” Es Ou Te Sav (did you know?) 8 Lucian consumer. The establishment of the Saint Lucia attends Codex meeting in Peru
S
aint Lucia was one of 13 countries of the Caribbean, Latin America and North America attending a meeting of the Codex Committee of Latin America and the Caribbean(CCLAC) and the Western Hemisphere Colloquium organized by USA Codex Office. The meeting had as its objectives the deepening of cooperation among CCLAC delegates, identification of issues of mutual interest or concern to CCLAC Member Countries and the United States, the hammering out of strategies for advancing shared positions in upcoming Codex meetings and to establish mechanism for l long term cooperation. Cont’d on Page 2 2
The Standards Link
Saint Lucia attends Codex meeting in Peru cont’d from page 1
W elcome to another issue of the Standards Link. This is the first issue of the New Year and the Standards L i n k celebrates the success of its new Lead Auditors in the ISO 9001 QMS training course conducted by the AJA Academy. The SLBS’ commitment to the improvement of the economy of Saint Lucia and the quality of life of its people by promoting quality, standardization and metrology is supported by its continuous training of staff. Outcomes like improvement in the quality of life are increasingly linked to the acquisition and application of knowledge and the work of qualified personnel. This attention to its mandate is rewarded by a high level of complimentary comments directed at the SLBS, none more fulfilling than the recent recognition by Minister of Commerce Honourable Charlotte Tessa Mangal, presented in the front page of the Standards Link. In this issue we also highlight assignments in India and Peru, also perspectives from two temporary employees and the final consultation on the draft Recreational Water Quality Standard. The meeting addressed concerns related Saint Lucia is also represented on other to government support for Codex as well Codex committees; Codex Committee on as the implementation of the WHO Pesticide Residues (CCPR), Food Global Strategy on Diet, Physical Activity Labeling (CCFL), Methods of Analysis and Health. The meeting also paid con‐ and Sampling (CCMAS), Contaminants siderable attention to a proposed draft in Food (CCCF), Codex Committee on Food Additives (CCFA). revision of guidelines on nutrition labeling, with the delegates agreeing to The meeting was held in Lima, Peru from include salt, the existing nutrient information for Energy, Proteins, Fat and Carbohydrates. Codex is defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) as the major inter‐
national organization for encouraging fair international trade in food and the protection of the health and economic interests of consumers. Through adoption of food standards, codes of practice, and other guidelines Representatives attending the meeting.
developed by its committees, and by promoting their adoption and implemen‐ the 16th to the 19th of February. Saint tation by governments, Codex seeks to Lucia was represented by Standards ensure that the world's food supply is Officer Hubert Raynolds of the sound, wholesome, free from adultera‐ Compliance Department of the Saint Lucia Bureau of Standards. tion, and correctly labeled. A Taste of India
Xanthe would likely what the organization does to fulfill the customers admit that, had it not quality requirement, satisfaction and the application been for a training of regulatory requirements while TQM is a course, she probably would not have set foot in comprehensive and structured approach to India, far less the remote organizational management that seeks to improve the city of Hyderabad where quality of products and services through ongoing she spent some two refinements in response to continuous feedback. months i n c l u d i n g Christmas of 2009. The course had as its objectives to enable participants to understand the mechanism of adoption, monitoring and Dr. Xanthe Dubuison institutionalization of Total Quality Management (TQM) Standards Officer and Acting Head of the Certification in an organization and to gain insight into procedural Department, of the Saint Lucia Bureau of Standards, aspects of obtaining certification to ISO 9000/14000 and attended a workshop on Total Quality Management & to get participants familiar with the methodology for ISO 9001:2008 /14001:2004 / BS7799 & Six Sigma in launching Total Quality Management. India. Dr. Dubuison’s training focused on Total Quality Management and ISO 9001:2008 Quality Management Cont’d on Page 3 Systems Requirements. The ISO 9001:2008 sets out 3
The Standards Link
A Taste of India cont’d from page 2
Built into the training was the added bonus of study tours, where participants had an opportunity to take in the Indian landscape, sights and sounds. The tours exposed participants to the diversity of India and the expansiveness of the quality infrastructure of that country. It was an opportunity to observe and assess the possibilities for quality management in developing countries and the profiles of the organizations adopting quality platforms in their operations. Hyderabad presented a challenge of sorts, an unexpected language barrier, spicy cuisine and three wheeled taxis. But, it was a worthwhile experience as much for the culture as the training afforded through the Ministry of External Representatives attending the workshop
Affairs under the ITEC Programme of the Government of India. Consultation on Recreational Water Quality
T
he Saint Lucia Bureau of The document drafted by the Caribbean Environmental Standards opened the year Health Institute (CEHI) was presented to with a successful engage‐ government as part of a project funded by the European ment of all stakeholders of the Union. tourism industry in discussion of This was the final consultation in a series of three the draft Guidelines for Recrea‐ consultations with stakeholders whose activities impact tional Water Quality Standard for recreational water quality. St. Lucia. The SLBS partnered with the St. Lucia Hotel Though at the draft stage, the document is already being and Tourism Association (SLHTA) and the Sustainable used by the Marina in Marigot Bay which has began Development and Environment Unit of the Ministry of regular test of water quality in the bay, using the Planning to bring these key players to the table to dis‐ standard as a reference document. cuss the intention of the standard. The development of a Recreational Water Quality The draft guidelines respond to the increasing threats to Standard for Saint Lucia is a first step in the the island’s recreational waters, with a view to regulating implementation of the Land Based Sources of Marine the quality of the water entering recreational waters. Pollution Protocol ratified by the Government of Saint Lucia in January, 2008. More importantly, the standard Saint Lucia’s waters, both riverine and coastal, and associated habitats, remain important to communities as once approved, can be used as an important tool to a source of food and for recreation. However, human facilitate the maintenance of a high recreational water activities put these waters under increasing threat from a quality in Saint Lucia, so that the health of its people and number of land‐based pollutants in the form of sewage, visitors are not compromised. The consultation was held at the Palm Haven Hotel in sediments, nutrients, pesticides, litter and marine Rodney Bay. debris. What is the Standard Mark?
It is a quality symbol granted by the St. Lucia Bureau of Standards to products, processes and practices, which conform to relevant St. Lucia national standards. Any manufacturer who is committed to producing products of consistent quality‐ every batch, every day of production, can apply for the standard mark. In the next issue SLBS awards the Standard Mark to People’s Choice Natural Pure Water. 4
The Standards Link
SLBS CONGRATULATES NEW QMS LEAD AUDITORS
The Saint Lucia Bureau of Standards has now within its area that businesses simply cannot afford to ignore. ranks five more individuals who successfully completed The standards provide the requirements for any quality an approved QMS Lead Auditor course. management system that will direct and control the The training programme is one of the many capacity organization in order to continually improve the building initiatives of the European Union funded effectiveness and efficiency of its T he
standard s
project for the “Development of an Internationally performance. provide
the
On receiving the results of the success of requirements for
Recognized National Certification Scheme to Enhance quality
Economic Competitiveness” received through SEQUA, the new QMS professionals, Acting a n y
m
a
n
a
g
ement
which upon completion will allow the Bureau to provide Director of the SLBS Mr. Julius James system that will
system certification to ISO 9001 – Quality Management, said it is a major achievement for the direct and control
SLBS which only ISO 14001 – Environmental the organization in
o r d e r
t o
recently saw the Management and ISO 22000 – implementation of a c o n t i n u a l l y
Food Safety Management. improve
the
QMS within its Compli‐ effectiveness and
The training course held in ance Department. December 2009 w a s efficiency of its
According to James the performance.
conducted by the AJA SLBS has the first Academy out of Italy, and is an responsibility to demonstrate that the approved course of the implementation of a QMS improves the International Register of effectiveness and efficiency of business Certificated Auditors (IRCA) operations and is accelerating its efforts based in the United Kingdom. to implement the QMS within all de‐
The IRCA has awarded partments of the Bureau and be a model certification to over 35,000 Participants at the training workshop
of excellence in the provision of services auditors and represents more than in the public sector. 150 countries on its register of auditors. Also attending the training together with the staff from With the increase in the cadre of QMS professionals SLBS were representatives of the Ministry Commerce within its ranks the SLBS is now better able to extend and an ISO 9001:2008 certified manufacturing company. technical assistance in the area of quality to public sector counterparts and private sector stakeholders who The ISO 9001:2008 standard is the most widely recognized international standard for Quality Manage‐ are seeking certification against the standard. ment, with more and more companies in both public and private sectors seeking suppliers who have ISO 9001:2008 based quality management systems. It is an We offer a wide range of services
When making a purchase the following information
must be on the label:
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Common name of the product
Brand name or registered trade name
Name and identifiable street address of manufacturer,
packer, importer or distributor
Country of Origin
Declaration of Net Contents and drained weight
Instructions for use, care and maintenance
List of Ingredients
Self Life (where appropriate
Batch Code
Best Before/Expiry Date
5
The Standards Link
New Standards Officer
T
zarmallah K. Haynes is the newest employee of the SLBS. Miss Haynes joined the staff in February as a Standards Officer in the Standards Development Department. She holds a BSc in Chemistry and a number of professional certificates in areas of standardization including Quality Management Systems for Food Safety and Laboratories. She brings to the department a wealth of experience in standardization and quality related to the food and laboratory industries. Her previous work experience gives her a unique ability to understand ‘real world’ situations in the practical application of standards. Ms. Tzarmallah K. Haynes
Miss Haynes’ new appointment with the SLBS now allows her to experience the two ends of the standardization and quality spectrum; that of implementation and now development. Important to note however, her interest in standards began at the SLBS when she worked as a Standards Assistant before leaving to study overseas and pursue other professional development interests. Interns At SLBS
The Saint Lucia Bureau of Standards welcomed two young interns under the SDDF and HOPE project for a two month attachment with the SLBS. The two Marcus Leon and Charlene Richard were attached to the departments of Compliance and Standards Development respectively. arcus Leon a recent graduate of the Castries Comprehensive Secondary School assisted with the data entry work of the Compliance Department. The Standards Link spoke with Marcus about his placement at the Bureau. According to the young intern, what struck him first about the SLBS was the friendliness of the staff, in fact he lamented having to leave just as he was getting comfortable. The day to day task which the data entry intern performed, apprenticed Marcus not just to the a job, but it was on‐the‐job training which emphasized accuracy, following strict procedures of processing information and importantly how to work in a team environment and pay attention to meeting deadlines. He expressed his gratitude to standards assistant Shian Clovis, who he Mr. Marcus Leon says made the entry into the work easy and enjoyable. harlene Richard a young woman of Monchy graduated from the Babonneau Secondary School in 2006. There was a general excitement about Charlene, she did not seek permission to fit in with the staff of the SLBS she just found her place naturally. In the Standards Development Department Charlene worked with the administration of the department, helping with the preparation of meetings, filing of documents and other administrative functions. Charlene was excited about the world of standards, and as she said to the Standards Link, she can Ms. Charlene Richard now relax about a lot of things as a consumer because the SLBS is on the job. Being totally new to the field, Charlene expressed sincere thanks to her mentor Karla Mason a Standard Assistant who she confides was absolutely patient and helpful. Charlene, like Marcus felt her time here was too short. M
C
“The worth of a state, in the long run, is the
worth of the individuals composing it.”
John Stuart Mill
6
The Standards Link
Training in SIM Guidelines on the Calibration of
Non- Automatic Weighing Instruments
T
he Saint Lucia Bureau of Standards continues to build capacity in the area of metrology to improve the SLBS’ programme of verification and calibration. The latest training was in Guidelines on the Calibration of Non‐Automatic Weighing Instruments (NAWI). Increased competence in this area is important as the majority of weighing devices used in commerce in Saint Lucia are non‐automatic. A non‐automatic weighing device requires the intervention of the user to determine whether the weighing results are acceptable. Metrology Assistant Miguel Regis attended the training in Trinidad and Tobago in February, which was sponsored by the Caribbean Regional Organization for Standards and Quality (CROSQ) and the Inter American Metrology System (SIM). The training addressed a number of areas including, the difference between calibration and verification, the classification of non automatic weighing instruments, margins of error according to OIML R76 recommendations and issues impacting the calibration of non‐automatic weighing instruments. It also gave the Mr. Regis an opportunity to participate in the development of a procedure for the calibration of non‐automatic weighing instruments. Standards provide the foundation for many of the innovative communica­
tion features and options we have come to take for granted, and they contribute to the enhancement of our daily lives — often invisibly. (Reprinted from ETSI – World Class Standards)
7
The Standards Link
SLBS HIGHLIGHTS
2
1
3
5
4
6
1 & 2 Participants of the Environment Auditing Training Course 3 & 4 Participants of Quality Management System Lead Auditor’s Course 5 ISO 22000—Food Safety Management Systems Lead Auditor’s Course 6 Participants of Food and Safety Workshop 8
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Es Ou Te Sav
OUR VISION
To be a model of excellence in the
provision of products and services
in the areas of quality standardization and
metrology.
MISSION STATEMENT
To advance, by promoting quality, standardization and metrology, the improvement of the economy of Saint Lucia and
the quality of life of its people.
Standards can be
found throughout our daily lives but why do we need
them?
Rather than asking why we need standards, we might usefully ask ourselves
what the world would be like without
standards.
Products might not work as
expected.
They may be of inferior quality and incompatible with other equipment, in fact
they may not even connect with them,
and in extreme cases; non-standardized
products may even be dangerous.
Standardized products and
services
are valuable User 'confidence builders',
being
perceived as:
♦ safe
♦ healthy
♦ secure
♦ high quality
♦ flexible
As a result, standardized goods and
services are widely accepted, commonly
trusted and highly valued.
Standards provide the foundation for
many of the innovative
communication features and
options we have
come to take for granted, and they
contribute to the enhancement of our
daily lives - often invisibly. (Reprinted
from ETSI – World Class
Standards)
Standard’s Corner
»
Guidelines for recreational water quality
»
Standard for children’s homes
»
SLCP 3: 1998 Code of practice for product recall
procedures
»
Standard for blood banks and transfusion services
»
Standard for water-based tourism
»
Occupational health and safety management systems - requirements
»
Good management practices for tourism sites and
attractions
»
Code of good practice for the operations of health
and wellness facilities
»
Code of practice for tour operators
»
Code of practice for tour guides
»
Conducting hazard mapping, vulnerability
assessment and economic evaluation for risk
St. Lucia Bureau of Standards
Bisee Industrial Estate
Vide Boutielle
P.O. Box CP 5412
Castries, St. Lucia
Phone: 1-758-453-0049
Fax: 1-758-452-3164
E-ml: [email protected]