The Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Bureau of Standards has once again set the standard. This time around they have collaborated with the CARICOM Regional Organisation for Standards and Quality (CROSQ) to host a two day workshop entitled "Laboratory Quality Management Systems (ISO/IEC 17025)". The Workshop was launched in a Press Conference hosted by The Bureau of Standards and held in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Conference Room on 3 February 2010. It was aimed at raising the standard of various labs in and around Saint Vincent and the Grenadines so that they can be properly accredited.

Executive Director of the Bureau of Standards, Mr. Ezra Ledger said that the ISO/IEC 17025 is recognized as the leader in Laboratory Standards. He added that the standard is not only internationally recognized but also accepted.

Ms. Giselle Guevara, Project Coordinator of the CROSQ/EDF Caribbean Laboratory Accreditation Service project, has seven years experience in Lab Quality and Accreditation and conducted the training for the participants in the workshop. Ms. Guevara stated that it is highly important to keep up with the standards of outside members such as European Countries in order to compete. She said that CROSQ was founded in 2002 and its main goal is to accredit Caribbean nationals and to harmonize standards and quality within the region.

Minister of Telecommunications, Science, Technology and Industry, the Honourable Jerrol Thompson said that the workshop will be focusing on a number of issues in the labs in and around Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. He stated that testing must be accurate and viable whether it is from a Private Sector or Government Institution. Minister Thompson also added that even though the workshop was not focused on health but more so industry it is good to know the Health Sector took advantage of the opportunity. He wished the participants all the best and that they become fully accredited labs.

The labs which will benefit from the workshop are The Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Bureau of Standards, The Forensic Drug Laboratory, Central Water and Sewage Authority (CWSA), Bottlers Limited (JU-C), The Fisheries Division, Ministry of Health and the Environment, The Plant Protection Unit, and The Ministry of Telecommunications, Science, Technology and Industry.

This workshop is one of the activities being undertaken under the CROSQ/EDF Caribbean Laboratory Accreditation Service project and was funded under the 9th European Development Fund (EDF) of the European Commission.

- Adapted from SVG Today, http://www.svgtoday.com