The Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Bureau of Standards has once again set the standard. This time around they have collaborated with the Caribbean Regional Organization for Standards and Quality (CROSQ) to host a two day workshop dubbed “Laboratory Quality Management System.” (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 February 3rd, 2010.  It aims to raise 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, Ezra Ledger said that the ISO/IEC 17025 is recognized as the leading in Laboratory Standards, he said that the standard is not only internationally recognized but also accepted.

Miss Giselle Guevara who will be conducting the training for the participants in the workshop is a representative from CROSQ; she resides in Trinidad and Tobago and has seven years experience in Lab Quality and Accreditation. Miss 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 standard and quality within the region.

Minister of Telecommunications, Science, Technology and Industry, 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 said that testing must be accurate and viable whether it is from a Private Sector or Government Institution. Minister Thompson also said that even though the workshop wasn’t 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.