By Rabindra Rooplall

IN its quest to get companies — particularly those into manufacturing, exporting, or service provision — to operate at their optimum, the Guyana National Bureau of Standards (GNBS) is encouraging them to use the consultancy services it provides.GNBS Public Relations Officer (PRO) Lloyd David has said that the cost of getting on board is minimal, since the type of service the Bureau offers enables businesses to implement internationally-recognised systems in their operations.

These systems, Mr David said, include a quality management system which assists companies to continually meet the needs of their customers.
For example, he said, a food safety management system can ensure safe foods are produced “from the farm to the fork,” which promotes an environmental management system that helps businesses to demonstrate care for their environment.

The Conformity Assessment Department of the GNBS, David said, is responsible for providing essential services required to facilitate the implementation of a recognised conformity assessment infrastructure in Guyana, and to support the competitiveness of local businesses.
Hence one of the key tasks of the Bureau is to provide consultancy services to companies and businesses, which guide them in the implementation of management systems’ standards.

“So make that simple step and contact the Conformity Assessment Department of the GNBS, and its cadre of professionals will work with your business towards certification and/or accreditation,” he urged those who might be thinking of taking him up on his offer.

“As part of the implementation process,” Mr David said, “highly trained and competent officers of the Bureau conduct awareness sessions for key personnel of the organisation on the respective management system standard which the company desires to implement”.
That done, he said, gap analyses are conducted, training on the standard is facilitated, and guidance on how to develop policies and procedures is provided.

Workers are also trained to become internal auditors of the management system, and the tools necessary to monitor and maintain the system after the consultancy are made available to them.

“Laboratories, whether medical or non-medical, and conformity assessment bodies, such as regulators and other inspection agencies, are also beneficiaries of the services provided by the Bureau under its Consultancy Services Programme,” the GNBS official noted.

He further explained that the Bureau provides consultancy support to laboratories to implement the National Standard: GYS 170 – General requirements for the operation of a laboratory. In addition, laboratories desirous of achieving international recognition can be assisted to implement the ISO/IEC 17025 standards – general requirements for the competence of testing and calibration laboratories.

Meanwhile, conformity and inspections bodies can opt for support to implement the ISO/IEC 17065 – Conformity Assessment – requirements for bodies certifying products and ISO/IEC 17020 – Conformity Assessment – requirements for the operation of various types of bodies performing inspections.