–ASTM, CROSQ and ICC teaming with the GNBS

THE American Society for Testing and Materials (International) ASTM has been in Guyana for a few days, after having travelled to Jamaica and Trinidad to hold discussions on what is now called the Caribbean Road Show.

Teaming with the Guyana National Bureau of Standards (GNBS), the CARICOM Regional Organisation for Standards and Quality (CROSQ), and the International Code Council (ICC), ASTM expressed confidence that, within their power, no stone will be left unturned in their effort to lift the bar and move the construction industry leaps and bounds towards acceptable standards.

ASTM has been in existence for over 100 years (starting in 1898) and Mr. Travis Murdock, Manager of Technical Committees Operation for the last 19 years, informed the team and participants that his primary focus is on sustainable development, sustaining building requirement and also preparing for and dealing with natural disasters that unfortunately do occur.

He said that within the United States, there is a rule which has been maintained for a number of years now that requires federal government agencies to recognize the existence and incorporate the necessary standards that are out there in the world.
The idea behind this, he stated, is that governments can implement regulations that have been proven and tested and can then work effectively in given situations.

Mr. Murdock told his audience that the ASTM has over 12,000 standards by which they operate globally. He said that these were established by the organization in an effort to better the lives of millions of people on a daily basis.

He explained that people need to have confidence in the products and or services they receive, thus ASTM strives to create a business environment that sees steady improvements, where all concerned are satisfied with what they receive.

“Working across borders, disciplines and industries, we harness the expertise of over 30,000 members to create consensus and improve performance in manufacturing and materials, products and processes, systems and services; understanding commercial needs and consumer priorities, we touch every part of everyday life helping our world work better,” ASTM posits.

Construction industry
In terms of the building aspect of the industry, ASTM focusses on sustainable construction of a high quality for every building –large or small– and the GNBS executive stated that they are quite ready to buy into the plan for the highest level of construction in Guyana.

According to Ms. Bostwick, “The GNBS sees itself as one of the leading agencies in terms of standardisation and our aim is to ensure that there is improvement in the products and services available in Guyana,” adding that for this to effectively occur, GNBS would need the support of other departments within government agencies and elsewhere.

She said that standards are basically used to provide confidence, to ensure that there is reliability and there is consistency. She said it ensures that there are reduced technical barriers to trade.

Further, she stated that when there is an international standard, it shows that there is global acceptance and agreement from minimum requirements.

Globally, she points out, standards bodies are recognized for providing value for service to the local stakeholders and also making international standards accessible at the national level. She went on to say that over the years Guyana has been advancing in this area, having an MoU with ASTM, as well as a number of opportunities where the country can benefit in the areas of construction; the oil and gas sector; electronics; medical devices and a whole range of other services.

“Therefore, I encourage us, for this team has made a special effort; they have actually visited us to engage us to show how they can help us; they are here to help us and we need to make use of the opportunities,” Ms. Bostwick implored.

Raw materials
She cited the building code documents that were available for many years now and asked, “How many of the major decision-makers or contractors have copies of them; and further, how many would sensitize other contractors and sub-contractors on these building codes. How many have been checking on the quality of raw materials that our contractors are using for construction purposes; for doing government projects?” she enquired.

Ms. Bostwick further asked: “When they say they are ordering steel, sand, stone, pipes, what do we use as a measuring stick to verify the specifications of those materials that are being used…depending on the height of the building, the size of the building, you have to start with a particular type of foundation. How do we know that the foundation that is being presented to us, based on the specification, meets the requirements?”

She stated that her concerns are based on some of the past and current issues relating to the construction industry, where for example some buildings show minor and major signs of falling apart, in some cases soon after they have been completed and or occupied.

Standarisation
Mr. Fulgence St. Prix, who represented the CARICOM Regional Organisation for Standards and Quality (CROSQ), in a concise presentation said that the audience was made up of regulators who set the agenda for the respective government agencies and so he focussed his remarks on standardization from a perspective of implementation.

He said that he was very thankful that CARICOM was chosen to be part of the road show, knowing that he was coming at a time when there are major devastations from natural disasters last year. Therefore, he said that sustainable construction is something that is on everybody’s mind right now.

“Having said that, we speak of access to standards and how we would like to use standards; we speak of a regulatory system for implementation of the standards, but to get to that point there is need for the input of everyone…standards development is driven by the stakeholders,” he assured.

He added that the stakeholders are the ones who should indicate the kind of standards that they would like to see implemented in their various disciplines, since the responsibilities start with them.

Mr. St. Prix emphasized that the standards are developed by the stakeholders –the practioners –and therefore called upon all concerned to give the GNBS the necessary support when the call is made to join the technical committees.

“The Bureau cannot work with you all; the staff just coordinates the standards and so you have a responsibility to participate in the standards development process. We have organisations like ASTM who have opened up the process to us, but are we making full use of that opportunity?” he asked.

He said that what the road show team is trying to do is to coordinate the development of quality infrastructure; in other words, in supporting infrastructure that would [help] the implementation of standards and so the team needs to ensure that the stakeholders have the enabling environment so that laboratories can be set up and also accreditation can be acquired so that the testing of materials can be done.

Mr. St. Prix went on to say the team would also like to see a certification, which certifies materials. But again, the bureau alone cannot do it, he stressed, saying that the policy makers can only provide the enabling environment for things to happen.

International Code Council
Mr. Mark Johnson, Executive Vice-President and Director of Business Development from the International Code Council, was another inspiring speaker at the forum. As ICC is another US-based organization, it works closely with the ASTM, while overseeing a number of other important technical and construction works and agencies.

He stated that the central focus of his organization is about making buildings safe, protecting people and property; and striving to protect the family and also the finances of people. It therefore develops building codes for residential and commercial buildings, including homes and schools – for both new and old buildings.

He said that building codes are developed through an openness of process, transparency, building consensus among all stakeholders; having strong technical committees with a good understanding of the subject matter that is being discussed; also codes that are current and contemporary, which are relevant for today’s technology and change.

“I want to stress that building codes from ICC serve as a model. We realise that they need to be adapted, taking into account the different circumstances of countries and people…Also, too, it does not only serve as a model, but it has different bite and teeth in terms of adopting into law so as to be effective,” Mr. Johnson remarked.

He urged participants to be the eyes and ears of the consumer; to strive to protect them from manmade and natural disasters; to keep construction costs down by establishing uniformity in the construction industry, which allows manufacturers to do business on a larger scale— nationally, regionally or internationally, stating that these are the codes by which the ICC work.

Mr. Johnson said he recognizes the challenges with society such as this one, but with determination to see codes and regulations put in place, it can be done. One of the ways to achieve this is by stakeholders working together and also being willing to educate people who are involved or need to get involved in areas of construction.

Participants invited to the road show were from many of the major building and construction industries in Guyana, government agency representatives such as the Ministry of Public Infrastructure, Civil Defense Commission (CDC), Central Housing and Planning Authority, Ministry of Communities – Engineering Services, National Drainage and Irrigation Authorities (NDIA), Guyana Power and Light (GPL), Inland Revenue Authority (IRA), Ministry of Social Protection – Occupational Safety and Health, Guyana Forestry Commission, Guyana Energy Agency (GEA) , other local industries, academia and many others.