EIGHTEEN professionals from primarily public testing laboratories in Guyana benefitted from a five day training course on the ISO/IEC 17025:2017 Standard – General requirements for the competence of testing and calibration laboratories.

This training course, which was being held at the Guyana National Bureau of Standards, Sophia Exhibition Complex, concluded on Friday.

It was an initiative of the Government of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana, through the Ministry of Business, to build capacity within local laboratories to achieve the goal of establishing a network of competent and accredited laboratories in Guyana.

Analytical, environmental, food and calibration laboratories responsible for the development and implementation of the laboratory management system were represented at the training.

Participating Organisations included the Guyana National Bureau of Standards, Guyana Forensic Laboratory, ACTLABS, Guyana Livestock Development Authority, Institute of Applied Science and Technology, Food and Drug Analyst Department, Veterinary Public Health Unit, Fisheries Department of the Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Public Works Materials Laboratory, Guyana Rice Development Board, University of Guyana, GUYSUCO and the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission. The training was facilitated by Ms. Maxine Campbell of Maxine Campbell and Associates Ltd, Jamaica.

From the training, participants should understand the requirements of the ISO/IEC 17025:2017 standard; develop the relevant documentation such as manuals, policies, procedures and work instructions; conduct internal audits within their respective laboratories. Ultimately, the testing and calibration needs of industry will be satisfied through services offered by public laboratories that are accredited to the international standard. Further, reliable and recognised testing services are critical for the export of locally manufactured products.

The Government of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana (GCRG), through the Ministry of Business, and supported by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), is implementing a programme for improving the National Quality Infrastructure in Guyana (NQI).

The programme’s main objective is to support the economic diversification and exports through the enhancement of the NQI and through a National Export and Investment Promotion Strategy.