The Ghana Standards Authority (GSA), in collaboration with Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB), the National Metrology Institute of Germany, has hosted a training on the application of ISO 17025:2017 in the metrology mass and related quantities laboratories for technicians from the Community Metrology Committee (ECOMET) of ECOWAS.
The training, which included a tour and practical session at the GSA’s Mass, Volume and Humidity Calibration Laboratories, sought to expose the officers to the importance of metrology laboratories to produce precise, accurate test and calibration data.
The training is to help the participants from the ECOWAS countries to implement the ISO/IEC: 17025 Standards in their respective laboratories.
The GSA was selected to host the training because it is a leader in measurement and its laboratories, specifically, the Mass, Volume, Temperature, Humidity and Balance, are viewed as one of the best in the sub-region because they are internationally accredited to ISO/IEC 17025: 2017 by DAKKS, a German accreditation body, hence the need for the officers from the different ECOWAS countries to come and learn from the Authority.
The Director of Metrology at the GSA, Mr. Prince K. Arthur, who opened the training, underscored the importance of metrology for African countries and urged the participants to apply whatever they had studied during their time with the GSA when they return to their respective countries.
“Programmes like this are very important for us to learn and improve metrology activities in the sub-region. Metrology is very important because it makes our industries very competitive and makes us produce efficiently,” he said.
“Let us all have a positive attitude towards the programme. Let’s ask questions and apply whatever you have gathered from here when you get back to your countries,” he added.
Mr. Striggner Bedu-Addo, Vice President of ECOMET and the GSA’s Head of Legal Metrology, noted that the training was in tandem with the concept of harmonising ECOWAS metrological activities and will help improve trading among the different countries.
The participants were excited about the training and said they were going back to apply what they had studied during their time in Ghana.
“The training was well organised and came at an important time. Since our Metrology Laboratory in the Gambia has not been accredited, this training will help us get accreditation in the future,” Ms. Therese Munchu Gomez, Quality Manager, National Metrology Laboratory of the Gambia, stated.
Participants at the training include Metrology officers from Standards institutions from Ghana, Gambia, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Nigeria, Mali, Benin, Togo, Guinea Bisseau, Cote D’Ivoire, Guinea Niger and Senegal.
GNA
