Basseterre, St. Kitts, June 09, 2017 (SKNIS): In celebration of World Accreditation Day 2017, on June 09, the St. Kitts and Nevis Bureau of Standards (SKNBS) hosted a seminar, which was focused around this year’s theme “Delivering Confidence in Construction and the Built Environment.”
The seminar, which was held at the SKNBS office at La Guerite, not only discussed issues related to the theme, but involved accreditation and/or certification in other sectors, including the medical and testing laboratories, manufacturing and the like.
According to the officer in charge of the Ministry of International Trade, Jasemin Weekes, this year’s theme focuses on how accreditation can support professionals in the construction industry ranging from contractors, manufacturers, designers, architects, civil engineers to regulators and policy makers.
“As we are aware, the construction sector is complex and highly competitive and provides challenges for companies seeking to improve margins and reduce cost while improving building quality and ensuring a safe environment,” she said. “Accreditation supports the construction sector to control risks, helps drive efficiency, demonstrates regulatory compliance and provides supply share and confidence.”
Mrs. Weekes explained that standards and accreditation conformity assessment are market based tools that can be used in the construction sector to cover construction products and materials, building techniques and practices, onsite health and safety environmental impact, to even the use of digital technology in smart buildings.
“Therefore the ministry applauds the efforts of the St. Kitts and Nevis Bureau of Standards for hosting this sensitization seminar and for its continued work in raising awareness of the benefits of lab accreditation,” she said.
Acting Director in the St. Kitts and Nevis Bureau of Standards (SKNBS), Hiram Williams, said that the day is significant as it focuses on construction and also the effects on the environment. He added that it was an ideal opportunity to discuss with the participants to gain an understanding of what they are doing in terms of accreditation. In addition to that, the Bureau would provide information on how they can support these industries in attaining accreditation for what they are doing.
“Here at the Bureau of Standards, we recognize the importance and benefits of standards, conformity assessment accreditation on products and services,” he said, noting that “clients and consumers can be confident that products and services offered to them meet the required standard and as such are safe and reliable.”
World Accreditation Day, which was celebrated this year on June 09, is a global initiative jointly established by the International Accreditation Forum (IAF) and the International Laboratory Accreditation Corporation (ILAC) to raise awareness of the importance of accreditation.
