SLBS HOSTS SALCC LECTURES
The Saint Lucia Bureau of Standards is continuing efforts to bring standardization education to schools. For the fifth year running the SLBS partnered with the Sir Arthur Lewis Community College (SALCC) for the schools engagement with standardization, conformity assessment and metrology awareness as part of activities to mark World Standards Day on October 14th.
The engagement covered key course areas of Hotel and Tourism, Business and Electrical Engineering. The aim of the engagement is to provide instruction critical to building the knowledge of students to allow them to make the necessary association with standards to what they are learning as well as to show the applicability of standards in their professional areas.
Lecturer Mr. Percival Beausoleil said it is important that this opportunity is available to students for real world application of what they are being taught.
The schools engagement this year also included visits to the St. Joseph’s Convent
BASIC TRAINING IN FOOD SAFETY
The Basic Training in Food Safety Course offered by the Saint Lucia Bureau of Standards continues to receive the endorsement of participants. Speaking at the close of a session held in September, Mr. Henson Hunte of Island Pops said more food handlers should take the time to attend the training to ensure the safety of food being offered for sale to the public.
The Basic Training in Food Safety Course is offered every quarter. The objective of the training is to provide participants with the knowledge of basic principles for the production of safe food in an effort to reduce the risk of food-borne illness.
SLBS HOST OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH & SAFETY CONSULTATION
A consultation to galvanize comments on ISO45001:2018 Occupational Health and Safety was held here to discuss the requirements of the standard ahead of its adoption. During the comment period stakeholders were invited to discuss the draft document with support from the Standards Development Department. A cross section of private sector interest were represented including the lone power company LUCELEC represented by Ms. Priscilla Stanislaus
SAFETY TESTING A HOUSEHOLD FAN
A test prototype to assess the integrity of a fans’ thermal cut off device, is being developed by the Saint Lucia Bureau of Standards as part of safety measures for household electrical appliances.
A preliminary application of the prototype test was conducted under the supervision of the Saint Lucia Fire Service. The test of a specific brand of fan sought to find out whether these fans are equipped with a thermal cut off devise to prevent fires when the fans become overheated while in use.
The device which during abnormal operation limits the temperature of the controlled part by automatically opening the circuit, or by reducing the current, and is constructed so that its setting cannot be altered by the user.
The thermal cut off device protects consumers and property from possible fires during abnormal operation. The first in a series of destructive test to measure the efficiency of the device or whether the particular fan had such a devise installed took place at the SLBS.
SCIENTIST TO VOTE ON METRIC MAKEOVER
After decades of groundbreaking laboratory work, the world’s scientific and technical community is about to redefine four of the seven base units for the International System of Units (SI). A vote to adopt the change is slated for November 16, 2018, at Versailles, France.
An affirmative vote would mean the kilogram (mass), kelvin (temperature), ampere (electric current) and mole (amount of substance) would be determined by fundamental constants of nature rather than by physical objects. This historic change will be the largest single shift in international measurement since the Treaty of the Meter was signed in 1875.
Scientists expect this change will spur technological innovation and lower the cost of many high-tech manufacturing processes. Produced by the National Institute of Standards and Technology.