The Guyana National Bureau of Standards (GNBS) continues to work with local laboratories to implement National and International standards to improve the quality of services they offer to their customers. A number of these laboratories implementing international standards have taken the bold step to accreditation, which augers many benefits.
Currently, there are four institutions, which are accredited to international standards in Guyana. The Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB) Central Laboratory and the Government Analyst – Food and Drug Department Laboratories are accredited to the ISO/IEC 17025:2017 Standard – General requirements for the competence of testing and calibration laboratories. Meanwhile, the Eureka Medical Laboratories Inc. and Dr Balwant Singh Hospital Inc. are accredited to ISO /IEC 15189:2012 – Medical Laboratories – Requirements for quality and competence.
Laboratory accreditation benefits laboratories by allowing them to determine whether they are performing their work correctly and to appropriate standards, and provide a benchmark for maintaining competence.
According to the International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC), laboratory accreditation provides formal recognition to competent laboratories, thus providing a ready means for customers to identify and select reliable testing measurement and calibration services.
ILAC further stated that in order to maintain accreditation, laboratories are re-evaluated regularly by the accreditation body to ensure their continued compliance with requirements, and to check that their standard of operation is being maintained. Further accredited laboratories are also required to participate in proficiency testing programs to demonstrate technical competence.
Technical competence is determined in aspects such as the technical competence of staff, validity of appropriateness of test methods, traceability of measurements and calibration to national standards, the sampling, handling and transportation of test items and the quality assurance of test and calibration data.
Accreditation is also an effective marketing tool for testing, calibration and measurement organizations, and a passport to submit tenders to contractors that require independently verified laboratories. In addition, laboratory accreditation is highly regarded both nationally and internationally as a reliable indicator of technical competence. Worldwide, many industries, such as the construction materials industry, routinely specify laboratory accreditation for suppliers of testing services.
In addition to commercial testing and calibration services, manufacturing organizations may use laboratory accreditation to ensure the testing of their products by their own in-house laboratories is being done correctly.
The GNBS encourages more laboratories in Guyana to aim for accreditation to international standards, especially those already implementing the National Laboratory standard GYS 170:2009 – General requirements for the Operation of a Laboratory.
