The Ghana Standards Authority (GSA) in collaboration with Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB), the National Metrology Institute of Germany, has hosted a training course 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 participants from the ECOWAS countries 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 among the sub-region’s best because they are internationally accredited to ISO/IEC 17025: 2017 by DAKKS, a German accreditation body; hence the need for officers from different ECOWAS countries to come and learn from the Authority.
The Director of Metrology at the GSA, Prince K. Arthur, opened the training underscores the importance of metrology for African countries, and urged the participants to apply whatever they studied during their time with the GSA when they return to their respective countries.
“Programmes like this are very important for us to learn in order to improve metrology activities in the sub-region. Metrology is very important because it makes our industries very competitive and makes us produce efficiently.
“Let us all have a positive attitude toward the programme. Let’s ask questions and apply whatever you have gathered from here when you get back to your countries,” he said.
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 home 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,” stated Ms. Therese Munchu Gomez, Quality Manager-National Metrology Laboratory of the Gambia.
Participants at the training included Metrology officers from Standards institutions in Ghana, Gambia, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Nigeria, Mali, Benin, Togo, Guinea Bissau, Cote d’Ivoire, Guinea, Niger and Senegal.
