The Saint Lucia Bureau of Standards (SLBS) recently concluded a train-the-trainer program to improve quality management within laboratories.

The course focused on general requirements for the competence of testing and calibration laboratories and medical laboratories.

Dr. Xanthe Dubuison, Head of Certification Department at the SLBS stated that the training of a team of professionals will enable the SLBS to have a pool of trainers who will drive the wider developmental agenda to improve human resource capacity and support a national quality infrastructure.

“We have quite a range of persons from both the private and public sector laboratories because this standard applies to all laboratories, all standard and testing laboratories,” Dr. Xanthe Dubuison said. “We are hoping that persons would implement the standards within the laboratory so that they can become accredited and recognized and accepted internationally.”

The train-the-trainer course was being held under the Commonwealth Standards Network Project.

Charles Barker, Team Leader of the Commonwealth Standards Network Project explained that the importance of being accredited to the international standards for laboratories.

“Private laboratories or national laboratories in the island require credibility and in order to obtain creditability they require to be accredited to the standard 17025 which is for laboratories,” he said. “This assists in exporting because now all testing done on water, food, product or whatever that is exported from Saint Lucia, then the laboratories have accreditation that the testing was done properly.”

The training program commenced on May 9 and culminated on May 16.