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The 2010 SLBS workshop presented by Anselm Gittens in Lima, Peru, focused on the importance of metrology in Saint Lucia. Covering the island's economic landscape and its historical development in weights and measures, the workshop underscored the critical roles of verification and calibration services in trade, health, and safety. Emphasizing alignment with national priorities, the presentation outlined SLBS’s strategic goals for enhancing local capabilities in metrology and ensuring traceability for various industries.
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SLBS / NMI, NSB and NLMS SIM T & F Workshop March 2010, Lima, Peru Presenter: Anselm Gittens, SLBS
About Saint Lucia • Mountainous island with area of 616 km2 • Population 160 000 (in 2001) • Main economic activities are tourism, financial services, telecommunications services, agriculture, agro-processing, construction, beverage production and manufacturing • Independent country in the British Commonwealth • Official language English but French Kweyol is also spoken by the majority
HISTORY • 1911: Weights & Measures Ordinance gives Police Force responsibility for weights & measures • 1970s: Price Control Dept (now Consumer Affairs) commences weights & measures activities • 1994: SLBS begins joint verification with Consumer Affairs Dept. Four employees. • 2000: Metrology Act No. 17/ 2000 repeals Ordinance • 2001: Metrology Regulations No. 113/2001. Eleven employees. • 2004: Relocated to new building. Area of 929 m2 • 2010: Staff of 22 persons, three in Metrology Dept
Strategic Goals 2010/2011 • Align our metrology programmes with national economic and social priorities • Sensitize the private and public sector policy makers to the importance of metrology in trade and industry • Advance the metrication of Saint Lucia (through Metrication Board)
Programmes • Pattern Approval of Measuring Instruments • Verification & Calibration of Measuring Devices • Measurement Assurance • Measurement Disputes Investigation
Verification/Calibration & Measurement Capabilities • Initially developed to meet legal metrology requirements for commerce, health, safety and environment • Growing demand by local industry for verification/calibration services and testing • Prohibitive regional transportation costs have favoured development of local NLMS/NMI capability
SLBS Capabilities • Mass (weight): verification/calibration of weights, laboratory, counter/platform & hopper scales, weighbridges • Volume: verification of fuel dispensers & flow meters, test measures • Force: verification of compression machines
Customer calibration & testing requests/needs • Temperature: thermometers (for labs & food industry) • Pressure: manometers (on boilers), barometers, aviation • Electrical: digital multimeters, energy meters • Torque: torque wrenches • Dimensional: gauge blocks, micrometers, EDMs • Volume: large storage tanks, flowmeters • Mass: large mass (hopper scales) • Chemical: spectrometers, pesticide residues, heavy metals, water quality, biochemical, CEHI
Time & Frequency • NMI should have national time & frequency standard • Provide traceability to power company, telecommunications providers and regulators (ECTEL and NTRC) • Calibration of time & frequency equipment
Utilities • Power company maintains grid frequency at 50 Hz +/- 3 % through System Control Centre equipped with SCADA and GPS receiver • Telecommunications providers’ time reference through fibre optic network and interconnection
Telecommunications Regulators • ECTEL responsible for spectrum management, licensing, interconnection and other policy issues across five sovereign OECS countries • NTRC responsible for enforcement and type approval in individual countries • NTRC does spectrum monitoring through spectrum analyzer
T & F Challenges for SLBS • Temperature stability of laboratory • Uninterruptible power supply (UPS) vs generator • Need to demonstrate relevance and impact of time & frequency capability • Personnel
Way Forward • SIM Time & Frequency Measurement System donation through SIM Time & Frequency Working Group • Installation & commissioning of SIM T&F Measurement System • Active participation in SIM T&F Network and TFWG • CMCs on BIPM KCDB • Provide T&F traceability to industry • “Time by the St. Lucia Bureau of Standards is…”
THANK YOU GRACIAS MERCI