VP Meriton shows support to SBS staff on World Accreditation Day |10 June 2020

Staff of the Seychelles Bureau of Standards situated at Providence yesterday afternoon welcomed Vice-President Vincent Meriton, who has the portfolio responsibility of the entity, at Standard House for a short visit of encouragement and support which coincided with the World Accreditation Day commemorated on June 9.

Led on a tour of the facilities by the chief executive of the Seychelles Bureau of Standard (SBS) Andy Ally, VP Meriton availed of the opportunity to interact with the employees, hear them talk proudly about what they do, listen to their concerns and the challenges they face in their work, see the new pieces of laboratory equipment just received and visit a new laboratory that has been completed to accommodate the new Gas Chromatograph (GC) for the testing of alcoholic beverages for sugar level and other substances.

The SBS has been receiving new laboratory equipment from the SADC TRF Project to further strengthen its conformity assessment services that it offers various stakeholders and clients.

VP Meriton started his tour at the Microbiology Laboratory where Jeanne Underwood, a senior technician, explained to him how the four new incubators function.

“The incubators help in testing for microbes in food, water samples brought in from hotels, the fishing industry as well as from numerous other clients,” Ms Underwood explained.

Mr Ally for his part pointed out that the Microbiology Laboratory was the busiest during the COVID-19 restrictions as it has to continue providing the service to support the fishing industry so it can export our fish to the international markets.

The laboratory also carries out monitoring checks on water samples brought in by various individuals and some bottled water producing companies.

Chantale Camille, a technician at the Chemical Analysis Laboratory, explained to VP Meriton how the new Analytical Balance is used to weigh fish samples for different tests, how it is more precise and more modern in its readings. All the equipment meet the required internationally certified standards.

All the services offered at the SBS are for a fee.

Other pieces of laboratory equipment that the SBS has just received include:

• a Dissolved Oxygen Meter which is used to measure dissolved oxygen in water. Dissolved oxygen refers to the level of free oxygen present in water. Dissolved oxygen levels that are too high or too low can harm aquatic life and affect water quality.
• a Turbidity Meter, which is used to measure the turbidity in water. In drinking water, the higher the turbidity level, the higher the risk that people may develop gastrointestinal diseases.
• a Laboratory Freezer (-80 Degree Celsius) which is used to store reference strains that are used for testing of bacteria in food and drinks.
• a Laboratory Refrigerator (4 degree Celsius) which is used to store reagents used for the testing of histamine in fish.

Mr Ally said that the vice-president’s visit has been an opportunity for him to see for himself and understand the importance of SBS as the national standards body and see the necessary infrastructure required to continue promoting standard, inspection and certification to ensure that everything that is produced and manufactured locally meet the required safety standards.

The accompanying photographs by our photographer Thomas Meriton show some highlights of Vice-President Meriton’s visit at SBS.

Marie-Anne Lepathy