Before you make any purchase, the products you select are typically manufactured within a complex system of standards, whether locally or abroad, and companies use their adherence to these standards to set themselves apart from their competitors.
The T&T Bureau of Standards (TTBS) is this nation's statutory organisation responsible for developing and enforcing standards to ensure the welfare of consumers. The TTBS, which operates under the Ministry of Trade and Industry, was created in 1974 by an act of Parliament, which was repealed and replaced by the Standards Act of 1997.
What are these standards you ask? According to the TTBS' Web site, a standard is a document that contains technical (or product) specifications, rules, recommended practices or definitions which "ensure that materials, products, processes and services are fit for their purpose."
Standards can be voluntary or compulsory, but as the TTBS notes, "many organisations comply in order to demonstrate their commitment to quality, performance or safety." Standards are used across a wide range of fields to produce goods and within companies as part of their management processes.
The TTBS has several divisions or units that offer a range of services, but those specific to the purpose of the bureau are: certification, implementation, standardisation, quality, lab services and lab accreditation.The certification division assesses products, services or a company's management system and determines whether improvements need to be made before awarding ISO (International Organisation for Standardisation) certification.
Compulsory standards are enforced by the implementation division who "inspect goods at...ports of entry, importers' warehouses, and at retail outlets throughout the nation."Standards to improve industry practices that create trade opportunities are the responsibility of the standardisation division. This area of the bureau is involved with standard development through stakeholder consensus.
The quality unit is "responsible for the development, documentation, implementation and maintenance of the quality management system in accordance with the ISO 9001 standard."
The TTBS provides laboratory services to the "manufacturing, commercial and public sectors" via five laboratories: chemical, electrical, fibre, materials and metrology (science of measurement). In addition, the lab accreditation service "gives formal recognition to the technical competence of a laboratory to perform specific tests, types of tests or calibrations."All of these services are provided to companies to ensure that consumers have access to products that meet universal criteria, are safe and of a specific quality.
For more information on the TTBS, visit www.ttbs.org.tt, gottbs.com or www.facebook.com/ttbureauofstandards.
Here to help
Even as you're encouraged to take the appropriate routes for addressing your complaints, the Guardian Angel is here to assist you. You can send the Guardian Angel an e-mail about your problem and what steps you took to deal with the matter.Unfortunately, owing to the volume of e-mails and limited space, it may be impossible to address every complaint, no matter how worthy, or acknowledge receipt of every e-mail.
The Guardian Angel looks forward to hearing from you and bringing some relief to your problems.
E-mail her at angel@guardian.co.tt
Please include your name, address and telephone number as we'll need them to follow up with you.