Eight certified as ISO-9001 lead auditors

Eight young Guyanese professionals who successfully completed a five-day ISO-9001 Lead Auditors course on Wednesday received their certificates from the Guyana National Bureau of Standards (GNBS), a release from the Government Information Agency (GINA) said.

This course was executed by GNBS in collaboration with Delphi Consultants Limited from Trinidad and Tobago and with support from Excel Partnership from the United Kingdom.

The ISO-9001 Quality Management System Programme is a registered course that is internationally recognised where participants are provided with the necessary skills required to conduct internal audits of management system 9001 standard, not financial audits, GINA said.

Currently, there are several companies in Guyana that are ISO-9001 certified. The ISO-9001 standard speaks to customer satisfaction, consistency in ensuring quality products and services to customers.

GNBS’s acting Director, Evadnie Inniss explained that the GNBS has a training component, which falls under the purview of the Conformity Assessment Department; allowing for companies that are desirous of implementing management systems in their operations, to seek technical assistance.

“We have the capability right here and we are opening it up to companies to come on board to implement quality management systems or other management systems standards in their operations if they are desirous of meeting international standards,” Inniss stated.

The GNBS is encouraging more businesses to get involved since human resource development is very critical for the strengthening and growth of any organisation.  To this end, a training schedule will be published later in the year, GINA added.

The companies whose employees participated in the course include: Geddes Grant, Edward Beharry Group of Companies, Namilco, Macorp, and the Health Ministry’s Public Health Laboratory.

Head of the Conformity Assessment Department, Kandel Walcott-Bostwick said that these persons are now better equipped to monitor the management systems at their respective agencies. Moreover, these companies will now be able to reduce the cost of hiring external auditors. The certificates will enable participants to apply to the International Registrar of Certified Auditors, to have their names added to the list of certified auditors.