TTBS hosts Hemispheric Metrology Meeting and Symposium

The Trinidad and Tobago Bureau of Standards (TTBS) hosts The Annual General Meeting of the Systema Interamericana de Metrologia (SIM) at the Cascadia Hotel and Conference Centre from the 10th to the 14th of October 2005. Delegates are expected from the 34 member states of the hemisphere; from Canada to Argentina. The AGM will precede a three day public Symposium and Workshop session which will highlight several Metrology topics.

SIM is an association made up of all the National Metrology Institutions of the members of the Organisation of American States. In its own words SIM considers that its functions are;“… to promote international, particularly Inter-American, and regional cooperation in metrology, SIM is committed to the implementation of a Global Measurement System within the Americas, in which all users can have confidence. Working towards the establishment of a robust regional measuring system, SIM is essential for making the development of a free trade area in the Americas (FTAA) possible. “

National Metrology has been a legal consideration in Trinidad and Tobago since early in the 20th Century as evidenced by the Weights and Measures Ordinance of 1938. Modernisation of the national metrology system and the introduction of the metric system were attempted in the early 1970’s with the introduction of the Metrication and Metrology Bills. The passage of the Metrology Act was not accomplished until 2004 which meant that the creation of a modern national metrology system has remained in abeyance for a number of years.

Since the passage of the Act into law in 2004 Trinidad and Tobago has joined a growing number of countries of the Caribbean in the development of an effective metrology system. Pressures from the creation of International Free Trade arrangements by the WTO along with regional trade groupings such as the CSME and the pending FTAA have increased the awareness of the need to accelerate the development of metrology in the Caribbean.

The prohibitive cost of metrology hardware and the limited number of trained persons within the region have prompted a unified approach to the development of Caribbean Metrology where the region, identified as CARICOM, the Caribbean Community of countries, has sought associate membership of the International Metrology Fraternity the CIPM by signing the Metre convention as a group through CROSQ the Caribbean Organisation for Standards and Quality. This initiative was piloted by CARIMET the sub-regional grouping of SIM the hemispheric Metrology Organisation.

It is with this backdrop, at a time when the Presidency of SIM lies within the Caribbean (Antigua) that the Trinidad and Tobago Bureau of Standards will host the Annual General Meeting of the SIM from October 10th to the 14th 2005. Following the Annual General Meeting The Trinidad and Tobago Bureau of Standards and SIM will present the Symposium and Workshop series titled “ Metrology, the foundation; ensuring the viability of nations “ Through this landmark event the TTBS will officially launch its National Metrology Programme for Trinidad and Tobago and present the concept of the Caribbean Metrology System.

The Symposium and Workshops will highlight metrology issues of importance on several levels. In the National context, the introduction of modern Legal Metrology to Trinidad and Tobago with its infrastructural and industrial implications will be highlighted. Measurement for the storage and distribution of petroleum products and derivatives will be an area for attention. Chemical Metrology which has of late become the main growth area in modern metrology will occupy a special place. Other areas of metrology will also be presented. Speakers of international note will present in their areas of expertise to an audience of persons responsible for the application of the aspects of metrology within their societies.

Metrology is the Science of measurement. It is frequently confused with Meteorology or the study of the weather. Metrology considers measurement as a subject on its own and looks at those topics common to all measurements as well as those issues specific to particular types of measurement.

There are metrology issues associated with many aspects of society and every day life. Issues as diverse as Petroleum taxation, Metric measurement units, Blood pressure determinations and the suitability of drinking water are all metrology issues.

The critical reason for the importance of metrology is the problems of measurement itself. Measurement is not perfect and it suffers from problems like errors, uncertainty, blunders and fraud. The limitation of such problems to manageable proportions is the main concern of modern metrology.

Stability in the performance of measurements is attained by the use of (measurement standards for calibration of measuring instruments. The linkage through calibration chains, of ordinary measurements to the best or primary measurement standards is called Traceability.

Traceability is the evidence of the quality and suitability of a measurement for its purpose. It can be used as the basis for its acceptance. Local traceability has become the responsibility of the TTBS while the traceability of measurements in countries of the entire region is the responsibility of SIM.

The staging of the 2005 SIM AGM and Symposium has presented an excellent platform from which to launch the TTBS Metrology effort locally and the CROSQ Caribbean Metrology effort for the sub-region. The three day Symposium and Workshop session will serve to highlight areas of measurement that are critical to the well being of Trinidad and Tobago and the Caribbean Area.

Day one of the programme is the plenary session and the General Awareness Seminar which will deal with matters on a National and Regional Scale. The Caribbean will join the International Metrology grouping on that day. Day 2 is the day of most workshops as the Chemical, Petroleum, Legal and Length Measurement Seminars will be run on that day. Friday has been reserved mainly for the Calibration Management Workshop which it is believed will be of interest to most people at the proceedings.

There is a slogan for the event taken out of a report by John Birch of Australia, “Strong States have strong metrology systems and weak states have weak metrology systems. Trinidad and Tobago in seeking to strengthen its economy and to increase its efficiency needs to increase the strength of its metrology system. In October 2005 during the AGM, Symposium and Workshops of SIM we can all be a part of that process.