By Solomon Rogers PRO SLSB
The Sierra Leone Standard Bureau has continued to engage various stakeholders on weight and measurement to improve standards and quality across the country.
At today’s engagement with iron rod importers and marketers at the Standard Bureau Headquarters in Freetown, the Executive Director of Sierra Leone Standard Bureau Professor Tom Yormah (photo) maintained that as the country is moving away from imperial or colonial system of weight and measurement to metrics system, there should be no room for compromise on accepted standards as African countries will soon open up their borders to allow free movement of goods and services and should therefore uphold standards with reference to " SLS 77.2 - 2010" for iron rods.
The Executive Director also expressed interest in pursuing laid down Standards for cement steel panels, roofing sheets and everything that has to do with building materials in order to protect lives and maintain quality.
In June 2019 Standard Bureau engaged iron rod marketers and importers on verification with special focus on length and diameter but the compliance rate remains low.
Professor Yormah said the engagement is an ongoing process and if an agreement is reached the country will move away from the imperial system to metrics system to enhance quality and minimize cheating, stating that should this fail his Office will go after defaulters.
The Executive Director of Absolute Barrkee Industries Mohamed Jalloh observed that many people are ignorant of the metric system and he appealed for mass awareness among stakeholders.
He said as structural engineer all their designs are tagged to specific materials in length and diameter but because of the hike in prices some contractors go in for substandard ones.He concluded that "let a ton of rod be a ton in length, diameter and price".
The Manager of Metrology at Sierra Leone Standard Bureau Frank Martin also buttressed the statements of his boss, adding that, whatever decision reached must be transmitted to their manufacturers to operate in tandem with laid down standards of Sierra Leone
However, it was resolved that importers and marketers should now secure verification certificate at the port of entry.
It was also agreed that a Quality Certificate should be issued for all consignments as required by accepted standards.
12-millimeter diameter rods remained the required standard as opposed to 10 millimeters, half inch and quarter rods.
It was agreed among iron rod importers and marketers that public awareness be scaled up to reassure customer confidence.
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