THE Bureau of Standards Jamaica (SBJ) on Thursday honoured five distinguished past employees by renaming different office spaces in their honour. The renaming ceremony, which was delayed due to the novel coronavirus pandemic, is a part of the SBJ’s 50th anniversary celebrated last year.

“The Bureau of Standards Jamaica has been around for the past 51 years. One of the activities that we embarked on to mark this memorable 50th anniversary celebration in 2019-2020 was the naming of office spaces in honour of distinguished past employees who made their stellar contribution to the organisation over the years,” executive director of the SBJ, Hopeton Heron, said during the ceremony.

The individuals selected were chosen from a pool of nominees who were evaluated by a section committee and approved by the Standard’s Council.

“Today, the individuals that have been selected represent those who came out ahead, based on the evaluation score received,” Heron said.

The awardees are: James Kerr, from the chemistry lab; Tweedsmuir Mitchell, from the mass metrology lab; the late John Milne, from the metallurgy lab; Marguerite Domville from the packing lab; and the late Ashton Watson, from the Standards Development meeting room.

“These stellar individuals have contributed, not only to the development of the Bureau of Standards of Jamaica but, importantly, to national development,” Minister of Industry, Investment and Commerce Audley Shaw, who was guest speaker for the ceremony, stated.

Shaw further stated that the awardees served the bureau for decades.

The SBJ’s main role includes facilitating the development of standards and other requirements to which particular commodities, services, practices and processes must comply; monitoring for compliance; conducting tests and calibrating instruments; certifying products and management systems; providing industrial training; and promoting research and education in standardisation.

— Candice Haughton