The United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) as part of equipping testing laboratories in Ghana to conduct quality testing of products under its Trade Capacity Building (TCB) program has organised a four-day internal auditing training workshop for the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR)-Forestry Research Institute of Ghana (FORIG) in Kumasi.
The four-day workshop is part of an ongoing preparation for the staff of CSIR-FORIG wood and furniture testing laboratory in Kumasi towards their accreditation for ISO/IEC 17025.
National Project Coordinator of the UNIDO programme for Ghana Victor Mills revealed that the training is one of series planned to be conducted by UNIDO for all relevant agencies and institutions involved in exports of Ghanaian goods.
Head of the FORIG Testing Centre (FTC) Dr. Emmanuel Appiah-Kubi said the UNIDO internal audit training has been intensive compared to other training the team have had over the years.
He said: “It has enlightened the team a lot. It has helped the team members to understand the concepts, documentation, and the procedures towards accreditation of the laboratories.”
A Senior Research Scientist of FORIG and a participant of the workshop, Dr. Emmanuel Ebanyenle, also said the training will help conduct regular internal auditing at the FTC.
Dr Ebanyenle noted also that it will help improve on the quality management handbook and position FORIG to hold an ISO certificate.
“It has opened our eyes to the standard management, technical and auditing functions of the FORIG Testing centre. Our trainer has been resourceful. We have had theoretical, interactive and practical training,” he said.
A participant from the Forest Product Division of FORIG, Sarah Pentsil, commenting on the training said the workshop took into consideration other relevant aspects that will help create a multi-disciplinary team at FORIG.
“This training will help promote effective monitoring of daily activities of the lab,” she noted.
UNIDO in cooperation with the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MOTI) is implementing the Trade Capacity Building Programme for Ghana, funded by the Swiss Government.
The programme for Ghana aims at ensuring that products are adequately tested according to international standards and conformity assessment requirements before they enter global markets.
The UNIDO – TCB Programme Ghana seeks to build expert capacity for the implementation of management systems standards and other relevant standards for fruit, wood, cocoa and fish value chains.
Source: tv3network.com|Ghana