The St. Kitts and Nevis Bureau of Standards (SKNBS) was officially established on the 8th day of March 1999 under the National Bureau of Standards Act No 7 of 1999 now the Bureau of Standards and Quality Act No 19 of 2021.

It is an Act to provide for the preparation, promotion, and implementation of standards and standard related activities in relation to commodities, goods, services, processes, and practices by the establishment and operation of a Bureau of Standards; to define the powers and functions of the Bureau of Standards; to provide for transitional provisions, and for incidental matters.

The Bureau of Standards has the major responsibility of protecting the environment, health, and safety of consumers.  Its activities also focus on preparing, promoting, and generally adopting standards on a national basis relating to structures, commodities, materials, articles, and other things offered to the public commercially, hence promoting standardization, quality assurance, and simplification in industry and commerce.

 

MISSION STATEMENT

To deliver the highest quality of service in the areas of metrology, food, water, and environmental testing and monitor compliance to related standards and regulations in order to foster an improved quality of life for the people of St. Kitts and Nevis.

 

VISION STATEMENT

To improve safety and quality in order to foster a culture for continual improvement.

 

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

  • To prepare, promote, and generally adopt standards on a national basis relating to structures, commodities, materials, articles, and other things offered to the public commercially.
  • To prepare, frame, modify or amend specifications and codes of practice.
  • To test precision instruments, gauges, and scientific equipment, for determining the accuracy and the calibration of standards used in industrial and commercial activities.
  • To maintain testing laboratories for the purpose of testing and providing facilities for examining commodities, products, materials, processes, and practices, and in so doing to conduct such research and investigations as may be necessary.
  • To act as custodian of the national standards of mass, length, capacity, time, temperature and electrical measurement.
  • To certify those products, commodities, and processes that conform to the national standards
  • To control, in accordance with provisions of the Standards Act, the use of standardization marks and distinctive marks
  • To collect and disseminate information on standards and related technical matters, nationally, regionally and internationally.
  • To function as the National Enquiry/Focal Point.