The Standards Development Department
Standards Development Department is responsible for the preparation, promotion, and maintenance of standards in relation to goods, services, and processes.
Standard Development – is demand driven.
- Environmental and/or Social Issues
Standards – developed by a group of stakeholders i.e. a Technical Committee.
Standard Development Process
Within The Bahamas, BBSQ mandated to prepare, promote and implement standards for all goods, services, practices and processes used or produced locally, in order to protect the health and safety of consumers, and the environment and develops standards through a process, which usually involves the following stages:
- Proposal Stage - Identifying the need to set a standard
- Preparatory Stage
- Defining the scope of the standard (e.g. the technical, environmental or safety specifications which need to be set) or if regional or international standards
- Determine if international standards or regional standards already exist that can be adopted, adapted or if a standard has to be developed
- Committee Stage -Consulting with other interested parties with a view to achieving a consensus on the adoption, adaption or development of a standard (committee Stage)
- Approval and Publication Stages -Publishing the agreed standards for the relevant product or service
Summaries on Standards Already Developed
Specification for Packaged Water
This national standard specifies requirements for the purity, treatment, bacteriological acceptability, packaging and labelling of all waters that are pre-packaged for sale and used as beverages or in foods. This would include self-serve refill bottled water for sale.
This standard does not apply to water distributed by the public water supply system, to carbonated beverages, soda water or to packaged water sold for purposes other than as a beverage.
This standard should be used in conjunction with BNSCP 1:2014, Code of Hygienic Practice for Packaged Water.
Code of Hygiene Practice for Packaged Water
This national standard recommends appropriate general techniques for collecting, processing, packaging, storing, transporting, distributing and offering for sale, all bottled or packaged drinking water for direct consumption.
Code of Practice General Principles of Food Hygiene
This national standard outlines the essential principles of food hygiene within the food chain from primary production to the final consumer, stipulating the acceptable hygienic conditions for producing food that is safe and suitable for consumption.
Labelling of Prepackaged Foods
BNS CRS 5:2010
This national standard outline labelling requirements for the quality and safety of pre-packaged food offered for sale in The Bahamas.
All manufacturers, importers, distributors and other entities engaged in the production and or trade of Pre-packaged Food within The Bahamas shall comply with the requirements of this standard.
Labelling of Tobacco Products
BNS CRS 26:2013
This national standard specifies the information, the method of display of such information, the wording and presentation of health warnings to be included on the labels of retail packages of tobacco products intended to be sold in The Bahamas.
Specification for Grading and Quality Requirements of Table Eggs
BNS CRS 52:2005
This national Standard establishes specifications for:
- grading criteria and grades;
- weight classification;
- labelling requirements; and
- sampling protocols and methods of test.
This standard is applicable to table eggs which are prepackaged, and also establishes labelling requirements for processed egg products, which are prepackaged, distributed and offered for sale in The Bahamas.
Specification for Poultry and Poultry Products
BNS CRS 28:2012
This national standard specifies requirements for primary processed poultry consisting of carcasses, poultry parts and poultry products for human consumption. It defines and distinguishes between the market classes of poultry.
Requirements for sanitation, plant hygiene, the dressing operation, grading, packaging, labelling and marketing as well as ante-mortem and post-mortem inspection of poultry products sold through commercial distribution systems are also established.
This standard does not apply to freshly killed poultry prepared for direct sale to consumers and for which conditions may be prescribed in National Regulations.
Specification for Poultry feed and feed ingredients
BNS CRS 29:2011
This national standard establishes specifications for nutrient requirements in the rations fed to poultry. It provides guidance on good manufacturing practices for the production of poultry feeds and good on-farm feeding practices. It applies to the production and use of all materials designed for poultry feed and feed ingredients at all levels, whether produced industrially or on farm.
Cement – Specification
BNS CRS 54: 2014
This national standard specifies requirements for hydraulic cements used primarily in the construction industry. It includes requirements for compressive strength, physical properties, chemical properties, packaging, labelling and the means of determining conformance to these requirements within The Bahamas.
General Requirements for the Competence of Testing and Calibration Laboratories
BNS ISO/IEC 17025:2005
This standard specifies the general requirements for the competence to carry out tests and/or calibrations, including sampling. It covers testing and calibration performed using standard methods, non-standard methods, and laboratory-developed methods.
This standard is applicable to all organizations performing tests and/or calibrations. These include, for example, first-, second- and third-party laboratories, and laboratories where testing and/or calibration forms part of inspection and product certification.
This standard is applicable to all laboratories regardless of the number of personnel or the extent of the scope of testing and/or calibration activities. When a laboratory does not undertake one or more of the activities covered by this International Standard, such as sampling and the design/development of new methods, the requirements of those clauses do not apply.
Medical laboratories -- Requirements for quality and competence
BNS ISO 15189:2012
This national standard specifies requirements for quality and competence particular to medical laboratories
This standard is applicable to all organizations performing tests regardless of the number of personnel or the extent of the scope of testing activities. It is intended for use throughout the currently recognized disciplines of medical laboratory services.
Standards for Public Comments
Technical Committee Activities
Technical Committees (TC) are established for the purpose of preparing standards or other normative documents.
Membership to a TC includes representation from all interested stakeholders, inclusive of the following:
- industry - consumer groups
- government organizations - other stakeholders
Once established, Technical Committees (TC’s) meet on a scheduled basis to discuss and reach decisions specific to its scope of work, through a cooperative consensus process.
List of Technical Committees
- TC 1 Water and Water Products – not active
- TC 2 Food Hygiene – not active
- TC 3 Labeling of Food Products- not active
- TC 4 Tobacco and Tobacco Products - not active
- TC 5 Poultry and Poultry Products - not active
- TC 6 Building Products - not active
- TC 7 Spirits and Brewery Products - not active
- TC 8 Laboratories – disbanded and now under conformity assessment
- TC 9 Management Systems - active
- TC 10 Tourism and Related Services - active
- TC 11 Electro-Technical and Energy Efficiency- active
- TC 12 Road Vehicles- active
- TC 13 Conformity Assessment - active