Dennie Quill, Contributor
THE RECENT IMBROGLIO over cement quality has heightened concerns about the role of a Bureau of Standards in Jamaica. The position of this regulatory body is weakened by this kind of evidence which suggests that the organisation is failing in its mission. Surely, its mandate must include educating the public so that consumers may make good choices in exercising their judgement about products and services.
From time to time we hear a din from Winchester Avenue loudly chastising a specific industry but this is usually after the damage has been done. The bureau is far too reactive in its approach to monitoring standards. Possibly it does not have the manpower or requisite resources but for this organisation to be effective it should randomly turn the spotlight on all areas of industry. It is imperative that this organisation initiate a range of measures to assess all sections of industry. It ought to go further and publish the names of industries that fail to meet minimum standards.
Take the jewellery industry. Recently a friend of mine complained that her boyfriend gave her a chain for Christmas and within weeks the thing had turned black. He was told it was 14-karat gold and he had paid a handsome price for it. Sadly, he could not find his receipt and he had a difficult time trying to prove that he made the purchase. Needless to say, he could not collect from the store owner who switched the blame to the customer whom he accused of using bleach to tarnish the item.
ANECDOTAL EVIDENCE
There is also anecdotal evidence that some of our jewellers are notorious for switching items in the backroom where they often retreat to "clean up" an item once it has been paid for. Quality assurance procedures are sadly lacking in this industry and we cannot depend on the National Consumers League to monitor the retail trade in jewellery, or any other industry for that matter. The league is soundly asleep.
These days buying jewellery must be seen as a major investment. How many people know the difference between a 14-karat gold ring and one that is of 10 karats? Or how many persons even understand that a 10-karat gold ring is made up of 10 parts of gold to 14 parts of other metals, or that a 24-karat ring is made of pure gold and contains no other metal? How many jewellery stores feel obliged to explain cleaning and caring tips to purchasers?
EXAMPLE
For example, who ensures the quality of gemstones? Who protects the consumer from inferior quality goods? There ought to be guidelines about colour of gemstones, saturation and clarity. Items of jewellery should be clearly labelled, stating country of origin and a minimum karat weight should be set for all jewellery.
Another area of concern is the health standards for hairdressers and barbers. Who monitors them to ensure they are adhering to proper hygienic standards? It is critical that in these service areas there is scrupulous attention to standards in order to reduce the risk of disease transmission - ringworm and lice are not the only menace which can attack someone who sits in a barber's chair. I have been asking my friends who visit hairdressing salons regularly and not one of them has ever seen any monitoring figure ensuring that there are infection-prevention techniques. The Ministry of Health must bear some responsibility for this sector but the bureau also has a major role to play. Powerful, efficient organisations can insist on standards and quality but weak organisations are impotent.
I could also talk about food safety assessment especially as Cricket World Cup looms, but I will save that for another time. Globally, we are witnessing the rise in new international benchmarks for various industries; Jamaica should not be left behind.
Dennie Quill is a veteran journalist who may be reached at denniequill@hotmail.com
