HISTORY
The Barbados National Standards Institution was established in 1973 as a joint venture between the Government of Barbados and the private sector under the Companies Act. It is a non-profit benevolent organization and consists of administrative offices and a laboratory complex.
Work towards the establishment of BNSI began in 1966 with the decision of the then CARIFTA Council of Ministers that every participating country should establish a Bureau of Standards to protect regional and national consumers in the increasing exchange of goods and services and initiation and extension of industrialization.
A study was therefore done in 1967 on the feasibility of a National Standards Body in Barbados. During the same year. Barbados, through the then Economic Planning Unit, became a Correspondent Member of the International Organization for Standardization.
Following another UNIDO Study in 1971, the BNSI formally established de jure in February 1973, as a joint venture between the Government of Barbados and the Private Sector under the Companies Act. It is non-profit and registered “benevolent” organization.
In 1973, BNSI assumed the membership for Barbados in the ISO. Barbados, through BNSI, became a full member of ISO in 1999.
In 1984, BNSI became the National Contact Point for Codex Alimentarius matters.
The UNIDO/Government of Barbados projects for the “organization and administration of the Barbados National Standards Institution 1973 – 1976 and 1978 – 1981” saw the development of the Institution. BNSI occupied premises at Government Headquarters and the old Bay Street Boys’ School before taking possession of its present accommodation at “Flodden”, Culloden Road in 1975.
