National Metrology Institute of South Africa

NMISA provides the confidence that measurements made in South Africa are accurate, comparable and internation­ally accepted. NMISA continues to impact the daily lives of all citizens, even at the level of informal settlements. The quality of drinking water, the monitoring of air pollution, food safety, health care and law enforcement all require the measurement foundation that NMISA provides. NMISA is a public entity reporting to the South African Department of Trade and Industry.

NMISA plays a key role in the establishment of measure­ment traceability and the international equivalence there-of, sitting at the interface between the national and inter­national systems. The expanding global trade and pressure to eliminate technical barriers to trade (TBTs) creates a constant demand for greater accountability and demon­strated competence in NMIs. We also play a leading role in the development of metrology infrastructure in Africa, especially in support of South Africa’s immediate neigh­bours in SADC. A sound measurement structure is criti­cal to the successful implementation of regional free trade agreements and elimination of TBTs.

How can NMISA assist South Africans?

The National Laboratory Association (NLA) with the support of the NMISA is developing a proficiency testing scheme for local test laboratories, to test the exposure of especially deep-shaft coal miners to respirable dust

NMISA serves the country and its populace, the major ob­jective being to link the national measurement system to the international measurement system. At a higher level, accurate measurement is an essential tool for manufactur­ing, scientific research and technological innovation. NMI­SA helps South Africans achieve accurate measurement wherever it is needed in their immediate environment, reaching the intended destination, helping to keep them safe in their work place and receiving medical treatment or purchasing goods and services. If South Africans want to manufacture quality products and/or export their product, this is where NMISA can help them with overcoming tech­nical barriers to trade.

Products & Services

• Reference measurements
• Calibration to the national measurement standards
• Certified reference materials for traceable analytical
• measurements
• Proficiency testing schemes
• Training in measurement
• Measurement consulting research

The technical infrastructure institutions are in­strumental in ensuring the integrity of the South African economy and supporting local business­es to access international markets.

South Africa’s technical infrastructure institu­tions support industrial development through maintenance and development of standards and regulations that require accredited testing, cali­bration, inspection, certification and verification services as evidence of compliance and quality assurance.

NMISA Projects

1. Safe, nutritious food and feed for Africa

As consumers, two thoughts will cross our minds on a daily basis:

1. 1. Did we get what we paid for?
2. Is it safe?

When it comes to the food we eat, we need to be confident that it is authentic, nutritious and safe. Regrettably, recent scandals such as melamine in milk, aflatoxins in dog food, Su­dan red in spices, cadmium in pineapples, and the ‘donkey-and-not-beef’ issue have all shown how mistaken we can be.

Contaminant and nutritional content in food/feed is well regulated within South Africa and its major trade partners. We need to assist our neighbouring countries to perform conformity testing that will help us to receive safe prod­ucts. This lack of measurement capability may further be exploited by foreign states to dump unsafe products into the South African market. Since 2000, several African countries have re­corded some of the highest growth rates in the world, some averaging 5 per cent per annum and up­wards, originating mainly from agricultural pro­duction.

Consumer confidence comes from knowing that testing laboratories are competently and accu­rately testing the nutritional and contaminant content of our food/feed at regulated levels, and that these measurement results are reliable and internationally comparable.

Accreditation to the ISO 17025 standard pro­vides for the demonstration of competence in­ternationally as evidenced through regular par­ticipation in relevant proficiency testing (PT) schemes and the use of certified reference ma­terials (CRMs). Poor access and limited availa­bility of the relevant CRM and PT scheme has often prevented laboratories from demonstrat­ing the necessary competence.

NMISA is launching a Food and Feed Reference Material Programme in 2015/16 dedicated to providing measurement support to food and feed testing laboratories through the provision of relevant CRMs and Reference materials.

NMISA’s current food measurement capability includes the determination of pesticides, myco­toxins, heavy metals, dioxins, persistent organic pollutants, melamine, veterinary drug residues and fat profiling for meat authenticity.

Main activities in 2015/16 include:

1. Extensive interactions with food and feed industry stakeholders to identify and prioritise CRM and PT scheme requirements
2. Establishing infrastructure to produce, package, store and transport CRMs

2. The South African neutron measurement capabilities requested by the world

The value addition of South Africa to the international measurement community and traceability in general was showcased when the international neutron measurement community requested access to the special accelerator neutron beam capabilities at iThemba Laboratory for Acceler­ator Based Sciences (in short iThemba LABS), in particular the 200 MeV beam.

In 2014 the NMISA signed a MOU with iThem­ba LABS to represent South Africa internation­ally for medium and high energy neutron meas­urements. This was followed by a request from the NMISA that the neutron measurement ca­pabilities at iThemba Labs join the formal in­ternational measurement system and led to the formalised designation by NMISA that was ac­cepted by the BIPM of iThemba LABS as the laboratory for medium to high energy neutron measurements in South Africa.

The French and German institutes responsible for neutron measurements in France and Germany (IRSN and the PTB) are now motivating their organisations to fund the developmental work that needs to be done at iThemba LABS to optimise the beam line to be fit-for-purpose for traceability for medium to high neutron measurements. This is a measure of the excel­lence in measurement that exists in South Africa.

3. Energy Efficient Lighting

The development and implementation of a measurement capa­bility for Light-Emitting Diodes (LEDs), to support the energy saving drive in South Africa, is one of the priorities of NMISA. The move towards LED lighting is propelled by its high efficien­cy, which promises savings in terms of energy and cost. In order to support the local lighting industry, accurate LED measure­ment methods and standards have to be developed to ensure that performance can be assessed when comparing different products against each other, or when comparing with existing lighting installations.

The South African market is currently flooded by inferior LED products imported from abroad. Standardisation and accurate measurements are needed to assist in the control of locally manufactured and imported products and to ensure their qual­ity and safety. Significant progress has been made by the SABS LED working group (hosted and advised by NMISA) in terms of the development of standards and the adoption of Internation­al Electro-technical Commission (IEC) standards for the South African industry. NMISA has designed and demonstrated proof of concept for a facility to measure photometric properties of LEDs. This facility is being refined and tested. A calibration service for LED products will be provided in the near future.

Metrology is defined as the science of measurement

Metrology is the Science of accurate measure­ment. Research and development underpins the National Measurement Standards and ensures that South Africa’s metrology standards are rel­evant and aligned with the latest international developments. NMISA also supports the South African National Research Infrastructure through the provision of specialised measurement tech­niques.

Three major cross-cutter development projects thrusts have been identified:

• Measurements for Manufacturing
• Competitiveness
• African Food and Feed Reference Material Programme
• Measurements in support of the Green Economy (environmental, energy and additive manufacturing)

Other development projects include:

• Measurement standards for advanced materials (nano materials, etc)
• Technologies for accurate time transfer
• Traceable measurements in Health and Safety

Vision

To be a measurement centre of excellence in­spired to consistently deliver outstanding, inno­vative and international comparable measure­ment solutions that support the country’s trade, people’s quality of life and enable the protection of the environment.

Mission

To provide South African industry and environ­mental, health and safety sectors with fit-for-pur­pose measurement standards and measurements. This is achieved by keeping and maintaining the national measurement standards and units to an acceptable international standard; and by dis­seminating traceability to the South African in­dustry.

Legislative mandate: Measurement Units and Measurement Standards Act, No. 18 of 2006

NMISA is responsible for realising, maintain­ing and disseminating the International System of Unit (SI). It maintains and develops prima­ry scientific standards of physical quantities for South Africa and compares those standards with other national standards to ensure global meas­urement equivalence. NMISA is part of the Tech­nical Infrastructure institutions in South Africa whose sole purpose is to ensure the maintenance of standards and quality.

The Technical Infrastructure institutions com­prise the South African National Accreditation System (SANAS), National Regulator for Com­pulsory Specifications (NRCS), South African Bureau of Standards (SABS) and the National Metrology Institute of South Africa (NMISA).

A well-established technical infrastructure in a country, not only protects the health and safety of its citizens and the environment it is also an indispensable component of any modern com­petitive economy. Accurate and internationally recognised standardisation infrastructure in in­dustry is an important factor for competitiveness in international trade.

Contact

Physical address
Meiring Naudé Road
Brummeria
Pretoria
South Africa

Postal address
Private Bag X34
Lynnwood Ridge
Pretoria
0040
South Africa

Calibration Office: +27 12 841 2102

Calibration enquiries: calibrationoffice@nmisa.org

General enquiries: info@nmisa.org

Reception: +27 12 841 4152

Fax: +27 12 841 2131