Miss Adelaide Teimle Leigh, assistant standards officer at the Ghana Standards Board (GSB), will visit ASTM International headquarters in West Conshohocken, Pa., this fall as part of the ASTM Standards Expert Exchange Program (SEEP).

Established in 1967, the Ghana Standards Board is that country's national standards body on behalf of the Ministry of Trade and Industry. GSB oversees the development of Ghana national standards as well as testing and inspection services, product certification and quality management.

A graduate of Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering, Miss Leigh has been with the Ghana Standards Board since November 2006. As assistant standards officer, she performs tests and prepares reports on products for the building and construction industry such as carbon steel, plates and pipes and roofing sheets. She also conducts factory inspections and participates in technical committee meetings. 

SEEP is a component of ASTM’s memorandum of understanding (MOU) program, which promotes communication between ASTM International and national standards bodies worldwide, fostering awareness of the standardization systems of all parties involved. The program facilitates the development of national standards that will aid each country's health, safety and environmental and economic conditions. GSB and ASTM signed a memorandum of understanding in 2007.

As part of SEEP, standards experts from MOU countries participate in an intensive one-month training program at ASTM headquarters in West Conshohocken, Pa. During this time, they learn about ASTM International and its standards development process, observe the process in action by attending technical committee meetings, visit both federal government agencies and U.S.-based standards development organizations in Washington, D.C., and share information about their work and their home organization.

Release #8349 /August2009