Introduction
The Covid-19 pandemic has brought the measurement of temperature into the daily lives of South African citizens. A non-contact, infrared thermometer is the primary Covid-19 screening intervention, but can the results be trusted? Reliable measurements are of paramount importance, and it is therefore critically important that these instruments are fit for purpose and used correctly, when performing the screening tests.
The National Metrology Institute of South Africa, (NMISA) is contracted by the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (dtic) to maintain South Africa's National Measurement Standards and ensure they remain internationally equivalent, thereby facilitating accurate temperature screening for Covid-19.
In order to respond to questions and queries related to Covid-19 temperature screening measurements, NMISA has established a team of experts, representing the relevant public entities as well as private calibration laboratories, who have excelled in their different fields and have extensive experience in fields such as measurement, testing and calibration and their role in quality assurance. These experts are ready to review and provide responses to topical questions received, to ensure that businesses have accurate and reliable information conveniently available from a single source.Submit your question to the Team of Experts
Reliable measurements for Covid-19 testing
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Meet the Team
Our expert team delivers a full-range of skill-sets to answer your Covid-19 temperature screening measurement enquires. The members represent relevant public entities as well as private calibration laboratories, who have excelled in their different fields and have extensive experience in fields such as measurement, testing and calibration and their role in quality assurance.
Eddie Tarnow
National Metrology Institute of South Africa (NMISA)
Eddie has a National Higher Diploma in Electrical Engineering Light Current. He has more than 37 years of metrology experience in various disciplines and currently holds the position of Metrology Specialist.
He spent 17 years working in private industry repairing and calibrating test and measuring equipment. For the past 20 years, he has worked at the National Metrology Institute of South Africa, (NMISA), where he has maintained the National Measurement Standards for dc voltage, Torque and Torque Angle. During this time, he has also presented numerous metrology training courses.
Eddie is a respected member of the South African metrology community, serves on several technical specialist committees, has performed numerous assessments as Technical Assessor for SANAS and has presented more than 15 papers at Test and Measurement Conferences over the past 20 years.
Efrem Kebede Ejigu
National Metrology Institute of South Africa (NMISA)
Efrem Kebede Ejigu has been working at the National Metrology Institute of South Africa (NMISA) since January 2009, where he is currently employed as a senior-scientist with technical signatory in both contact and non-contact thermometry measurements. He is responsible for the training of new employees and metrologists from the AFRIMETS region and represents the NMISA temperature lab at the CCT, APMP, and AFRIMETS meetings participating in a number of technical working groups.
Efrem obtained a PhD degree in Electrical and Electronics engineering science from the University of Johannesburg. His main research interest is in radiation thermometry and optical interference filters. He has published a number of papers in those fields in peer review journals.
Neville Tayler
South African National Accreditation System (SANAS)
Neville Tayler is the accreditation manager at SANAS responsible for the accreditation of calibration labora-tories, Proficiency Testing Providers and Reference Material Producers in South Africa. He holds a National Higher Diploma in Electrical Engineering and National Certificate in Computer Data Processing in addition to numerous metrology and systems management related courses. He is a trained Team Leader and Technical Assessor for ISO/IEC 17025. Prior to joining SANAS, he worked in the explosives and chemical industries where he worked within the Instrumentation department where he gained extensive experience in industrial measurement, control and the calibration of industrial instrumentation, and measurement devices, he has also managed a SANAS accredited Mass Calibration laboratory.
Neville Tayler is an Internationally recognized peer evaluator for both accreditation bodies and regional accreditation bodies and has participated in peer evaluations in Italy, Brazil, Egypt, Kenya, Chile, Tunisia, and Kyrgyzstan, he has also provided training to AFRAC peer evaluators on the peer & evaluation process. Neville Tayler is a member of several International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC) committees and has served as an ILAC representative to bilateral annual meetings with the BIPM,
and annual quadripartite meetings between ILAC, ISO, BIPM and the OIML.
Sekwanele Kubeka
SOUTH AFRICAN BUREAU OF STANDARDS (SABS)
Sekwanele holds Bachelor of Technology in Electrical Engineering from Tshwane University of Technology. He is currently a Senior Standards Writer at the South African Bureau of Standards (SABS) in Electro-Technical Department and has been in standard development process for eight (8) years.
His main responsibilities include the development and maintenance of South African National Standards (SANS) in the field of lighting as well as household appliances. Current Chairperson of SABS TC 064 SC 01 and SC 02 which are Lamps/Light Sources and Luminaire technical committees, respectively.
He is also an active member of various IEC (International Electro technical Committee) working groups mainly within IEC TC 34 which focus on the development of international standards for lighting industry, and currently.
Co–Convener of IEC TC 34/AG 1 (Advisory Group) which is a group of international experts that consist of all the Secretaries, Chairpersons, WG leaders and Project Leaders within IEC TC 34.
Jaco Marneweck
NATIONAL REGULATOR FOR COMPULSORY SPECIFICATIONS (NRCS)
Jaco started his career at Iscor (ArcelorMittal South Africa) in Pretoria in 1986 as Technician in the Instrumentation Department. In 1987 he joined
the dti (the Department of Trade and Industry of South Africa) as Inspector in the Trade Metrology Department.
In 1991 this function (Trade Metrology Department) was transferred to the Legal Metrology Department at the SABS (South African Bureau of Standards) and in 2008 the Legal Metrology Department of the SABS was transferred to form part of the newly established National Regulator for Compulsory Specifications (NRCS).
During his 31 year career within the trade metrology/ legal metrology domain he worked as:
- Inspector (also called trade metrologist or weights and measures officer or assize officer)
- Metrologist in the mass and volume calibration laboratory
- Assessor, evaluating the competence of verification laboratories doing verifications on behalf of the National Regulator
- Project Leader for the type approval laboratory evaluating measuring instruments used for trade,
- Manager and later Senior Manager responsible for all Legal Metrology inspection and calibration laboratories countrywide.
Jaco currently holds the position of Senior Manager: Inspections in the Legal Metrology unit of the NRCS, and is the Chairperson of the SABS Technical Committee 70 that deals with all legal metrology standards in South Africa.
He holds the position of Regional Coordinator for SADMEL (South African Development Community Cooperation in Legal Metrology) and is the Chairperson for the SADCMEL Technical Committee 1 dealing with the “Sale of goods".
He holds the position of AFRIMETS Vice-Chairperson representing legal metrology in the Intra-Africa Metrology System, and represents South Africa on the OIML (International Organization for Legal Metrology) Technical Committee TC 6 on “Prepackaged Products" as Convener.
One of the highlights of his career: being part of the first ever peer assessments of instrument manufacturers (Sartorius and Mettler) wanting recognition for type approval test results under the OIML MAA (Mutual Acceptance Agreement on type approval test results – measured once, accepted everywhere principle) (now the OIML Certification System).
Mukhatshelwa Khubana
NATIONAL REGULATOR FOR COMPULSORY SPECIFICATIONS (NRCS)
Mukhatshelwa Khubana is the Technical Specialist for Legal metrology in the RR&D (Regulatory, Research and development) division of the National Regulator for Compulsory Specifications (NRCS).
Academically she has an Electrical engineering B-Tech specializing in clinical engineering and an honours degree in Healthcare technology management.
She began her career as a clinical engineering technician at Steve Biko Academic Hospital and thereafter Medhold Medical. She later joined the NRCS as Legal metrology Inspector and advanced further to the current position at a technical specialist for Legal metrology. She plays an important role in the administration and maintenance of legal metrology technical regulations to promote fair trade and to protect public health and safety and the environment.
John Wilson
national laboratory association of south Africa (NLA-SA)
John Wilson is a Senior Member of the South African Institute of Electrical Engineers and a Fellow of the Society for Automation, Instrumentation, Mechatronics and Control in South Africa.
In addition, John is a founder member and a past Chairman of SANAS (South African Accreditation System) and is currently the Chairman of the South African National Laboratory Association. He is also active on several of the ILAC committees. He is registered with the NLA MetCert Scheme as an Expert in the fields of DCLF and Temperature Metrology and a Metrologist in Time & Frequency.
He has his own company which specializes in Metrology & Accreditation consulting and training.
Zukile Goduka
NATIONAL REGULATOR FOR COMPULSORY SPECIFICATIONS (NRCS)
Zukile is a Principal Inspector at the National Regulator for Compulsory Specifications (NRCS).
He has 17 Years of experience in Legal Metrology and his responsibilities include inspection, verification and testing of all measuring instruments used for trade, health, and legal purpose. He also works in a SANS 17025 calibration laboratory as a metrologist and is an appointed laboratory management representative, as well as a SANAS technical assessor on SANS 10378 accredited verification and repairing bodies.
Zukile is the Project Leader of Technical Committee 16:SC 1 – Instruments used for measuring air pollution and Technical Committee 18:SC 2 – Medical Thermometers.
Johan Uys
SAHPA
Senior Scientist at SAHPA Office (Radiation Control) in Bellville. Responsible for the licensing of listed electromedical devices that include inter alia lasers, physiological monitors, incubators, ventilators, infusion pumps, etc.
B.Engineering degree (Electronics): University of Pretoria.
Isaac Malapela
NATIONAL REGULATOR FOR COMPULSORY SPECIFICATIONS (NRCS)
Isaac Malapela is an Electrotechnical Business Unit Specialist at the National Regulator for Compulsory Specifications (NRCS) and is responsible for the development of technical regulation and training modules for our inspectors. He currently acts as the departmental representative in the technical committee and working group for the products that the NRCS regulates. He is involved in helping and giving information to the client or certifications bodies on the approval processes of the products that fall within the mandate of the NRCS since 1995.
Isaac has been working at the SABS/NRCS for the past 22 years in the same department. He has progressed from a Surveillance Inspector to a Senior, Principal and Business Unit Specialist.
He represents the NRCS in industry association, on the certification process of the products, and attends the Regional and International meetings such as SACDTBT, IEC CB Scheme.
Du Toit Volscheck
SOUTH AFRICAN BUREAU OF STANDARDS (SABS)
Du Toit has been a SABS employee for 31 years, with involvement in various test laboratories, including SABS metrology laboratories. 18 years at the Radiation Protection Service. 12 years in SABS senior and general management. Current position: General Manager Food and Health Testing (Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Radiation Protection Service, Radiation Metrology, Water PTS, Food and Water Chemistry, Food and Pharmaceutical Microbiology)
