Instituto Nacional de Metrologia, Normalização e Qualidade Industrial
This article will give you an overview of one of the most reliable institutions in Brazil, providing its definition, current status and attributions.
Background
Established in 1973, the National Institute of Metrology Standardization and Industrial Quality (Inmetro) is a federal autarchy created to support Brazilian enterprises, increasing their productivity and the quality of goods and services.
Its main attribution is to analyze technical conditions and the quality of products and services through measurements that follow a strict evaluation process. It also aims to promote economic competitiveness through metrology and quality.
Products and services approved by the institutions have a “quality label” and consumers are instructed to look for this label when buying a product or hiring a service.
Current Status
Evaluations provided by Inmetro are very reliable in Brazil, as they promote credibility certificates that determine what is good and what is not and, most important, what is safe.
Recent studies point Inmetro as one of the most prestigious and reliable institutions in Brazil. According to the institution, 81% of those who were interviewed stated that the quality label has a strong influence in their decision of buying a certain product.
Its popularity has granted it a participation on a TV show broadcast throughout the country. Every week certain products and services have their quality tested and the result of these tests strongly influences the popularity of that product among its potential consumers.
Main Attributions
Inmetro's regulations aim to meet international quality standards, especially those related to safety and performance.
Inmetro main attributions are:
- To provide technical support to Conmetro - the National Metrology, Standardization and Industrial Quality Council, responsible for establishing the national policies on metrology and quality;
- To implement the national policies on metrology and quality set by Conmetro;
- To maintain the national measurement standards in the country;
- To extend the traceability chain to the standards of measurement in the country, turning them internally harmonic and compatible with the international level, envisaging its worldwide acceptance;
- Development of conformity assessment programs in the areas of products, processes, services and personnel that involve the approval of regulations.
- To plan and carry out the activities necessary for the development of the infrastructure of technological services in the country;
- To manage the Focal Point for Technical Barriers to Trade, responsible for the Brazilian WTO/TBT Enquiry Point, for providing Brazilian exporters with information on technical requirements, as well as supporting the Brazilian government in all international negotiations on technical barriers to trade;
- To harbor the use of the management technique of quality by the Brazilian enterprises ;
- To foster the presence of Brazil in the international activities related to metrology and quality, plus promoting the interchange with and international bodies.
Quality Labels
As previously mentioned, every product approved by Inmetro has a quality label. This label is the proof that the product/service achieved all the different requirements involving it. Naturally, these requirements change accordingly to the product/service specifications, but most of them are related to safety, environment and performance.
Here are some of the most common quality labels and some examples of products to which they apply:
- Safety: toys, fire extinguishers, motorcyclist helmets, booster seats, pressure cookers;
- Performance: electronic equipments. The efficiency of these equipments is based on their energy consumption;
- Accordance: these labels aim to verify if products and services meet their primary role. For example, it verifies if sunglasses really protect its users from UVB rays.
- Sustainability: this label aims to indicate that a product was made accordingly to environmental regulations and has a reduced impact level on the environment.
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