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Bernice Lau
Senior Engineer
Electrical and Electronics Testing Services |
In year 1999, I was attached to the Environmental & Reliability group of Electrical & Electronics Test Centre (EETC) of the former Singapore Productivity & Standards Board (PSB) under the Industrial Attachment programme. As an intern, I was given an optimum opportunity to learn and experience working life in an engineering field. The attachment experience with PSB was so great and fruitful that I joined this big family again after my graduation. Since then, I have been with the Home Appliances group of Electrical & Electronics section, involved in the electrical safety & performance testing of household appliances.
During the course of my work, I have the rare chance to encounter innovative household products and product prototypes which have yet to be launched in the market. Testing these products to specified tests standards and requirements have enhanced my technical knowledge and widened my horizon. I have also been given overseas assignments in Japan, Malaysia and Thailand for on-site testings which have provided me remarkable experiences to meet and work with people from other countries, to understand their culture and languages and most of all, to experience, verify and use the test facilities available in factory environments which are often very different from our in-house test setups.
With the testing experience gained and the competencies built up through the years, I was nominated for the application as the approved signatory in year 2002 for SAC-SINGLAS. After undergoing rigorous assessment by the SAC assessment team, I became a recognised signatory under SAC-SINGLAS to sign SAC-SINGLAS endorsed test reports for household products. Subsequently, the following year I was given the opportunity to attend the Technical Assessor training course and successfully became a qualified Technical Assessor under the Peer Assessment programme administered by the IECEE Secretariat in Geneva. As a technical assessor, I completed my first CB assessment in Kolkata, India, in August 2005 which involved an audit and evaluation of the technical competency and test facilities of a national laboratory in Kolkata, India.
Being a participating member of the Working Group of Singapore Standards Council, I am also involved in drafting our national standards for household electrical appliances. The participation in this working group has given me the opportunity to further develop my skills in product designs and safety measures and to network with other group members who are manufacturers, academic staffs, authority personnels, industry representatives and other stakeholders.
In 2005, I was involved in the evaluation of performance testing for devices used for healthcare initiatives under the Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI), a global programme for vaccines and immunization administered by World Health Organization. Subsequently, in 2006, I had the opportunity to be involved in the testing of lead-acid vehicle batteries.
In short, I would say, everyday is an exciting and challenging day for me. I engage in in-house testings and field works, prepare documentations, perform information mining, participate in technical discussions with customers and colleagues…… My daily work is non routine and dynamic as there are often different testing experiences employed, various technical know-hows explored, different technological problems to be resolved, diverse tasks to be performed, everyday. The organisation has definitely given me the opportunity and platform for continuous learning and growth. I look forward to a fulfilling career with TÜV SÜD PSB for the coming years.
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