To support economic activities and social recovery amid the pandemic, the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) encourages its stakeholders to submit feedback on an International Workshop Agreement (IWA) proposal on Guidelines for Social Distancing in Workplaces and Workflows. Submit comments to ANSI by August 28, 2020.
SAC, the national standards body for China, submitted the proposal to the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) Technical Management Board for consideration of the development of an IWA to support the development of Guidelines for Social Distancing in Workplaces and Workflows.
As the IWA proposal explains, COVID-19 has disrupted the routines, activities, working environments, and lifestyles of people across the world. Therefore, it is crucial, according to the proposal, to ensure the personal safety and health of producers, providers, workers, consumers, and the public during the pandemic - and safety-related emergencies that occur in the future - to ensure normal levels of production, provision, consumption, participation, and activities by developing a "social distancing" standard. Additionally, the long-term adoption of social distancing guidelines is important to mitigate if not prevent future large-scale issues affecting health and safety, such as a pandemic.
Furthermore, the proposal asserts that an IWA to develop a social distancing standard could support the development of several UN Sustainable Development Goals, including (SDG) Goal 3: Good Health and well-being, SDG Goal 1: No Poverty, and SDG Goal 6: Clean Water and Sanitation (See related ANSI article on sanitation), among others.
All interested U.S. parties are invited to review the proposal, which includes additional IWA document aims. Submit comments on whether ANSI as an ISO/TMB member should approve this proposal, and additional comments to Steven Cornish, ANSI senior director of international policy and strategy at [email protected] by close of business on August 28. ANSI is the U.S. member body to ISO.