Did You Know? offers a quick look at the broad scope of activities underway within the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) Federation of members and partners, highlighting recent accomplishments and new resources related to standardization.
Study Shows Correlation between Safe Workforces and Stock Market Performance
UL, an ANSI member and audited designator, recently sponsored a study through its Integrated Health and Safety Institute on the relationship between a healthy and safe workforce and the positive returns that a company can provide to its shareholders.
"Tracking the Market Performance of Companies That Integrate a Culture of Health and Safety: An Assessment of Corporate Health Achievement Award Applicants" concluded that employers who invest in health and safety programming are more likely to have superior financial performance in the marketplace.
"The […] study supplements the growing body of research establishing correlation between a true culture of health, safety, and well-being for workers and an organization's competitive advantage in the marketplace," said Todd Hohn, IHSI's global director. "UL's Integrated Health and Safety Institute aims to continue building on this research to encourage mainstream adoption of integrated health and safety programs to improve the effectiveness and economic benefit of both programs."
Read more about the study in UL's press release.
NFPA Offers Safety Tips for Winter Warmth
The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), an ANSI member and audited designator, is reminding consumers to stay safe this winter as they seek warmth from different kinds of heating equipment. The association reports that more than half of home heating fire deaths are the result of flammable materials, like clothing, bedding, and upholstered furniture, being located too close to heating equipment such as wood burning stoves, fireplaces, and space heaters.
NFPA also warns homeowners to be aware of the risks of carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning. Fuel-burning equipment, such as vehicles and generators, can produce dangerous levels of CO in an attached garage and should be vented to the outside.
The association offers a number of tips for heating safety, including:
Install and maintain CO alarms. If you smell gas in a gas heater or appliance, do not light it. Leave the home immediately and call the fire department or gas company.
Place a sturdy screen in front of the fireplace to prevent sparks from flying into the room.
During and after a snowstorm, make sure vents for the dryer, furnace, stove, and fireplace are clear of snow build-up.
Do not run a vehicle to warm it inside of a garage, even if the garage doors are open. Remove the car from the garage immediately after starting it and make sure the exhaust pipe is not covered in snow.
Read more safety tips from the NFPA in their news release.
ASQ Survey Indicates Talent Shortage in Manufacturing
The American Society for Quality (ASQ), an ANSI member and accredited standards developer, has released the results of its 2016 Manufacturing Outlook Survey.
Data collected in the survey reveals that an increasing number of manufacturers are faced with a lack of qualified applicants when hiring for vacant positions: 51% in this year's survey, up from 44% in 2011 when ASQ last surveyed manufacturers on the same issue. Many respondents are turning to hiring agencies for help, as well as working with local colleges that will teach the skills needed for open positions.
"With the baby boomer generation retiring and leaving manufacturers with vacant positions, the shortage of qualified applicants remains a clear concern for manufacturers," said Cecilia Kimberlin, ASQ chair. "It's pivotal that workers get the training and education they need to fill these roles and be successful in the high-tech manufacturing field — whether that's through on-the-job training, or through an organization like ASQ."
More information can be found in the ASQ press release.
AHIMA Survey Reveals Patient Matching Struggles in Health Information Management
The American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA), an ANSI member, has published key findings of its recent survey on accurate patient matching for health information management (HIM) professionals. The survey revealed that patient matching, or dealing with patient record duplicates, is an ongoing problem in the industry.
Over half of respondents indicated that they must routinely address possible patient record duplicates at their organization; nearly three-quarters of that group deal with the issue weekly. Results of the survey indicate the importance of having an information governance policy on accurately matching patient information, as well as the significance of quality assurance measures in improving quality of care.
"Accurately matching the right information with the right patient is crucial to reducing potential patient safety risks," said AHIMA CEO Lynne Thomas Gordon. "At the very foundation of patient care is the ability to accurately match a patient with his or her health information."
Read more in the AHIMA news item.
New ASME Journal to Focus on Clean Energy
The American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), an ANSI member and accredited standards developer, is launching a new journal that will address clean energy through batteries, fuel cells, and other energy conversion and storage techniques.
Journal of Electrochemical Conversion and Storage, slated for its first publication in February 2016, will include peer-reviewed articles on disciplines that affect the field, including fundamental electrochemistry and materials, engineering design, analysis, and manufacturing. Topics covered in the bi-monthly publication will include reliability, damage tolerance, safety, and environmental control.
"This is a very active research, development, and commercialization area. Government and industry have challenged engineers and scientists to create new ‘greener' renewable technology that can meet society's needs for energy conversion and storage. We believe this new journal will be a central source of technical information in the rapidly growing energy marketplace," said Wilson K. S. Chiuof the University of Connecticut, journal editor and ASME member.
To learn more and find out how to contribute to the journal, see the ASME press release.
SES -The Society for Standards Professionals to Host January Webinar on Strategies for Technical Working Groups
SES- The Society for Standards Professionals will host a webinar on January 20 2016, from 1:00-2:30 p.m. EST. entitled Making Your Technical Working Group Work: Strategies for Success,intended to help standards groups operate their vital technical working groups with optimal efficiency. Attendance will benefit technology association leaders and participants in technical working groups. Scheduled speakers are Andy Freed, President, Virtual, Inc., and Greg Kohn, Senior Vice President of Client Services, Virtual, Inc.
Webinar attendees will learn:
• The importance of a well-established charter that clearly defines roles and expectations.
• How to best use technology to communicate and encourage decision-making.
• When to reach out for help to establish your working group or get it back on track.
• Tips for ensuring participation and group cohesion.
• Best practices for policies and operating procedures.