UL Provides Details on U.S. Cash for Appliances Program
The U.S. government is launching a $300 million rebate program to encourage Americans to purchase energy-efficient major home appliances, such as dishwashers, clothes washers, and refrigerators.
The initiative, which will be similar to the Cash for Clunkers program, is funded by stimulus money that has been divided among all U.S. states and territories by population. Each has developed a unique rebate plan, and Underwriters Laboratories (UL), a member and audited designator of the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), has a dedicated webpage that will be frequently updated with information on these plans.
To learn more, see the UL Cash for Appliances page.
ASHRAE Administers Program to Assess Energy Use of Buildings
A new initiative entitled the Building Energy Quotient program, or Building EQ, assesses the energy use of selected buildings as part of a pilot program designed to encourage the building industry to cut energy use and costs.
Administered by the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE), an ANSI member and audited designator, the program provides a detailed certificate with data on actual energy use, energy demand profiles, indoor air quality and other information that will enable building owners to evaluate and reduce their building's energy use.
For more information, see the ASHRAE news release.
NSF Scrub Club Website Highlights the Hand Washing for Kids
NSF International, an ANSI member and audited designator, has developed a website for children teaching them the importance of washing hands properly and frequently.
The Scrub Club website features webisodes, games, songs, and even villains such as "Sal Monella" and "E. Coli." Children can become members of the Scrub Club with a downloadable and printable membership club. The website also contains information for teachers, parents, and the media outlining the website features, and highlighting statistics and benefits of hand washing.
For more information, see the NSF Scrub Club website.
TIA Provides Ideas for Summer Fun with the Latest Toys
The Toy Industry Association (TIA), an ANSI member and accredited standards developer, has published an article highlighting some of the hottest toys for this summer.
The article provides ideas for outdoor fun, such as sidewalk chalk and water shooters, as well as indoor fun including art kits and miniature construction sets. TIA also offers safety tips for these summer toys, advising parents to closely follow age guidelines on toy packaging and to carefully supervise children during outdoor play and activities near water sources such as pools and lakes.
For more detailed information on summer toys and safety guidelines, see the TIA article.
ASME Launches New Website for Early Career Engineers
ASME, an ANSI member and accredited standards developer, has launched a new website to help early career engineers build skills, make connections, and find jobs.
FutureMe has links to helpful articles and surveys, a job board, information on upcoming courses and seminars, and more. There are also stories from young engineers who answer questions and provide guidance on how they found success in their career.
For more information, see the ASME FutureMe website.
AAMI Holds Silent Auction to Benefit Scholarship Program
The AAMI Foundation is conducting a silent auction to help benefit the Michael J. Miller Scholarship Program, which provides critically important scholarships to students seeking a career in the medical technology profession.
The silent auction offers a number of vacation packages, including trips to Vegas, Disney, Long Beach, Arizona, San Jose, San Antonio, Washington DC, and a number of other popular destinations. There are also products and hand-crafted work of AAMI members, including photography, hand-knitted scarves and baby clothing, jewelry, and more.
AAMI is an ANSI member and accredited standards developer. Click here to participate in the silent auction.