Did You Know? offers a quick look at the broad scope of activities underway within the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) Federation, highlighting the people and initiatives making waves in standardization.
Kavi Opens Online Joint Standards Development Workspace to All Developers
ANSI member Kavi Corporation recently announced that it has made its Joint Standards Network online standards development workspace available free of charge to all organizations working together on joint voluntary consensus standards and other related documents. Kavi has offered managed online collaboration resources to groups worldwide since 1997, and organizations such as ANSI member and accredited standards developer the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) have previously made use of its services.
The online workspace allows users to submit requests to participate in ongoing projects, or to launch their own. There is no limit to the number of organizations that can take part in a project, and participants are not required to become Kavi customers or to make use of Kavi's other services. In addition, organizations making use of the Kavi Joint Standards Network will be able to directly accept public comments through the site.
For more information about the Joint Standards Network, visit www.jointstandards.net or read the workspace's Frequently Asked Questions page, available here.
NFPA Collaborates with Hannah Storm of ESPN on Grilling Safety PSA
ANSI member and audited designator the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), in conjunction with Hannah Storm of ESPN's SportsCenter, has released a public safety announcement (PSA) video online providing viewers with safety tips for outdoor grilling. In the video, Ms. Storm urges viewers to read all grill safety instructions before operating a grill, and to wait at least 15 minutes before restarting a grill that has blown out.
The video is expected to be the first in a series of home fire safety PSAs featuring Ms. Storm, who suffered widespread first- and second-degree burns in December 2012 following a propane explosion that took place while she was grilling; Ms. Storm's injuries occurred when a breeze blew out the flame on her grill, allowing propane to accumulate until its ignition posed a safety hazard.
The PSA is available here. For more information, visit www.nfpa.org/hannah.
Vision Council Establishes Website Focused on Low Vision
ANSI organizational member and accredited standards developer the Vision Council has officially launched whatislowvision.org, a standalone website providing low vision patients and their caregivers with information and other resources about this type of impairment, which is often linked to age-related eye conditions such as macular degeneration and glaucoma. The site includes content on the availability of products helpful to low vision patients, as well as information about low vision causes, warning signs, and treatment options.
The website, which is intended to serve as a centralized resource for data about low vision conditions, has been designed to maximize ease of use for low vision patients. The font and colors on the site were chosen to boost legibility and provide sufficient contrast for low vision viewers, and the website includes built-in buttons allowing users to manually change the page's contrast and text size.
To visit the new website, click here. For more information, please contact Erin Hildreth, the Vision Council's marketing and communications manager for consumer programs, at [email protected].
NENA Approved as ANSI Accredited Standards Developer
ANSI's Executive Standards Council (ExSC) has approved ANSI organizational member the National Emergency Number Association (NENA), also known as the 9-1-1 Association, as an ANSI accredited standards developer under its proposed operating procedures for documenting consensus on NENA-sponsored American National Standards, effective April 19, 2013. For additional information, please contact Roger Hixson, NENA's technical issues director, at [email protected] or 202-618-4405.