NFPA Supports Involvement of Codes and Standards Enforcement Officials in Standards Development
In the January/February 2012 edition of NFPA Journal, National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) president James M. Shannon writes about the organization's initiatives to promote the involvement of codes and standards enforcement officials in the NFPA process.
"Enforcers share their technical expertise when they participate in the development of codes and standards," wrote Mr. Shannon. "They also provide an invaluable perspective on the practical application of NFPA codes and standards in the field."
NFPA would also like to see enforcers serve on all of its 243 committees and has set the goal of increasing the percentage of enforcement officials serving on NFPA technical committees to 20 percent of total members, up from the current 12 percent.
To support this goal, NFPA will reimburse 80 percent of the travel and lodging expenses for attendance at technical committee meetings for committee members who are code enforcers and are either full-time public employees or who act as enforcers in their capacity as members of the volunteer fire service. For more information, visit www.nfpa.org/enforcers.
CEA to Host Presidential Series Event on February 10 Featuring Mitt Romney
On February 10, ANSI member and accredited standards developer the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) and the Northern Virginia Technology Council (NVTC) will present a Presidential Series breakfast featuring Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney. Mr. Romney will discuss his plan for jobs, economic growth, and building a 21st century workforce.
CEA and NVTC have extended invitations to President Barack Obama, Newt Gingrich, and Governor Rick Perry. Stay tuned for more events as candidates and dates are confirmed. Click here for more information or to register.
SES Seeks Executive Director
SES - the Society for Standards Professionals is seeking a qualified candidate to fill the position of Executive Director.
The Executive Director is primarily responsible for managing the Society's finances, conducting day-to-day business, managing the Annual Conference, providing staff support to fulfill actions and directives of the SES Board of Directors, and assisting the Board in developing policies and strategies to achieve the mission, vision, and goals of the Society.
Click here to view the full job description. Applications are due by Friday, February 3, 2012, to [email protected].
USP Seeks Feedback on Pharmaceutical Supply Chain Integrity Guidelines
In an effort to encourage comprehensive public standards across the pharmaceutical industry, ANSI member the U.S. Pharmacopeial Convention (USP) is proposing a set of recommended best practices that will help ensure that medicines can be traced back to their original manufacturer, are not adulterated or counterfeited, and are transported to their intended destination with their quality intact. USP is seeking broad feedback on these recommendations, which are posted here.
The new standard being proposed is contained in the proposed USP General Chapter <1083> Good Distribution Practices—Supply Chain Integrity, and is intended to serve as a central guidance document outlining the essential elements of an effective strategy.
"USP has developed an initial proposal that we expect to evolve as industry, FDA and others weigh in," said Praveen Tyle, Ph.D., chief science officer for USP.
USP will convene a Supply Chain Integrity Workshop on May 22-23, 2012, in Rockville, MD. This will be a further opportunity to provide input, including whether additional information needs to be included in the chapter. Click here for more information.
RESNET Approved as ANSI ASD
ANSI's Executive Standards Council (ExSC) has approved the Residential Energy Services Network (RESNET), a full organizational member, as an ANSI accredited standards developer (ASD) under its proposed operating procedures for documenting consensus on proposed American National Standards, effective January 3, 2012. For additional information, please contact Steve Baden, RESNET executive director (760.408.5860; [email protected]).
Approval of U.S. TAG Accreditation
The ANSI ExSC has formally approved the accreditation of the U.S. Technical Advisory Group (TAG) to ISO Technical Committee (TC) 34/Subcommittee (SC) 9, Microbiology, with ANSI (with technical and financial support from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration) serving as U.S. TAG Administrator. For additional information, please contact Henry Cheung, ANSI program administrator (212.642.4975; [email protected]).