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.
SES to Hold May Webinar Examining the Impact of Human Variability on Standards Work
ANSI member and accredited standards developer SES - The Society for Standards Professionals will host a webinar looking at the effects of human variability and imperfection on the development of voluntary consensus standards. The webinar, We're Only Human: Addressing Human Imperfections and Variability in Standards Work, will be held from 1:00-2:30 p.m. on Wednesday, May 21, 2014. It will be overseen by Molly Follette Story, PhD, who works as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)'s human factors and accessible medical technology specialist.
Dr. Story will examine the impact of individual variety, variability, and other human factors on the way in which standards are developed. She will also provide information about the revision of ISO/IEC Guide 71, Guide for addressing accessibility in standards, which is currently in the Draft International Standard (DIS) stage.
The webinar is offered free of charge to all current SES members and all ANSI full member technical contacts; all other participants are required to pay a $50 fee. Online registration is required to take part in the webinar. For more information about the webinar, visit SES's website.
SPLC to Hold May Meeting on Sustainable Purchasing Guidance
The Sustainable Purchasing Leadership Council will hold its 2014 annual meeting on May 20-21, 2014, at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, DC. The event, which will include participants representing a government agencies, industry bodies, standards developing organizations, and academia, among other groups, will feature workshops, panel discussions, and other activities focused on the effective development and use of sustainable purchasing guidelines. Topics scheduled to be discussed include:
The discussions and conclusions associated with each workshop will influence the development of the initial draft of SPLC's sustainable purchasing guidance, benchmarking, and recognition program. To learn more, visit the SPLC's annual meeting webpage. Online registration for the event is available
The SPLC a non-profit organization dedicated to bolstering future economic, societal, and environmental outcomes by advancing more sustainable purchasing practices. In 2013, ANSI signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with SPLC to support the enhanced recognition of credible standards and ecolabels associated with sustainable purchasing activities [see related story].
NFPA Release New Smoke Alarm-Themed Music Videos for Children
ANSI member and audited designator the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) recently released two new music videos intended to teach young children about the importance of smoke alarms. The videos - "Little Rosalie" and "What's That Sound?" - feature noted children's musician Steve Rosnolek, known for his involvement in SteveSongs and the band Recess Monkey and for his appearances on PBS. Both songs teach children how to respond when they hear a smoke alarm, using humor, music, dance to make the lessons memorable and easy for young kids to understand.
The two videos are available on YouTube, SchoolTube, and NFPA's Sparky School House website, which provides kid-friendly information on a variety of essential fire safety topics. Other Sparky School House resources include targeted fire safety lesson plans, eBooks, and interactive white board lessons. For more information about NFPA's activities, visit www.nfpa.org.
RIC Now an ANSI Accredited Standards Developer
ANSI's Executive Standards Council (ExSC) has approved ANSI organizational member the Remanufacturing Industries Council (RIC) as an ANSI Accredited Standards Developer under its proposed operating procedures for documenting consensus on RIC-sponsored American National Standards, effective April 21, 2014. For additional information, please contact Dr. Derek Guest, RIC executive director, by email at [email protected], or by phone at 585-354-7010.
ISNA Applies to Become ANSI Accredited Standards Developer
ANSI organizational member the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) has applied to become an ANSI-accredited standards developer, and has submitted proposed operating procedures overseeing the documenting of consensus on proposed ISNA-sponsored American National Standards. ISNA's proposed scope is focused on the development of a standard for halal food for use by U.S. food manufacturers, including pre-slaughter conditions, slaughtering methods for poultry and livestock, and packaging and storage conditions for halal food intended for both domestic consumption and international export.
For questions, or to offer comments, please contact Ahmed ElHattab, executive director, ISNA Development Foundation, by phone at 317-839-8157, by email at [email protected], or by mail at 6555 South County Road 750 East, Plainfield, Indiana 46168. Please submit your comments by Monday, May 19, 2014, to ISNA, with a copy to [email protected].
ISNA's proposed operating procedures are available online.