ASIS International Awarded DOD Contract for Development of Private Security Service Standard
American National Standards Institute (ANSI) member and accredited standards developer ASIS International has been awarded a contract with the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) to develop a standard to improve performance and accountability of private security service providers operating where governance and the rule of law has been undermined by conflict or disaster. The purpose of this standard is to assure quality of services by private security service providers while maintaining the safety and security of their operations within a framework that ensures respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms.
The proposed standard, Management System for Quality of Private Security Company Operations - Requirements with Guidance (ASIS PSC.1), will provide requirements and guidance for a management system with auditable criteria for private security service providers to demonstrate that their operations and services are consistent with the principles of the Montreux Document on Pertinent International Legal Obligations and Good Practices for States Related to Operations of Private Military and Security Companies during Armed Conflict and the International Code of Conduct for Private Security Service Providers.
The standard supports the U.S. government's international effort to promote the use of industry standards to drive greater accountability for private security service providers, working for any client, where the rule of law has been undermined due to human or naturally caused disruptive events. For more information, visit ASIS International's website.
TIA Hosts Delegation from Gulf Countries for Standards in Trade Workshop
The Toy Industry Association (TIA), an ANSI member and accredited standards developer, recently hosted a delegation from the Persian Gulf for a day-long conference and webinar on toy safety standards and certification.
Organized by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), the "Standards in Trade" workshop advanced a budding relationship between the U.S. and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Standardization Organization (GSO) that will facilitate the export of American consumer products, including children's toys, to the Arab states.
Visit TIA's website for further details.
UL Opens Testing Laboratory in Bangalore, India
ANSI member and audited designator Underwriters Laboratories (UL) has announced the opening of its first facility dedicated to water testing and certification outside the United States. UL opened the Bangalore, India, lab with an eye toward enhancing water quality and safety throughout India, and to benefit Indian water product manufacturers looking to enter global markets.
In addition to providing commercial drinking water testing and analytical services, the laboratory will also support the certification of drinking water treatment chemicals to ANSI/NSF 60, Drinking Water Treatment Chemicals Health Effects, and drinking water components to ANSI/NSF 61, Drinking Water System Components - Health Effects.
For more information on UL's testing and analytical services for the water industry, visit www.ul.com/water.
AWC Approved as ANSI Accredited Standards Developer
ANSI's Executive Standards Council has approved the American Wood Council (AWC), an ANSI organizational member, as an ANSI-accredited standards developer under its proposed operating procedures for documenting consensus on proposed American National Standards, effective March 29, 2011.
For additional information, contact Bradford Douglas, P.E., AWC vice president of engineering (202.463.2770; [email protected]).
SHRM Applies for TAG Accreditation on Human Resource Management
The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), an ANSI organizational member, has submitted an application for accreditation for a proposed U.S. Technical Advisory Group (TAG) to International Organization for Standardization (ISO) Technical Committee (TC) 260, Human resource management, and a request for approval as TAG Administrator. The proposed TAG intends to operate using the Model Operating Procedures for U.S. Technical Advisory Groups to ANSI for ISO Activities as contained in Annex A of the ANSI International Procedures.
For additional information or to offer comments, please contact Lee S. Webster, director, HR standards (703.535.6047; [email protected]) with a copy to [email protected]. The comment deadline is May 2, 2011.