Did You Know? offers a quick look at the broad scope of activities underway within the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) Federation of members and partners, highlighting recent accomplishments and new resources related to standardization.
Smart Fabrics Summit 2018 to Highlight Developments and Opportunities in Smart Fabrics Industry
The U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC) and the Industrial Fabrics Association International (IFAI) have announced that they will co-host the Smart Fabrics Summit 2018 on April 24. The event will be held in Washington, DC, at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center.
Leaders in the technology, apparel, and textiles industries from both the public and private sectors will come together at the summit to discuss the developments and challenges in the smart fabrics industry, and to explore opportunities for collaboration.
Representatives from ANSI members ASTM International, IEEE, and IPC Association Connecting Electronics Industries will present on a standards panel, moderated by Veronica Lancaster from ANSI member the Consumer Technology Association (CTA). The panel will cover how standards developing organizations identify areas where standards are needed, what is done to assure that standards don't overlap, and how representatives from the private sector can participate in the standards development process.
Learn more and join the email list to receive additional information at www.smartfabricssummit.com.
UL Updates Tool that Quantifies Safety Levels in 187 Countries
UL, an ANSI member and audited designator, has announced the release of an update to the UL Safety Index. This tool measures safety levels of 187 countries, ranking them in their relative safety performance compared to other nations.
The updated tool indicates that the safest countries include the Netherlands and Norway, followed by Australia, Sweden, and Canada. Several countries moved up in their rankings: Australia, Canada, and New Zealand. Countries that fell in rankings include Denmark, Singapore, Germany, and the United States.
Rankings are based on three quantifiable drivers of safety:
- Institutional drivers, such as economics and education
- Safety frameworks, such as current regulations and safety infrastructure
- Safety outcomes, such as unintentional injuries and deaths
"Updating the index with new data sets offers a more complete indication of safety in these countries," said David Wroth, UL director of public safety. "The major change for 2017 is to include road safety policies. With road traffic crashes as the single largest cause of unintentional injury and death, we felt it imperative to include an indicator to measure the strength of road safety efforts. It was interesting to see that the changes in the Top 10' countries from last year's index, based on data from 2013, are strongly influenced by the road safety component."
"Safety truly is a system where multiple moving parts play a role, and the outcomes demonstrate how each part is interconnected," said Mr. Wroth. "The UL Safety Index will continue to be a resource that is updated annually, and we look forward to seeing more positive changes in safety outcomes, especially in the countries that can really benefit from it the most."
Learn more and read highlighted findings from the Safety Index tool in the UL news item.
IAPMO Publishes Water Demand Calculator for Residential Buildings
The International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials (IAPMO), an ANSI member and audited designator, has developed a Water Demand Calculator (WDC) that estimates peak water demand in single- and multi-family residential buildings.
The WDC is based on a revised methodology to properly estimate premise plumbing water supply demands. This methodology was created as a result of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between IAPMO, ANSI member the American Society of Plumbing Engineers (ASPE), and ANSI member the Water Quality Association (WQA)'s Water Quality Research Foundation.
The calculator facilitates easy usage by eliminating the need to count fixture units, and replaces an outdated model that does not accommodate modern water flows. Use of the WDC is estimated to provide a significant reduction in water demand estimates of 15 to 65 percent, depending on the size of the building.
The WDC is available as a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet available for free download at www.iapmo.org/WEStand/Pages/WaterDemandCalculator.aspx. Read more in the IAPMO news item.
ASSE Encourages Veterans to Consider Careers in Workplace Safety
The American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE), an ANSI member and accredited standards developer, has published an article and recorded webinar on the advantages and methods for veterans to transition their post-military careers into jobs in workplace safety.
The article highlights similarities between the strengths of military veterans and those of occupational health and safety professionals, including leadership, technological expertise, communications skills, and teamwork. Safety professionals must keep people safe through skilled problem solving and controlling on-the-job risks and hazards.
"We need to bolster the pipeline of qualified candidates for occupational safety and health positions in order to improve safety management programs and further reduce work-related injuries and illnesses," said ASSE Board member Brad Giles. "Our profession presents a great opportunity for veterans to leverage the valuable skills they have acquired in the military."
ASSE offers more information for active or former military members interested in workplace safety careers at www.asse.org/military-resources/. Read more in the ASSE news item, and access the archived webinar here.