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.
EIA Announces Community Service Recognition Program
The Environmental Industry Associations (EIA), an ANSI member and accredited standards developer, recently announced the creation of a new program intended to bring increased attention to community service work carried out by individuals and organizations in the U.S. recycling and waste management industries.
The EIA's new Community Changemakers program will highlight worthy recipients who have gone beyond their professional responsibilities to provide support and assistance to their communities, whether through the gift of their time and expertise, or through emergency aid and the addressing of other, less common needs. Each recipient will be honored on EIA's www.beginwiththebin.org website and on its Twitter and Facebook social networking accounts.
For more information about the Community Changemakers program, or to recommend a possible selectee, click here.
FM Global Publishes Report on Lithium-Ion Battery Bulk Storage Fire Risks
ANSI member FM Global recently released a technical report, titled "Flammability Characterization of Lithium-ion Batteries in Bulk Storage," that drew on first-of-its-kind large-scale fire tests of lithium-ion batteries kept in a warehouse storage facility. The tests were carried out at the FM Global Research Campus in Rhode Island in collaboration with the Property Insurance Research Group and ANSI member and audited designator the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)'s Fire Protection Research Foundation.
The tests found that an ignitable electrolyte liquid inside of lithium-ion batteries presented unique fire hazards and that lithium-ion cylindrical and polymer cells functioned differently than lithium-ion power tool battery packs in fire tests. The technical report suggests that existing protections for other types of hazardous materials could be effectively used to protect bulk-stored lithium-ion batteries, and stresses the importance of early fire extinguishment in reducing the risk associated with warehouse fires involving such batteries.
To access the technical report, click here. To view videos of three fire tests conducted during the research phase, click here.
APA Releases Builder Tips in Mobile Format APA - The Engineered Wood Association, an ANSI organizational member, has released its Builders Tips construction recommendations in a new format intended to optimize the recommendations for tablets, smartphones, and other mobile devices.
APA's Builders Tips address common issues and concerns faced by builders, framers, and other workers in the construction sector. The new format, which allows users to quickly and easily browse through the recommendations, is expected to help less experienced builders and other workers make effective use of the important information contained in the Builders Tips.
The Builders Tips can be viewed in their mobile-friendly format here, or as PDF files here.
Green Seal Announces Formation of New Advisory Council
Green Seal, Inc., an ANSI organizational member and accredited standards developer, recently established its first-ever advisory council. The new council includes the following 11 members representing a wide range of industries, specialties, and backgrounds:
The advisory council's members are expected to leverage their experience in communications, technology, marketing, and other fields to assist Green Seal in its ongoing efforts to more effectively increase awareness of sustainability certification for products and services. For more information about Green Seal and its work, click here.
ASPE Applies for TAG Accreditation on Water Re-use
ANSI member and accredited standards developer the American Society of Plumbing Engineers (ASPE) has submitted an application for accreditation for a proposed U.S. Technical Advisory Group (TAG) to International Organization for Standardization (ISO) Technical Committee (TC) 282, Water re-use.
For more information, or to offer comments on the application, please contact Gretchen Pienta, ASPE director of publications and standards ([email protected]; 708-426-5427), with a copy to [email protected]. The comment deadline is August 12, 2013.