NFPA Marks 100th Anniversary of Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire
One hundred years ago today, a devastating fire ravaged three floors of the Triangle Waist Co. garment factory, claiming 146 lives and injuring dozens more. The tragedy - which remains the deadliest accidental industrial building fire in the nation's history - revealed inadequate workplace safety measures, including a lack of fire protection systems and insufficient, locked exits.
The Triangle fire sparked profound changes in legislation, including sweeping reforms requiring the adoption and enforcement of workplace safety measures. NFPA 101, Life Safety Code, developed by American National Standards Institute (ANSI) member and audited designator the National Fire Protection Agency (NFPA), can be traced directly to the Triangle fire. In recognition of this historic event and its impact on modern workplace safety measures, NFPA published a comprehensive exposé in the March/April issue of NFPA Journal, including videos with NFPA president James Shannon and NFPA division manager Robert Solomon talking about what has changed and what hasn't in the 100 years since the Triangle fire.
For more information, or to view the videos, click here.
NIST to Hold Third Cloud Computing Forum and Workshop on April 7-8
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) will host the Cloud Computing Forum and Workshop III on April 7-8, 2011, in Gaithersburg, MD.
Keynote speakers will include U.S. Chief Information Officer Vivek Kundra, Google's Chief Internet Evangelist Vint Cerf, and Under Secretary of Commerce for Standards and Technology and NIST Director Patrick Gallagher.
Mr. Kundra has called upon NIST to help accelerate federal adoption of secure cloud computing practices by leading efforts to develop standards and guidelines in collaboration with standards bodies, the private sector, other government agencies, and other stakeholders.
For more information, or to register, visit NIST's Cloud Computing Forum and Workshop III event page.
SES to Host Networking Event for Standards Professionals on April 19
In celebration of the re-launch of its National Capital Area Chapter, SES will host a networking event for standards professionals, on April 19 in Washington, DC.
The event will feature a presentation on NIST cyber security measures led by James Bynoe, senior cyber security consultant at the Computer Sciences Corporation.
The event will be held on from 4:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. at the American Petroleum Institute (API) headquarters (1220 L Street, NW, Washington, DC, 20005). For further details, click here.
NSF International to Be Featured on The Early Show
The Early Show's consumer correspondent Susan Koeppen and a camera crew from CBS News visited NSF International last week to tape a segment on germs and where they lurk in the home. The segment is scheduled to air later this month.
An ANSI member and accredited standards developer, NSF International is an independent, not-for-profit public health organization that writes public heath standards for food, water, and consumer products. Through its Scrub Club public service campaign, NSF educates consumers and children about the importance of hand washing in combating germs at home and at school.
For more information on fighting germs in the home, read NSF's Scrub Club Fact Kit.
Internet Security Alliance Publishes White Paper on Cybersecurity
The Internet Security Alliance (ISA) published a white paper this month detailing its recommendations for enhancing the nation's cybersecurity. The white paper, Improving our Nation's Cybersecurity through the Public-Private Partnership, proposes expanding public-private partnerships within the framework of the National Infrastructure Protection Plan, and calls for government and industry to leverage existing standards and work through consensus bodies to develop and strengthen international standards for cybersecurity.
Established in collaboration with Carnegie Mellon University, ISA is a multi-sector trade association representing organizations concerned with information security, from aviation and banking to the financial services sectors.
In April 2010, ANSI partnered with ISA to issue The Financial Management of Cyber Risk: An Implementation Framework for CFOs as a free resource on cyber-risk mitigation for organizations across the country. The document is now in the hands of thousands of corporate leaders across the nation.
The American Welding Society Earns U.S. TAG Accreditation
ANSI's Executive Standards Council (ExSC) has approved the accreditation of the U.S. Technical Advisory Group (TAG) to ISO Technical Committee (TC) 44, Subcommittee (SC) 12, Soldering Materials. The American Welding Society (AWS) will serve as TAG Administrator.
Founded in 1919, the American Welding Society seeks to advance the science, technology, and application of welding and related joining disciplines.
To receive additional information or to offer comments, please contact: Andrew Davis, AWS managing director, technical services division (phone: 305.443.9353 ext. 466; fax: 305.443.5951; [email protected]).