The ANSI Federation and standardization community are stepping up with guidance, resources, and initiatives to support public health, safety, and infrastructure during the COVID-19 outbreak. ANSI is monitoring, sharing, and promoting appropriate news to highlight these efforts. Suggestions for news items may be submitted to [email protected]. All submissions are published at ANSI's discretion.
ASHRAE Epidemic Task Force Resources Available
The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) has announced a society-wide effort to respond to the current global COVID-19 pandemic and provide guidance on how to ensure that buildings are prepared for future epidemics. To that end, members of ASHRAE's Healthcare Facilities technical committee (TC 9.6) and ANSI/ASHRAE/ASHE Standard 170-2017 -- Ventilation of Health Care Facilities committee have been working with members of the American Society for Health Care Engineering (ASHE) to produce guidance that can be implemented immediately to help hospitals and clinics cope with the increasing volume of COVID-19 cases.
According to ASHRAE, standard 170 already has "had a beneficial impact by providing guidance for the design of existing infection isolation, intensive care and critical care rooms in countries most severely affected by the virus. An extensive presentation has been prepared and is being presented to various groups and organizations, including ASHRAE chapters. The presentation includes guidance on how to create additional observation/segregation rooms for a small-scale admission surge as well as the establishment of wards/suites for a large-scale surge."
Questions and requests for technical guidance and interpretations can be submitted to [email protected].
"ASCE Plot Points" Podcast Offers Support for Civil Engineering Community
To support the civil engineering community during the health crisis, the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) during the month of April is featuring a different civil engineer from around the world who will share how the COVID-19 pandemic is affecting their life, their community, their work and the civil engineering profession, as part of its ASCE Plot Points podcast. Previous COVID-19 Community Calls episodes cover topics including "Leading a Small Business through a Pandemic," "Keeping Essential Utilities Online," and "Infrastructure, Coronavirus and Public Policy."
Access the podcast, a COVID-19 Industry Impact Survey, learn about pandemics, and get and other resources including pre-college outreach information, on ASCE's COVID-19 Resources webpage.
CLSI Releases Documents Helpful for COVID-19 Testing
The Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) has released documents that are helpful for the laboratory community's use during the current pandemic. The CLSI documents are available to download as a pdf version.
"With a global pandemic underway, CLSI's mission to 'develop clinical and laboratory practices and promote their use worldwide' is more relevant than ever before. CLSI recognizes the important contributions of laboratory professionals and the health care community and applauds their efforts in the global fight against COVID-19," according to CLSI.
Click the documents and view related documents, find out more information about their help with COVID-19 testing, and access sample pages, on CLSI's website.
IAPMO and Industry Partners Host "How the Federal COVID-19 Response Impacts Your Business" Webinar; Recording Now Available
IAPMO, with the involvement of many of its plumbing and mechanical industry partners, convened a webinar, "How the Federal COVID-19 Response Impacts Your Business," which is now available online for viewing. Glenn Spencer, senior vice president of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Employment Policy Division, led the session, which attracted a large audience of business owners and employees seeking guidance on employment issues precipitated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Spencer discussed recent legislation enacted to help businesses and their employees weather the negative economic impact of the coronavirus: the Family First Coronavirus Response Act, the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), and the CARES Act. Spencer also previewed additional measures being negotiated by Congress and participated in a Q&A with attendees.
"We had a compelling dialogue, fielding a lot of questions from individuals across the industry, who are doing all they can to continue protecting the public health and safety during this unsettling time," said Dain Hansen, IAPMO's executive vice president of government relations.
Co-conveners of the event included ANSI members American Society of Plumbing Engineers (ASPE), and the United Association of Journeymen and Apprentices of the Plumbing and Pipe Fitting Industry of the United States, Canada, in addition to the Mechanical Contractors Association of America (MCAA), Plumbing Manufacturers International (PMI), and the Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors Association (PHCC).
View the recorded webinar on IAPMO's YouTube channel.
ICC Offers Expansive Set of Resources for Policymakers and Building Officials
With the urgent need for additional healthcare facilities, many jurisdictions both inside and outside the U.S. are struggling to balance patient care with building safety as temporary and repurposed facilities are being used for emergency healthcare. The International Code Council (ICC) is at the forefront of a global discussion balancing urgency and building safety related to temporary healthcare facilities.
Through its comprehensive member network representing jurisdictions in all 50 states, its deep connectivity with building regulators around the world, combined with its relationship with U.S. federal agencies like Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and FEMA, the Code Council has developed a wide-ranging set of resources for policymakers and building officials to reference when determining their best path forward in navigating this crisis. View the latest resources:
Kaiser Permanente Offers Tips on Getting Care by Region
Kaiser Permanente is offering tips on COVID-19 prevention, getting care based on region, and COVID-19 FAQ. On its COVID-19 webpage, the company also offers emotional wellness resources for self-care, including apps, audio activities, articles, and more. It also offers resources on managing anxiety, stress, and mental health.
Find out more on Kaiser Permanente's page dedicated to COVID-19 resources.
PMMI Offers Podcast, Virtual Town Hall Series
On its coronavirus resource webpage, The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies (PMMI) is offering its UnPACKed with PMMI podcast series. The episodes highlight how PMMI member companies are addressing key issues during the COVID-19 crisis-including helping employees stay safe, securing aid via the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, remote monitoring with customers, and managing international business operations.
PMMI will also host a Virtual Town Hall webinar series on Wednesday, April 22, 2020, at 11 a.m. ET., to focus on how COVID-19 has impacted countries at different times with varying outcomes, moderated by Jorge Izquierdo, PMMI's vice president, market development,. Panelists include:
RIA Webinar: Opportunities for Autonomous Mobile Robots: During and After the COVID-19 Pandemic
The Robotic Industries Association (RIA) is offering a webinar featuring a roundtable on Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs) with four leading automation experts on April 22, 2020, from 11:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. ET. RIA explains, "Even before the COVID-19 crisis, AMRs were changing the landscape across many environments-from factories to warehouses to hospitals. Businesses are drawn to the increasing flexibility and diversity of their applications. And, the easy programming and implementation of mobile robots make them attractive to end-users. But with the onset of this pandemic, AMRs are playing a critical role in helping with social distancing, treating patients, delivering essential goods to communities, and disinfecting workplaces. What will this rapid adoption mean for the AMR industry -- and what will demand for automation look like when this crisis has passed?" Panelists will include:
Find out more information or register for the webinar, and access previous webinars via the RIA website.
See more ANSI member efforts in the newly launched ANSI COVID-19 Resource Webpage Highlighting Standardization Community Response Efforts.