WSD Exhibition on Capitol Hill Highlights Safety and Sustainability Standards Worldwide

Nearly fifty Congressional staff members, representatives, and other stakeholders gathered on Capitol Hill on Friday to attend the Advancing Safety and Sustainability Standards Worldwide exhibition for the U.S. Celebration of World Standards Day (WSD) 2011. The event featured exhibits highlighting the role of standards, codes, and conformity assessment in assuring the health and safety of people and the environment - today and for future generations.

Issues of safety and sustainability have become important causes for stakeholders around the world, from alternative energies and environmental protection to the safety of products, services, homes, and workplaces. As governments, organizations, and individuals alike strive to address these border-crossing challenges, globally relevant standards provide the technological and scientific foundations that drive health, safety, and environmental innovation.

Standardization speeds innovation, facilitates harmonized trade, and boosts consumer and government confidence in products, services, systems, and processes. But above all, standardization provides an adaptive framework for developing the most effective solutions to critical global challenges.

Attendees viewed exhibits from a number of organizations, including:

• American National Standards Institute (ANSI)
• American Society of Plumbing Engineers (ASPE)
• Alliance for Telecommunications Industry Solutions (ATIS)
• ASTM International
• Consumer Electronics Association (CEA)
• International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials (IAPMO)
• International Code Council (ICC)
• National Fenestration Rating Council
• National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)
• National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS)
• Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA)
• Toy Industry Association (TIA)

Sponsored by the WSD Planning Committee, the event was part of the U.S. Celebration of World Standards Day 2011. The WSD planning committee is co-chaired by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and ANSI, with IAPMO serving as the administrating organization for WSD 2011.

View the photo slideshow from the event.