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.
SME Participation in Standardization Pushed at European Conference on SMEs
More than 200 people, including high-ranking officials with the European Standards Organizations (CEN, CENELEC, and ETSI), participated in the spring European Conference on Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) and Standardization, which was held on May 28 in Brussels. The conference is part of an ongoing effort by European standardization bodies and other stakeholders to bolster participation in standardization activities by SMEs.
Participants discussed possible initiatives to increase awareness among SMEs regarding the benefits of standards activities, as well as the role expected to be played by sector-specific industry groups in facilitating the inclusion of specialized knowledge from SMEs to European and international standards development groups, among other related topics. The conference also addressed the continued need to make use of online consultations and web conferences to facilitate SME participation in standardization activities and efforts to consider the needs of SMEs in the text of future European and international standards.
For more information about the conference, click here.
SES Announces Schedule for 62nd Annual Conference
ANSI member and accredited standards developer SES - The Society for Standards Professionals has announced the official schedule of the 2013 SES Annual Conference, which will be held this year in Savannah, Georgia. The 62nd annual conference will take place August 12-15, 2013, at the Hilton Savannah DeSoto Hotel.
The theme of this year's conference is The Art and Science of Standardization. The conference includes a welcome reception, keynote address by James Pauley, chair of the ANSI Board of Directors, and a variety of technical sessions covering issues critical to standards developing organizations (SDOs), private industry, and government agencies. SES will offer two professional development courses for an additional cost on August 12 and 15; the August 12 course is entitled "Fundamentals of Standards and Conformity Assessment: Basic Knowledge and Tools for Today's Professional," and the August 15 course is titled "Standards for Industry and Government."
Individuals who register for the conference by Friday, July 19, 2013, will receive a discount on the cost of registration and can take advantage of a special SES hotel rate of $124 per night. To register online for the conference, click here; a printable registration form is available for download here. To book a room at the Hilton Savannah DeSoto Hotel at the discounted price, click here, or call 1-877-280-0751 and ask for SES Conference.
IREC Now an ANSI Accredited Standards Developer
ANSI's Executive Standards Council (ExSC) has approved ANSI organizational member the Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC) as an ANSI Accredited Standards Developer under its proposed operating procedures for documenting consensus on IREC-sponsored American National Standards, effective June 19, 2013. For additional information, please contact Laure-Jeanne Davignon, director of IREC's credentialing program, by email at [email protected], or by phone at 518-578-4718.
ASTM Applies for TAG Accreditation on Sustainable Purchasing
ANSI member and audited designator ASTM International has submitted an application for accreditation for a proposed U.S. Technical Advisory Group (TAG) to International Organization for Standardization (ISO) Project Committee (PC) 277, Sustainable Purchasing, and a request for approval as TAG Administrator. The proposed TAG will operate using the Model Operating Procedures for U.S. Technical Advisory Groups to ANSI for ISO Activities as contained in Annex A of the ANSI International Procedures.
For more information, or to offer comments on the application, please contact Steve Mawn, manager for technical committee operations for ASTM International ([email protected]; 610-832-9726), with a copy to [email protected]. The comment deadline is July 15, 2013.
ASSE Applies for TAG Accreditation on Occupational Safety and Health Management
ANSI member and accredited standards developer American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE), has submitted an application for accreditation for a proposed U.S. TAG to a new ISO PC on occupational safety and health management and a request for approval as TAG Administrator. The proposed TAG will operate using the Model Operating Procedures for U.S. Technical Advisory Groups to ANSI for ISO Activities as contained in Annex A of the ANSI International Procedures.
For more information, or to offer comments on the application, please contact Timothy Fisher, director for practices and standards for ASSE ([email protected]; 847-768-3411), with a copy to [email protected]. The comment deadline is July 22, 2013.
ASHRAE Applies for TAG Accreditation on Buildings and Civil Engineering Works
ANSI member and audited designator ASHRAE has submitted an application for accreditation for a proposed U.S. TAG to ISO Technical Committee (TC) 59, Buildings and civil engineering works, Subcommittee (SC) 13, Buildings and civil engineering works - Organization of information about construction works. The proposed TAG will operate using the Model Operating Procedures for U.S. Technical Advisory Groups to ANSI for ISO Activities as contained in Annex A of the ANSI International Procedures.
For more information, or to offer comments on the application, please contact Douglas Tucker, ASHRAE assistant manager for international standards ([email protected]; 678-539-1209), with a copy to [email protected]. The comment deadline is July 22, 2013.