Joining a technical committee to support the development of standards can be a career-long commitment. To commemorate the power of these technical committees and how they can create real change, UL Standards & Engagement (ULSE) recently published an interview with long-time standards volunteer Robert W. Powitz, who has shared his expertise as a member on more than 10 ULSE technical committees (TCs) for a quarter of a century.

Powitz, a forensic sanitarian by trade and an expert in public health, environmental health and safety, and contamination control, reflects on what it takes to be successful technical committee expert.

“To be effective, they'll need to take the time to understand the standards development process, the outcome of that process, and the dynamic of a standard. It's important for participants to understand the why behind the standard. Why are we doing this? Then you can apply your experience, knowledge, skill, and attributes to evaluate what it is we're looking at,” he says.

“For those who are mature in their career, the best qualities they can have as a TC member would be to be a mentor to someone else coming into the standards process—getting them to understand their role within the standards process and encouraging them to be an active participant in that role.”

Access the full interview on ULSE’s website.