Did You Know? offers a quick look at the broad scope of activities underway within the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) Federation of members and partners, highlighting recent accomplishments and new resources related to standardization.
BOMA Publishes Coronavirus Guidance for Building Owners
BOMA International, an ANSI member and accredited standards developer, has published a two page document outlining how building owners can protect their tenants and staff against the novel coronavirus, or COVID-19.
The document specifies that according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the immediate health risk of contracting the virus in the United States is considered low at this time; however, steps can be taken to prepare buildings and protect inhabitants. They include advising employees to stay home if they are sick and developing flexible leave policies to accommodate this, reviewing or developing a company's pandemic flu plan, and distributing literature about prevention from the World Health Organization's (WHO) page about coronavirus. WHO has also released guidance for organizers of mass gatherings in the context of the COVID-19 outbreak.
Read "What You Need to Know: Novel Coronavirus" on BOMA's website. See related news in ANSI's recent coverage: Amid Coronavirus Outbreak, IAPMO Issues Statement on Plumbing Systems; ANSI Members Offer Recommendations.
UL Earns Authorization as Standards Developer in Mexico
Underwriters Laboratories (UL), an ANSI member and audited designator, has been granted authorization by the Direccion General de Normas (DGN) of the Ministry of Economy in Mexico to develop standards for Mexico. Previously, UL developed joint standards projects with DGN under a formal collaboration agreement signed in 2017.
According to UL's press release, UL is now able to develop standards for all three NAFTA countries, with accreditation from ANSI and the Standards Council of Canada (SCC).
"These accreditations help to open doors in other parts of the world because they demonstrate our willingness to partner and build trust and acceptance through our work," said Phil Piqueira, vice president of global standards for Underwriters Laboratories.
"We believe becoming an SDO for Mexico will allow Underwriters Laboratories to improve safety in Mexico and further our work with partners across North America to help promulgate our safety mission across Latin America," he continued. "We are honored to become part of the Mexican standardization system, to support Mexican safety and meet our public safety mission."
ICC Accepting Applications for Seismic Assessment and Retrofit Standard Consensus Committee
The International Code Council (ICC), an ANSI member and accredited standards developer, has announced that it is currently accepting applications for the Residential Seismic Assessment and Retrofit Standard Consensus Committee.
The committee, part of a project underway by ICC in coordination with the California Earthquake Authority (CEA) and FEMA, will develop minimum requirements to safeguard the public's health, safety, and general welfare. The committee will focus on providing a methodology for the identification, evaluation, and retrofit of specific known vulnerabilities for one- and two-family wood light-frame dwellings up to two stories in height located in Seismic Design Categories B through E.
All interested stakeholders, including but not limited to code officials, design professionals, and installers, are welcome to apply. ICC membership is not required. See ICC's website for more information and to apply.
AIHA Joins OSHA Ambassador Program
The American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA), an ANSI member and accredited standards developer, has joined OSHA's Ambassador Program.
Developed to improve workplace health and safety, the Ambassador Program will facilitate sharing of information and guidance related to workplace health and safety, and will provide stakeholders with access to valuable training resources. AIHA and OSHA have agreed to build on the relationships between AIHA's local sections and OSHA's offices in order to better address critical health and safety issues that arise in the workplace.
"AIHA has always been a proud partner of OSHA," said AIHA president Kathy Murphy. "Joining the Ambassador Program shows our members' commitment to worker health and safety, as well as to collectively moving forward together to ensure the standards, best practices, and methods are applied."
Read more in AIHA's press release.
Approval of Dental Standards Institute, Inc. as an ANSI ASD
ANSI's Executive Standards Council has approved ANSI member Dental Standards Institute, Inc., as an ANSI Accredited Standards Developer (ASD) under its proposed operating procedures for documenting consensus on DSI-sponsored American National Standards, effective February 28, 2020.
For additional information, please contact: Bryan Laskin, DDS, Chair of the Board, President, Treasurer and CEO, Dental Standards Institute, Inc., 109 Bushaway Road, Suite 100, Wayzata, MN 55391; phone: 763.290.0004; email: [email protected].
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