To highlight the key role that standardization plays in advancing United Nations (UN) Sustainable Goals, members of the broader U.S. standardization community gathered last night for the rescheduled 2021 U.S. Celebration of World Standards Day at an exhibition and gala dinner at the Fairmont Washington in Washington, D.C. The event is co-chaired each year by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) served as the 2021 administrating organization, and the gala event included the ceremonial passing of the baton from NFPA to the 2022 administrating organization, the international Code Council (ICC).
The evening's proceedings included presentation of the 2021 Ronald H. Brown Standards Leadership Award to Ernest Grant, Ph.D., RN, FAAN, current president of the American Nurses Association. Grant was recognized for his extensive contributions to the nursing community and expertise on burn care and fire safety. He served as the past chair of the National Fire Protection Association board of directors and served as second vice president of the American Burn Association board of trustees. He has also had various positions in a number of International Organization for Standardization (ISO) Technical Committees (TCs) related to medical equipment. Additionally, President George W. Bush presented Grant with a Nurse of the Year Award in 2002 for his work treating burn victims from the World Trade Center site. Grant is an active member Sigma Theta Tau and Chi Eta Phi and was inducted as a fellow into the American Academy of Nursing in 2014.
The 2021 World Standards Day Paper Competition winners were also announced by the president of SES – The Society for Standards Professionals, Karen Reczek. Joseph Bocchiaro III was recognized for his paper entitled "Sustainable ICT: Mitigating the Carbon Footprint of the Digital Economy through Standards." In second place, Joshua Baca and Hideaki Makino were recognized for their paper, “Advanced Recycling Standards: A Critical Step on the Path towards a Global Circular Economy for Plastics,” and in third place, Derek DiGiacomo, Chris Bastian, and Mary Heenan were recognized for their paper, “Energy Standards: Powering Cable's Success.”
The 2021 World Standards Day theme, "Standards for Sustainable Development Goals," highlights the crucial role that standardization plays in the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals— especially Goal 11: Making cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable—and the partnerships and collaborations critical to achieving that vision.
"After a long delay due to the pandemic, tonight’s observance of World Standards Day is a wonderful opportunity for the U.S. standardization community to reconnect and celebrate the volunteers who use the power of standardization to build a safer and more resilient world,” said Joe Bhatia, ANSI president and CEO. “We are proud of our community’s robust engagement—with industry, government, standards developers, and stakeholders of all kinds working together to benefit the health, safety, and sustainability of the planet—and people all over the world.”
World Standards Day was initially launched in 1970, and is now celebrated by nations around the globe. U.S. activities are organized annually by a planning committee consisting of representatives from the standards and conformity assessment community.
The 2022 U.S. Celebration of World Standards Day with ICC as administrating organization will take place on October 13, 2022. For more information, visit www.wsd-us.org.