Issues Streaming Now
Outdoor Amphitheaters
Outdoor amphitheaters have their own set of safety and sustainability challenges but, from time to time -- particularly in the summer months when many events are hosted outdoors -- we break form from the daily grind of responding to public commenting opportunities to simply enjoy them.
Food Safety
Schools, colleges, universities (residence halls, athletic venues, hospitals, etc) all have significant food preparation enterprises. NSF International -- founded at the University of Michigan in 1948 -- is one of the first names in this space and has since developed an international presence. Standards setting committee meetings are hosted online frequently. [ The next face-to-face meetings will be hosted in Ann Arbor in July 2019]
Coffee
Earlier this year ANSI posted a US leadership opportunity regarding the value chain of a product familiar -- and essential -- to campus life. We see this as an outstanding opportunity for faculty and students to gain insight into the geo-politics of food supply generally and the subtleties of coffee markets specifically. Fifty-five other nations are participating in the development of this standard. @ICONTEC @ANSIdotorg @isostandards
High-Performance Green Buildings
ASHRAE contributes mightily to the tributary we call the education facility regulatory "stream"; not the least of which is the continuous evolution of prescriptive energy conservation concepts. Technical committees developing ASHRAE consensus documents release public review documents in 30-to-90 day intervals. Another redline regarding automated demand response has been released for public review. [Comments are due June 16th]
Standards Wyoming
During 2019 we are rolling out our user-interest advocacy platform to school districts, colleges, universities and university-affiliated healthcare systems in all 50-states. To lower #TotalCostofOwnership for the emergent #SmartCampus every state will have to be managed according to its history, culture, governance regime, asset-base and network of expertise. #StandardsWyoming
Pool, Spa and Recreational Water Standards
The education industry presents a large market for pool, spa and recreational water technologies and facilities. Apart from publicly visible competitive swimming programs there are whirpools in healthcare facilities and therapeutic tubs for athletes in other sports. NSF International is one of the first names in this space and, ahead of the beginning of the outdoor pool season, has posted a redline for public review. [Comments are due June 16th]
Tree Care
The condition of campus gardens, tree and landscaping is a central element of ambiance, brand identify, environmental instruction and even legacy revenue. Anything having to do with trees arouses passions among nearly everyone in the education industry. The Tree Care Industry Association is involved in each of these dimensions of tree care and has released a draft tree care standard now open for public review [Comments are due July 29th]
Readings / Morrill Land-Grant Act
An Act donating Public Lands to the several States and Territories which may provide Colleges for the Benefit of Agriculture and the Mechanic Arts.
Fire and Life Safety in Animal Housing Facilities Code
We have been advocating scalable, risk-informed performance standards in the Fire and Life Safety Code for Animal Housing Facilities since the 2013 Edition. Many universities have significant resources devoted to facilities which support research that requires laboratory animals. It is not too soon to begin tooling up to prepare public input for the the 2022 revision. [Public input is due June 26th] #StandardsMassachusetts