Author Archives: mike@standardsmichigan.com

Summer Syllabus Week 31

Our daily colloquia are typically doing sessions; with non-USA titles receiving priority until 16:00 UTC and all other titles thereafter.  We assume policy objectives are established (Safer-Simpler-Lower-Cost, Longer-Lasting).   Because we necessarily get into the weeds, and much of the content is time-sensitive and copyright protected, we usually schedule a separate time slot to hammer on technical specifics so that our response to consultations are meaningful and contribute to the goals of the standards developing organization and that part of the education communities responsible for its real assets.

We have been doing it this way every day since 2013 and this way works.  We are, however, reconfiguring the synchronization of our content management system with our tracking algorithm and the original University of Michigan ITCS workspaces that date back nearly 20 years .  The process will likely require patience (and forgiveness) until the fall 2021 semester.

Keep in mind that the American National Standards Institute administers only about 40% of standards-setting in the United States.  A great deal of ANSI resources are devoted to supporting its conformance membership.  The bulk of standards setting globally is done by governments, open-source, and other ad hoc consortia.

We have noted that several national standards setting bodies (ANSI) and the Geneva-based international standards setting bodies (IEC, ISO, ITU) seem to be improving their own public access facilities for use by their member organizations.  That is welcomed news since we have been urging them to get cracking on these facilities for a very, very long time.  In other words, the SDO’s are doing more of what they should have been doing all along so now we can do less.

Like any software change-up, however, the process is continual.  Until those facilities become practical you are always welcomed to click into our daily colloquia at 15:00 UTC.  (Dates in parenthesis indicate consultation close dates)

To wit:

0. In the News.  

H.R. 3684 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act

1.  Nota Bene.

Some content coded for Wednesday’s Energy colloquium was not posted in some parts of the world.   We are working with GoDaddy to find the cause and a fix.  We are happy to cover the latest in energy standards during Thursday’s Radio teleconference.   There are several noteworthy ASHRAE titles posted for consultation.

Open consultations from the World Trade Organization (via NIST):

Standards Coordination Office | USA WTO TBT Enquiry Point    (The above-average tranche of consultations may reflect recovery from the circumstances of the pandemic.  In other words, the proficiency of regulators and standards administrators working from home seems to gather pace. )

Open consultations the next 30-45 days from ANSI Continuous Maintenance Standard Development Organizations.  See Canadian Parliamentary Debate RE: Incorporation by Reference for enlightened discussion about short consultation periods for enforceable public safety titles

ASHRAE

– 90.1 Optional Mechanical System Performace Path (August 16).

– 90.4 Energy Standard for Data Centers (August 15)

– 135 A Data Communication Protocol for Building Automation and Control Networks (August 1).  Fixes to XML Namespaces and introduction to the Concept of Color for BACNET.

– 169 Climatic Data for Building Design Standards (September 6)

– 188-202x, Legionellosis: Risk Management for Building Water Systems (August 22)

– 189.1 Update to Table B-7 which covers efficiency requirements for heat rejection equipment (August 16).

– 189.1 Greenfield plant selection (August 16).

– 135 A Data Communication Protocol for Building Automation and Control Networks (August 1).  Fixes to XML Namespaces and introduction to the Concept of Color for BACNET.

ASTM

Lorem ipsum.  ASTM tends to unload relatively stabilized titles in 10-100 batches with consultation periods 30-45 days.  Nine titles have been released for consultation until August 23; all of them product-oriented.

ASME

Lorem ipsum.  Our priority lies with the elevator, piping and boiler titles.

Green Building Initiatives

Lorem ipsum.   This organization seems devoted primarily to harvesting conformance revenue from incumbent standards developers in the energy conservation domain.

IES

The Illumination Engineering Society has solid lighting manufacturer support; reflected in the high quality of its suite of recommended practices.,  Most title revisions in its catalog are not so urgent that consultation periods need compression.  We coordinate our response to IES consultations with the IEEE Education & Healthcare Facilities Committee.

INCITS

As the US TAG to several IEC technical committees INCITS is charged with harvesting comments on (generally) stabilized IEC titles.   Consultations are released by the dozens (because of the way IEC slices its literature) and nearly impossible to review in detail.  The good news is that the titles are generally stabilized; meaning that the changes are largely administrative.  Stakeholders have an opportunity to participate in the development in these titles farther upstream the IEC public consultation process.  We work close coupled with several IEEE Societies on technical issues and sweep through them 4 times monthly with the IEEE Education & Healthcare Facilities Committee.

NSF

– 14 Plastics Piping System Components and Related Materials (August 1)  Changeout of piping materials can be very expensive.

– 49 Biosafety Cabinetry: Design, Construction, Performance, and Field Certification (August 22)

– 50 Equipment and Chemicals for Swimming Pools, Spas, Hot Tubs, and Other Recreational Water Facilities (August 22)

– 61-202x (i159r1), Drinking Water System Components (August 22)

TIA

The bulk of the TIA catalog for information and communications technology is product oriented.  We collaborate with the IEEE Education & Healthcare Committee on interoperability issues.

– Administration Standard for Telecommunications Infrastructure (August 23)

– 862-C  Structured Cabling Infrastructure Standard for Intelligent Building Systems (August 16)

UL

The bulk of the UL catalog is product oriented
– 2231-1 Standard For Safety For Personnel Protection Systems for Electric Vehicle Supply Circuits: General Requirements (August 16)
– 60950 Standard for Safety for Information Technology Equipment – Safety – Part 21: Remote Power Feeding (August 16)

2. ANSI ISO and USNC/IEC Consultations

– ANSI seeks comments on AFNOR proposal for a new ISO project: Guidelines for the Promotion and Implementation of Gender Equality.   Query Steve Cornish (scornish@ansi.org) for the prospectus.
– ISO/TC 304 Healthcare organization management – American National Requirements for Patient-Centered Staffing
– New Work Item Proposal for ISO 9001 Policing Organizations by the Standards Council of Canada.   Query Steve Cornish (scornish@ansi.org) for the prospectus.
– ISO 304 Healthcare Management July 2021 Update
– ISO/DIS 5472 Pandemic response (respiratory) (October 12)
– ISO_DIS_5472_(E) Pandemic Response (Respiratory_ – Walkthrough Screening Station (October 12)

3. USNC/IEC Consultations

– USNC/IEC Strategic Group (SG) 12: Digital Transformation and Systems Approach needs experts.
– IEC TC65/SC  Industrial Communications Networks (2021-09-24)
– IEC TC 13 Electricity metering equipment (2021-09-24)
– IEC TC 82 Terrestrial photovoltaic modules (2021-09-24)

4. Log of Proposals and Comments on Public Consultations and Federal Regulations

– 117th United States Congress

5. N.B. We are in the process of converting legacy University of Michigan workspaces that were built from Classic Google Sites to the upgraded Google Sites.  Some links may be broken during the conversion.

6. Rewind.

Laboratory Design

7. Fast Forward

– NEMA.  20+ relatively stable titles for electric lamping released for review.  Pages 19-24 in ANSI Standards Action (August 23)

– American Clean Power Association (August 23)

– 2023 National Electrical Code Second Draft Meetings (October-ish)

– BICSI Information and Communication Technology Systems Design and Implementation Best Practices for Educational Institutions and Facilities (September 6)

– Acoustical Society of America consultations will be on Thursday’s Interiors colloquium agenda (August 16)

–  ASSP  Several titles RE: Construction Workplace Safety  (September 6)

– FASB stakeholders invited to share their views on future agenda priorities (September 22)

– NIST consultation on Reducing Risk of Bias in Artificial Intelligence (July 30)

–  ICC Healthcare Public Comments

– Licensing Executives Society: Intellectual Capital in the Boardroom (August 31)

– Builders Hardware Manufacturers Association.  Several titles covering architectural fixtures, fenestration and opening details. (September 6)

– BOMA Z65.6 Mixed-Use Properties: Standard Method of Measurement (August 9)
– NETA Standard for Certification of Electrical Testing Technicians
– ASSP Laboratory Ventilation (August 2)
– ASSP Prevention through Design. Guidelines for Addressing Occupational Hazards and Risks in Design and Redesign Processes (August 2)
– ISEA Minimum Requirements for Workplace First Aid Kits and Supplies (August 2)

– NSF 5 Water Heaters, Hot Water Supply Boilers, and Heat Recovery Equipment (August 2)
– NSF 18 Manual Food and Beverage Dispensing Equipment (August 2)
– NSF 20 Commercial Bulk Milk Dispensing Equipment (August 2)
– NSF 169 Special Purpose Food Equipment and Devices (August 2)
– NSF 170 Glossary of Food Equipment Terminology (August 2)

– NFPA Research Foundation Study on Electrical Circuit Data Collection for patient care areas of healthcare facilities.  Interim Report presentation TBD.

– Society of Cable Telecommunication Engineers (consultations referred to IEEE E&H).  Several redlines have been released with closing date September 11th.

8. ASHRAE Consultations (close dates longer than 45 days)

– Minimum efficiency requirements for low-voltage dry-type transformers

– Minimum thermal efficiency (Et) requirements for high-capacity gas-fired water heaters in new buildings.

– Standard Representation of Performance Simulation Data for HVAC&R and Other Facility Equipment

9. Underwriters Laboratories Consultations

– UL 48 Standard for Safety for Electric Signs (August 2)
– UL 1008 Standard for Safety for Transfer Switch Equipment (August 2)

10.  The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) invites its members, stakeholders, and all users to provide feedback to help inform its ongoing enhancement of ANSI.org and related digital resources.  ANSI already knows what Standards Michigan has suggested and no organization can afford it.  See our ABOUT.

11. Corrigenda

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International Standardization Organization Week Date

BETA: SYLLABUS UPGRADE