Strawberry Shortcake

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Strawberry Shortcake

July 18, 2026
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Standards IndianaStrawberry Shortcake Balloon 2014

Indiana University Net Position 2024:  $5.448B (Page 28)


Fountains

July 18, 2026
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“Temple, Fountain and Cave in Sezincote Park” | Thomas Daniell (1819) | Yale Center for British Art

From time to time we break from our interest in lowering the cost of our “cities-within-cities” to enjoy the work of our colleagues responsible for seasonal ambience and public art.  We have a dedicated post that celebrates the accomplishments of our gardeners and horticultural staff.   Today we dedicate a post to campus fountains–a focal point for gathering and a place for personal reflection for which there is no price.

Alas, we find a quickening of standards developing organizations growing their footprint in the spaces around buildings now.  They used to confine the scopes of their standardization enterprises to the building envelope.  That day will soon be behind us as an energized cadre of water rights social justice workers, public safety, sustainability and energy conservation professionals descend upon campus fountains with prescriptive requirements for evaporation rates, bromine concentrations, training, certification and inspections.  In other words regulators and conformity functionaries will outnumber benefactors and fountain designers 1 million to 1.

We will deal with all that when the day comes.  For the moment, let’s just enjoy them.

We are happy to walk you through the relevant structural, water safety, plumbing and electrical issues any day at 11 AM EST during our daily standing online teleconferences.   Click on any image for author attribution, photo credit or other information.

Purdue University

The Great Court at Trinity College, Cambridge

Regent University

University of Washington

Hauptgebäude der Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Bayern, Deutschland

College of the Desert / Palm Desert, California

California Institute of Technology

Berry College

Utah Valley University

Universitat d’Alacant / Sant Vicent del Raspeig, Spain

Collin County Community College / Plano, Texas

University of Toledo

University of Michigan College of Engineering

Harvard University

Florida State University

University of North Texas

 

Quadrivium: Summer

July 18, 2026
mike@standardsmichigan.com

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University of Florida Citrus Research

ANSI Standards Action July 3, 2026 Bulletin Board

Proverbs 10:5  

He that gathereth in summer is a wise son:
but he that sleepeth in harvest is a son that causeth shame.

§

Emily Brontë – "I wish I were a girl again, half savage and hardy, and free... Why am I so changed? I’m sure I should be myself were I once among the heather on those hills." (Inspired Wuthering Heights)

Boy and Girl in a Field With Sheep | Winslow Homer 1877

Our use of the term “Educational Settlements” captures the self-contained energy of these places — kindergartens, classrooms, quads, dining halls, dorms, and nearby squares buzzing with student life amid broader higher-ed shifts like the “demographic cliff” (declining traditional enrollments), AI integration, skills-focused curricula, and financial pressures.  (Related: Agora)

The Stanford Review: Marry Young

A Better Life: Lionel Shriver

Macdonald-Laurier Institute: How to Reverse Collapsing Birth Rates

Trending | Engagements, Weddings & Births | Sport News | Carillons

MORE

Starting 2026 we will organize our weekly syllabi in a less structured but in a more time sensitive manner.  Stay tuned.

Athenian Agora and Acropolis

 

https://standardsmichigan.com/wp-admin/post.php?post=75791&action=edit#visibility

“…O chestnut tree;, great rooted blossomer,
Are you the leaf, the blossom or the bold?
O body swayed to music, O brightening glance,
How can we know the dancer from the dance?”

Among Schoolchildren, 1933 William Butler Yeats

We sweep through the world’s three major time zones; updating our understanding of the literature at the technical foundation of education community safety and sustainability in those time zones 24 times per day. We generally eschew “over-coding” web pages to sustain speed, revision cadence and richness of content as peak priority.  We do not provide a search facility because of copyrights of publishers and time sensitivity of almost everything we do.

Readings:

“The Advancement of Learning” Francis Bacon (1605)

“The Allegory of the Cave” 380 BCE | Plato’s Republic, Book VII

Thucydides: Pericles’ Funeral Oration

IEEE Access: Advanced Deep Learning Models for 6G: Overview, Opportunities, and Challenges | Xidian University

“Albion: The Origins of the English Imagination” (2002) Peter Ackroyd

“Bitcoin: A Peer-to-Peer Electronic Cash System” Satoshi Nakamoto

“Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds” (1841) | Charles Mackay

Cognitive Science: An Introduction to the Study of Mind

“Kant’s Categorical Imperative” | Hillsdale College Introduction to Western Philosophy

“The Natural History of Stupidity” (1959) Paul Tabori

“The College Idea: Andrew Delbanco” Lapham’s Quarterly

Distributed Representations of Words and Phrases and their Compositionality | Google, Inc. et, al

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 because 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 to the goals of stewards of education community real assets — typically the largest real asset owned by any US state and about 50 percent of its annual budget.

1. Leviathan.  We track noteworthy legislative proposals in the United States 118th Congress.  Not many deal specifically with education community real assets since the relevant legislation is already under administrative control of various Executive Branch Departments such as the Department of Education.

We do not advocate in legislative activity at any level.   We respond to public consultations but there it ends.

We track federal legislative action because it provides a stroboscopic view of the moment — the “national conversation”– in communities that are simultaneously a business and a culture.  Even though more than 90 percent of such proposals are at the mercy of the party leadership the process does enlighten the strengths and weakness of a governance system run entirely through the counties on the periphery of Washington D.C.  It is impossible to solve technical problems in facilities without sensitivity to the zietgeist that has accelerated in education communities everywhere.

Michigan Great Lake Quilt

Michigan can 100% water and feed itself.  Agriculture is its second-largest industry.

2National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)

3. American National Standards Institute (ANSI)

4. Fast Forward  

The Year Ahead 2026

5. Rewind

Retrodiction

Lights Out

6. Corrigenda

 

“The world will never starve for want of wonders;

but only for want of wonder.”

–  G.K Chesterton, The Spirit of Christmas (1905)

 

Mike Anthony with colleagues since 1982 @ UM Ross School of Business Executive Dining Room

 

Amphitheaters

July 18, 2026
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“Panoramic View of the Greek Amphitheatre at Syracuse” 18th Century Abraham Louis Rodolphe Ducros

From from time to time — particularly in the months of fairer weather, when many events are hosted outdoors — we break form from the grind of responding to c0nsultations to simply enjoy these spaces  See our CALENDAR for our periodic Lively c0lloquia when we drill down into technical specifics.

서울대학교

University of Melbourne (Architect rendering of project in process)

Furman University

High Point University

George Fox University Oregon

Globe Theater / Southern Utah University

Point Loma Nazarene University

Augusta University / Georgia

Singapore Management University

Swarthmore College

Silliman University Amphitheater / The Phillippines

University of Colorado

South Dakota State University

University of Mary Washington / Virginia

California State University San Marcos

Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro

Clemson University

University of Virginia

College of Idaho Centennial Amphitheater

Texas Woman’s University

Swarthmore College

Pomona College

Oakland University Meadowbrook Theater / Rochester, Michigan

More coming


LEARN MORE:

Open Air Audio

 

Current Issues & Recent Research

July 18, 2026
mike@standardsmichigan.com

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“The day science begins to study non-physical phenomena,

it will make more progress in one decade

than in all the previous centuries of existence.”

—  Nikola Tesla

​​

MPSC Case U-21990 In the Matter of the Application of DTE Electric Company for Approval of Special Contracts

Restore NESC Cross-Reference to the Front End of the NEC

Electrical Power System Research

NFPA Electrical Standards Landing Page  Ω NFPA Standards Council  Ω NFPA Fire Safety Landing Page

ASHRAE Landing PageASTM Electrical & ElectronicsIES Illumination

Draft IEEE Paper AbstractsMike Anthony Short Biography | Electrotechnology OEMS

 IEEE Education & Healthcare Facilities Committee Recent Meeting Minutes 

Michigan Stadium Scoreboard Tour | March 18

NEC & NESC Crosswalk

Ω


IEEE Southeastern Michigan Section Welcome August 2024

 

 

IEEE & SWE Student Tour of Michigan Stadium Scoreboard | April 2024

IEEE SEM Student Activity 2025

Trending

Electrical Power System Research

NFPA Electrical Standards Landing Page  Ω NFPA Standards Council  Ω NFPA Fire Safety Landing Page

ASHRAE Landing PageASTM Electrical & Electronics

Draft IEEE Paper AbstractsMike Anthony Short Biography | Electrotechnology OEMS

We examine the proposals for the 2028 National Electrical Safety Code; including our own. The 2026 National Electrical Code where sit on CMP-15 overseeing health care facility electrical issues should be released any day now. We have one proposal on the agenda of the International Code Council’s Group B Committee Action Hearings in Cleveland in October. Balloting on the next IEEE Gold Book on reliability should begin.

“Tomorrow’s Girls” | Donald Fagan

Policy:

OUTERNET: Crossing over data gap using cubesats

Department of Energy Portfolio Analysis & Management System

Department of Energy Building Technologies Office

FERC Open Meetings | (Note that these ~60 minute sessions meet Sunshine Act requirements.  Our interest lies one or two levels deeper into the technicals underlying the administrivia)

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Federal Communication Commission Michigan Public Service Commission
December 18 Open Meeting December 5 Open Meeting
August 7 Open Meeting
July 24 Open Meeting July 25 Open Meeting
June 16 Open Meeting January 22: Newly Appointed FCC Chairman Announces Staff Changes June  12 Open Meeting
May 15 Open Meeting May 15 Open Meeting
April 17 Open Meeting April 24 Open Meeting
March 20 Open Meeting
February 20 FERC Open Meeting March 3 Open Meeting
January 16 FERC Press Conference February 27, 2025 Open Meeting

January 23: NARUC Congratulates New FERC, FCC and NRC Chairs

January 22: Newly Appointed FCC Chairman Announces Staff Changes | Related: Falsus in uno, Falsus in omnibus

January 6: City of Ann Arbor Postpones Phase II Study to Municipalize DTE Energy distribution grid

January 27, 10 AM Low-Income Energy Policy Board Meeting: Michigan Public Service commission

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission: January 16, 2025 Open Meeting

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Notice of Request for Comments (Posted November 25, 2024)

Interregional Transfer Capability Study: Strengthening Reliability Through the Energy Transformation Docket No. AD25-4-000

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission | November 21, Open Meeting

Press Conference

Michigan Public Service Commission Meetings

Michigan Public Commission Meeting  February 27, 2025

MPSC DTE CMS Electric Power Reliability Case No. U-21305

Michigan Electrical Administrative Board Meeting February 13, 2025

FCC Open Meeting | November 21 

[Mike Anthony Opinion] on the gales of innuendo against limited federal government voices in federally financed National Public Radio

National Infrastructure Advisory Council: Addressing the Critical Shortage of Power Transformers to Ensure Reliability of the U.S. Grid

H.R. 9603 (September 16): To amend the Federal Power Act to prohibit the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission from issuing permits for the construction or modification of electric transmission facilities in a State over the objection of the State, and for other purposes.

Technical: (Also Electrical Power System Research)

Empower Pre-Trained Large Language Models for Building-Level Load Forecasting

Uptime Institute (via NEXT DC) : AI Inference in the Data Center

Majorana Nanowires for Topological Quantum Computing

Linearized Data Center Workload and Cooling Management

Lex Fridman: DeepSeek, China, OpenAI, NVIDIA, xAI, TSMC, Stargate, and AI Megaclusters 

IEEE: Experts Weigh in on $500B Stargate Project for AI

IEEE: AI Mistakes Are Very Different Than Human Mistakes .  We need new security systems designed to deal with their weirdness

High-Performance Tensor Learning Primitives Using GPU Tensor Cores

Department of Electrical Engineering, Columbia University, New York

Causes and Consequences of Widespread Power Blackout Across Taiwan on 3 March 2022: A Blackout Incident Investigation in the Taiwan Power System

Department of Electrical Engineering, National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Taipei City, Taiwan

 

First Draft Proposals contain most of our proposals — and most new (original) content.  We will keep the transcripts linked below but will migrate them to a new page starting 2025:

Electrical Safety

2026 NEC Standards Michigan proposals | Public Input Report CMP-1

2026 NEC Standards Michigan proposals | Public Input Report CMP-2

Public Input Report CMP-3

2026 NEC Standards Michigan proposals | Public Input Report CMP-4

2026 NEC Standards Michigan proposals | Public Input Report CMP-5

Public Input Report CMP-6

Public Input Report CMP-7

Public Input Report CMP-8

Public Input Report CMP-9

2026 NEC Standards Michigan proposals | Public Input Report CMP-10

2026 NEC Standards Michigan proposals | Public Input Report CMP-11

2026 NEC Standards Michigan proposals | Public Input Report CMP-12

2026 NEC Standards Michigan proposals | Public Input Report CMP-13

Public Input Report CMP-14

2026 NEC Standards Michigan proposals | Public Input Report CMP-15

2026 NEC Standards Michigan proposals | Public Input Report CMP-16

Public Input Report CMP-17

2026 NEC Standards Michigan proposals | Public Input Report CMP-18

Related:

2026 National Electrical Code

N.B. We are in the process of migrating electric power system research to the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers bibliographic format. 


Recap of the May meetings of the  Industrial & Commercial Power Systems Conference in Las Vegas.  The conference ended the day before the beginning of the 3-day Memorial Day weekend in the United States so we’re pressed for time; given all that happened.

We can use our last meeting’s agenda to refresh the status of the issues.

IEEE E&H Draft Agenda 28 May 2024

On site conference agenda:

IEEE E&H Conference Agenda 21 May 2024

NESC & NEC Cross-Code Correlation

We typically break down our discussion into the topics listed below:

Codes & Standards:

While IAS/I&CPS has directed votes on the NEC; Mike is the only I&CPS member who is actually submitting proposals and responses to codes and standards developers to the more dominant SDO’s — International Code Council, ASHRAE International, UL, ASTM International, IEC & ISO.  Mike maintains his offer to train the next generation of “code writers and vote getters”

Performance-based building premises feeder design has been proposed for the better part of ten NEC revision cycles.  The objective of these proposals is to reduce material, labor and energy waste owed to the branch and feeder sizing rules that are prescriptive in Articles 210-235.  Our work in service and lighting branch circuit design has been largely successful.  A great deal of building interior power chain involves feeders — the network upstream from branch circuit panels but down stream from building service panel.

Our history of advocating for developing this approach, inspired by the NFPA 101 Guide to Alternative Approaches to Life Safety, and recounted in recent proposals for installing performance-based electrical feeder design into the International Building Code, appears in the link below:

Access to this draft paper for presentation at any conference that will receive it — NFPA, ICC or IEEE (or even ASHRAE) will be available for review at the link below:

Toward Performance-Based Building Premise Feeder Design

 

NFPA 110 Definitions of Public Utility v. Merchant Utility

NFPA 72 “Definition of Dormitory Suite” and related proposals

Buildings:

Renovation economics, Smart contracts in electrical construction.  UMich leadership in aluminum wiring statements in the NEC should be used to reduce wiring costs.

Copper can’t be mined fast enough to electrify the United States

Daleep asked Mike to do a Case Study session on the NEC lighting power density change (NEC 220-14) for the IAS Annual Meeting in October.  Mike agreed.

Exterior Campus & Distribution:

Illumination.  Gary Fox reported that IEEE 3001.9 was endorsed as an ANSI accredited standard for illumination systems.

2024-ICPSD24-0012 PERMANENT DESIGN OF POWER SYSTEMS Parise

This paper details primary considerations in estimating the life cycle of a campus medium voltage distribution grid.   Some colleges and universities are selling their entire power grid to private companies.  Mike has been following these transactions but cannot do it alone.

Variable Architecture Multi-Island Microgrids

District energy:

Generator stator winding failures and implications upon insurance premiums.  David Shipp and Sergio Panetta.  Mike suggests more coverage of retro-fit and lapsed life cycle technicals for insurance companies setting premiums.

Reliability:

Bob Arno’s leadership in updating the Gold Book.

Mike will expand the sample set in Table 10-35, page 293 from the <75 data points in the 1975 survey to >1000 data points.   Bob will set up meeting with Peyton at US Army Corps of Engineers.

Reliability of merchant utility distribution systems remains pretty much a local matter.  The 2023 Edition of the NESC shows modest improvement in the vocabulary of reliability concepts.  For the 2028 Edition Mike submitted several proposals to at least reference IEEE titles in the distribution reliability domain.   It seems odd (at least to Mike) that the NESC committees do not even reference IEEE technical literature such as Bob’s Gold Book which has been active for decades.  Mike will continue to propose changes in other standards catalogs — such as ASTM, ASHRAE and ICC — which may be more responsive to best practice assertions.  Ultimately, improvements will require state public utility commission regulations — and we support increases in tariffs so that utilities can afford these improvements.

Mike needs help from IEEE Piscataway on standard WordPress theme limitations for the data collection platform.

Mike will update the campus power outage database.

Healthcare:

Giuseppe Parise’s recent work in Italian power grid to its hospitals, given its elevated earthquake risk.  Mike’s review of Giuseppe’s paper:

Harvard Business School: Journal of Healthcare Management Standards

Mike and David Shipp will prepare a position paper for the Harvard Healthcare Management Journal on reliability advantages of impedance grounding for the larger systems.

The Internet of Bodies

Forensics:

Giuseppe’s session was noteworthy for illuminating the similarity and differences between the Italian and US legal system in handling electrotechnology issues.

Mike will restock the committee’s library of lawsuits transactions.

Ports:

Giuseppe updates on the energy and security issues of international ports.  Mike limits his time in this committee even though the State of Michigan has the most fresh water international ports in the world.

A PROPOSED GUIDE FOR THE ENERGY PLAN AND ELECTRICAL INFRASTRUCTURE OF A PORT

Other:

Proposals to the 2028 National Electrical Safety Code: Accepted Best Practice, exterior switchgear guarding, scope expansion into ICC and ASHRAE catalog,

Apparently both the Dot Standards and the Color Books will continue parallel development.  Only the Gold Book is being updated; led by Bob Arno.  Mike admitted confusion but reminded everyone that any references to IEEE best practice literature in the NFPA catalog, was installed Mike himself (who would like some backup help)

Universities with Quantum Computing Facilities

Papers in Process:

Impedance Grounding Papers 1 and 2 with David Shipp.  Previous Discussion:

https://ieeetv.ieee.org/channels/ieee-region-events/uc-berkeley-s-medium-voltage-grounding-system

Over Coffee and Beers:

Mike assured Christel Hunter (General Cable) that his proposals for reducing the 180 VA per-outlet requirements, and the performance-base design allowance for building interior feeders do not violate the results of the Neher-McGrath calculation used for conductor sizing.  All insulation and conducting material thermal limits are unaffected.

Other informal discussions centered on the rising cost of copper wiring and the implications for the global electrotechnical transformation involving the build out of quantum computing and autonomous vehicles.  Few expressed optimism that government ambitions for the same could be met in any practical way.

Are students avoiding use of Chat GPT for energy conservation reasons?  Mike will be breaking out this topic for a dedicated standards inquiry session:

GPT Power Grid

Education & Healthcare Facility Electrotechnology Committee

Workspace IEEE 1366: Guide for Electric Power Distribution Reliability Indices

Largest U.S. Electric Utility Companies Ranked by Generation Capacity  For IEEE 493 update we seek outage data from the 100 largest campus power system experts.

Graduation, Dating, Engagements, Weddings, Births & Obituaries

July 18, 2026
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‘In the end, it is character that decides . things, not intellect alone.’ (C.P. Snow, ‘The Masters’, 1951)


Michigan State University

t5rtrtr

Weddings

 



Nine years later and first day as husband and wife they got to finally sneak a kiss in one of the first places they ever passed notes

Hun School Of Princeton

“…I have spread my dreams under your feet; Tread softly because you tread on my dreams.” –W.B. Yeats | ‘He Wishes for the Cloths of Heaven’

“Nature’s Masterpiece”

Several colleges and universities have “kissing benches” or similar traditions tied to romance on campus.

Michigan State University Beaumont Tower: Nick and Myra Kanillopoulos

Syracuse University. Kissing Bench: This bench on the Quad is steeped in tradition. Legend has it that if a couple kisses on the bench, they will eventually marry. Conversely, if a single person sits there alone, they risk staying single forever.

University of Idaho.  Hello Walk and Kissing Rock: While not a bench, this area on campus features a large rock where students have historically kissed. It’s a romantic tradition for couples at the university.

Florida State University Kissing Bench

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Clemson University Lover’s Lane

Illinois State University

University of Cambridge: St. John’s College Bridge of Sighs

University of Oxford: The Bridge of Sighs

University of Bath Somerset County: Sham Castle

Weddings

Bucolia 300

July 17, 2026
mike@standardsmichigan.com
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Arboreta

Why the “Arbor” in Ann Arbor Michigan?

Other Ways of Knowing Climate Change

Anglo-americká vysoká škola, z.ú. Czech Republic

Today we walk through literature governing the safety and sustainability of the open space features of education community estates.   Unlike the titles for the building envelope, which are known to most design professionals and contractors, the standards for grounds and landscaping are widely scattered; many of them occupational safety related; created, administered and enforced by units of government.

During the fair seasons we examine the moment in landscape, garden, tree and water literature.  We also track titles about the reclamation of building roofs for permeable surfaces and gardens.

During the winter months in the northern hemisphere we include snow and ice management; while covering summer month technologies for southern hemisphere (and vice-versa).  Snowfalls in the southern hemisphere are mainly contained to the highlands and mountain ranges, which are almost exclusively in Victoria and Southern New South Wales, as well as the mountains in Tasmania.   Winter does not pose as much of a cost burden to education facilities in the southern hemisphere as it does in the northern hemisphere.

Arboreta

Landscape standards refer to guidelines or regulations that specify the requirements for the design, installation, and maintenance of outdoor spaces such as parks, gardens, streetscapes, and public spaces. Landscape standards typically cover various aspects of landscape design, including vegetation selection, planting arrangements, irrigation systems, hardscape materials, and lighting.

These standards may be set by government agencies at the federal, state, or local level, or by professional organizations such as the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA). Landscape standards aim to ensure that outdoor spaces are safe, functional, and aesthetically pleasing while also promoting sustainability and environmental protection.

Landscape standards may also address issues such as accessibility for people with disabilities, water conservation, stormwater management, and erosion control. They may vary depending on the specific location, climate, and intended use of the outdoor space. Compliance with landscape standards may be required for approval of development projects, public funding, or other permits.

Father Marquette Catholic Academy | Marquette County Michigan

We track the standards catalog of two ANSI-accredited standards developers:

American Hort

Tree Care Industry Association

Additional practice titles applicable to accessory systems:

ASABE/ICC 802 Landscape Irrigation Sprinkler and Emitter Standard 

National Electrical Code: Article 411 Low-Voltage Lighting

Upcode Article 411

National Electrical Code: Article 225: Outside Branch Circuits and Feeders

Illumination Engineering Society (Lighting Library)

Land F/X: Landscape Lighting, Codes, Guidelines and Techniques  

OSHA Landscape and Horticultural Services

As a cross-cutting subject involving soil and water and sun many other standards developers, and all levels of government, produce best practice literature for today’s topic.  We’ll have a look at what’s moving among those.

To join us use the login credentials at the upper right of our home page.

"It is spring again. The earth is like a child that knows poems by heart." -- Rainer Maria Rilke

Standing Agenda / Bucolia

Landscape & Horticulture Services

July 17, 2026
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“Century Tree Texas A&M University” Haley Herrera

Federal regulations that apply to the landscaping of education communities are fairly stable; though land use issues tend to be capricious.  Some federal regulations deal with fair trade in the purchase of landscaping materials; others deal with chemical safety; still others deal with personal protective equipment for works.

The federal government recognizes three major segments of this industry:

Landscape Design and Consultation

Landscape Installation and Maintenance

Tree Pruning and Arboriculture

For worker safety we consult the Occupational Safety and Health Administration home page:

Landscaping and Horticultural Services

From time to time we find Notices and Proposed Regulations — or notices of state-level adaptations of federal regulations —  whistling across our radar.  When they are meaningful and contribute to lower cost we will post the commenting opportunity.

The following voluntary American National Standards Institute (ANSI) titles may be applicable to the landscaping and horticultural units in education communities. Compliance with ANSI standards does not ensure compliance with OSHA policy, although the requirements of some ANSI standards have been adopted within OSHA standards. This list is provided for reference use only.

  • A10.14, Requirements for Safety belts, Harnesses, Lanyards, Lifelines, and Drop Lines for Constructional and Industrial Use
  • A14.1, Ladders – Portable Wood – Safety Requirements
  • A14.2, Ladders – Portable Metal – Safety Requirements
  • A14.5, Stepladders and Platform Ladders, Aluminum Magnesium, Fiberglass Ladders
  • A92.2, Vehicle-Mounted Elevating and Rotating Aerial Devices
  • A300, Tree Care Operations – Tree, Shrub and Other Woody Plant Maintenance – Standard Practices
  • B30.5, Mobile and Locomotive Truck Cranes
  • B71.1, Powered Lawn Mowers and Garden Tractors
  • B71.3, Snow Throwers
  • B71.4, Commercial Turf Type Equipment
  • B71.6, Shredders and Grinders
  • B71.8, Tillers
  • B175.1, Gasoline Powered Chain Saws, Safety Requirements
  • B175.2, Blowers
  • B175.3, Trimmers and Brushcutters
  • Z41, Protective Footgear Requirements
  • Z87.1, Occupational and Educational Eye and Face Protection Devices
  • Z89.1, Personnel Protection – Protective Headgear for Industrial Workers – Requirements
  • Z133.1, Arboricultural Operations Safety
  • Z308.1, Minimum Requirements for Workplace First Aid Kits
  • Z359.1, Safety Requirements for Personal Fall Arrest Systems, Subsystems, and Components

"Sometimes you will never know the value of a moment, until it becomes a memory" - Dr. Seuss"Wherever you go becomes a part of you somehow" - Anita Desai“It is spring again. The earth is like a child that knows poems by heart” ― Rainer Maria Rilke

We maintain all related best practice literature on the standing agenda of our periodic Bucolia teleconferences during which time we sort through proposed regulations, organize a response to them.  War stories always welcomed.  Stories about successes even more welcomed.  See our CALENDAR for the next online meeting.

Workspace / OSHA

Water Safety & Sustainability

July 17, 2026
mike@standardsmichigan.com

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 AWWA C500 Metal-Seated Gate Valves for Water Supply Service | Consultation Closes July 27

AWWA COMMENT PERIOD ON AWWA G480, Water Conservation and Efficiency Program Operation and Management Closes June 23

Harvard University Art Museum | In the Sierras, Lake Tahoe | Albert Bierstadt

The American Water Works Association is one of the first names in accredited standards developers that administer leading practice discovery in backflow prevention consensus documents; usually referenced in local and state building codes; and also in education facility design guidelines and construction specifications.

The original University of Michigan standards enterprise gave highest priority to backflow standards because of their central importance of backflow management to education communities; especially large research universities nested within a municipal water system.  Backflow prevention; an unseen technology that assures a safe drinking water supply by keeping water running in one direction by maintaining pressure differences.  Analogous to the way we want electrical current to run in one direction, failure of backflow prevention technology poses a near-instantaneous health risk for the contamination of potable water supplies with foul water.  In the most obvious case, a toilet flush cistern and its water supply must be isolated from the toilet bowl.  In a less obvious case, but at greater scale, a damaged backflow prevention technology at a university research building can contaminate an host-community potable water supply.

There are other ANSI accredited standards developers in the backflow prevention technology space — the International Code Council, the IAPMO Group and ASSE International — for example.

Backflow Preventer

At the moment no AWWA redlines relevant to our objective are open for consultation.  Several relatively stabilized product standards are marked up but none dealing specifically with interoperability issues.  When they are uploaded you may access them at the link below:

AWWA Standards Public Comment Home Page

Students and Young Professionals

AWWA is the first name in US-based water standards so we maintain the AWWA catalog on our Plumbing & Water colloquia.   See our CALENDAR for the next online meeting; open to everyone.

Issue: [11-57]

Category: Water Safety, Plumbing, Mechanical

Colleagues: Mike Anthony, Richard Robben, Steve Snyder, Larry Spielvogel

 


LEARN MORE

Workspace / AWWA

 

Bulletin Board

July 17, 2026
mike@standardsmichigan.com
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Standards exist to sustain the ordinary rhythms of civilization.  Behind every meal, classroom, laboratory, concert, hospital, farm, playing field and family home stands a network of standards that quietly enables daily life. Our work is to understand, improve and explain those standards in service to the educational settlements they support.  We do this work quietly.

NIST | USPTO | ANSI | IEEE | ICC | ASTM | ASHRAE | UL | TIA | ASME | ASCE | AGA

Michigan Standards Developers : NSF | ACI | NETA | ASABE | HL7 | RIA | JCSEE | BIFMA | PJRFSI | SAE

Global: SA | BSA | NSAI | CSA | CEN & CENELEC | ISO & IEC*


 

APPA was founded at the University of Michigan| See our ABOUT

 

 


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