Advocacy Update for MIAPPA | Summer 2017

Both Mike and Rich are attending the MIAPPA Summer Conference at Ferris State University this week and are available to answer questions about the status of the technical and management standard advocacy enterprise begun at the University of Michigan in 1993 that ran until 2016.  

Last year’s advocacy report — prepared for MIAPPA members — is linked below:

@StandardsUMich-Report-to-MIAPPA-Summer-2016 (1)

The backstory about the original University of Michigan Plant Operations enterprise to increase safety and reduce #TotalCostofOwnership for our “cities-within-cities” through assertive participation in consensus standards was covered in our presentation at the Winter meeting at Saginaw Valley State University in March.  For the convenience of our colleagues a few keys points summarized then are listed again below:

1.  The Simon Institute is publishing the first three ANSI accredited custodial standards for one of the largest cost centers in the US education facilities industry:

• Cleaning Chemical Handlers Permit – SI 0001
• Determining Custodial Workloads, Frequencies and Tasks – SI 0002
• Janitorial Storage, Utility and Work Areas – SI 0003

2. The 2017 National Electrical Code will contain two advocacy achievements on electrical safety and security, 9 years in the making:

• §110.5 | Bright line language that clarifies that the National Electrical Code permits the use of  aluminum wiring for buildings and large medium voltage campus power distribution systems.  
• §220.12 | Lighting supply circuits may be reduced to 2-1/2 watts per square foor from 3-1/2 watts per square foot.  IEEE article on the 2014 NEC change (other trade journals will be covering our 2017 change):

IEEE IAS Article on NEC 220 Anthony Harmon Harvey July August 2016

Note: All electrical power, telecommunication and information technology concepts are being formulated in collaboration with the IEEE Education & Healthcare Facilities Committee which meets on line bi-weekly in American and European time zones and is focused on developing IEEE standards for campus power and telecommunications infrastructure for the emergent #SmartCampus.   A 2020 NEC workgroup has already begun coordinated mark up of the 2017 NEC with the IEEE SCC18 and meets 2x weekly on Friday and Saturday.   MIAPPA members are welcomed to log in with the information available at this link:  NFPA 70-Series Workgroup

3. With the funding provided by MIAPPA and others, the NFPA Fire Protection Research Foundation has completed Phase I of a study intended to “rightsize” the building premise power chains that are most common in the US education facilities industry.   The study in its entirety is available at this link:  Evaluation of Electrical Feeder and Branch Circuit Loading

4. The Office of Regulatory Reinvention is making significant changes to Bureau of Construction Code administration.  Some of the changes are those for which we have been advocating for the past 3 years — namely, putting a check on incumbent interests.   One particular legislative proposal should be of interest: S.B. 963 Skilled Trades Regulation Act

5. The Michigan Energy Code (adapted from the 2015 International Energy Conservation Code) was adopted February 8, 2016.   We opted to advocate in the ASHRAE suite rather than directly in the IECC which was a more cost effective use of advocacy resources.

6. We continue to follow user-interest advocacy for performance-based inspection, testing & maintenance in ISEA Z358.1 ANSI Standard for Emergency Shower and Eyewash Equipment, though this priority has been spun off to subject matter experts at Northwestern University and APPA.

7. We continue encouraging proposals and comments on ANSI accredited and open source consensus documents that affect #TotalCostofOwnership by knowledgeable facility professionals of all disciplines and in other education industry trade associations.

Link to Rich Robben presentation: MIAPPA winter conf presentation – Rich Robben

NFPA-FPRI report on first of two phases of research investigating underloaded building power systemshttps://t.co/7OwFlJlGWI pic.twitter.com/magQqSRY0J

— Standards Michigan (@StandardsMich) January 17, 2017

Regulatory Advocacy Update for MiAPPA Senior Facilities Officers | Winter 2017

University of Michigan Ross School of Business

The White House Office of Management and Budget released a revision of OMB Circular No. A-119, “Federal Participation in the Development and Use of Voluntary Consensus Standards“ and in Conformity Assessment Activities.  According to the announcement:

OMB has issued a revision of Circular A-119 in light of changes that have taken place in the world of regulation, standards, and conformity assessment since the Circular was last revised in 1998.  OMB’s revisions are meant to provide more detailed guidance to agencies to take into account several issues, including the Administration’s current work in Open Government, developments in regulatory policy and international trade, and changes in technology.

The revised Circular is available at the link below:

https://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/omb/inforeg/revised_circular_a-119_as_of_1_22.pdf

http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/inforeg_infopoltech

The response by ANSI is available at the link below:

ANSI Response OMB A-119 050614

The degree to which leading practice can be discovered and promoted by industries themselves is a policy issue upon which good minds will disagree.   Few nations disagree that innovation is faster and more enduring from the workpoint (or the point of consumption) up, but markets are not perfect instruments for discovering the greater good.

At a speech given at the University of Michigan Ross School of Business in 2015, S. Bhatia, CEO of the American National Standards Institute, expands upon this point in the short videoclip below:

Issue: [16-18]

Contact: Mike Anthony, Christine Fischer, Jack Janveja, Richard Robben

Category: Federal Regulation

Photovoltaic array the roof of the James Forrestal_Building, US Department of Energy | The US Department of Energy is one of the beneficiaries of Standards Michigan advocacy in the National Electrical Code since 1996

As part of its implementation of Executive Order 13563, “Improving Regulation and Regulatory Review,” issued by the President Obama on January 18, 2011, the Department of Energy (Department or DOE) is seeking comments and information from interested parties to assist DOE in reviewing its existing regulations to determine whether any such regulations should be modified, streamlined, expanded, or repealed. The purpose of DOE’s review is to make the agency’s regulatory program more effective and less burdensome in achieving its regulatory objectives. In this request for information, DOE also highlights its most recent regulatory review and reform efforts conducted to date in light of comments from interested parties.

The request for public comment is available in the link below:

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY 5 CFR Chapter XXIII 10 CFR Chapters II, III, and X Reducing Regulatory Burden AGENCY: Office of the General Counsel, Department of Energy

Much has happened since this commenting opportunity was posted on the original @StamdardsUMich website.   Accordingly, we will place this item on the agenda of our next weekly open door teleconference to which anyone is welcomed to join with the login information available in the link below:

Contact

Issue: [16-149]

Contact: Mike Anthony, Richard Robben, Christine Fischer

Category: Federal Legislation

University of California San Diego Nuevo East Graduate Student Housing

Significant changes to the requirements for elevator operation and maintenance (Section 606) for the 2021 edition of the International Fire Code which is incorporated by reference into public safety law of most states.

Click on image for more information

The changes are identified in strike and bold document linked below:

2018 IFC 606 Elevator Rev 6 Revisions draft 9-23-2017 File 17-342

The International Code Council invites the public to participate in its process through cdpACCESS and at its Groups A Code Development Hearings April 15 – 25, 2018 in Columbus, Ohio.   Ahead of the Group A Hearings we will place this and other Groups A proposals on the standing agenda of our weekly Open Door teleconferences hosted every Wednesday, 11 AM Eastern Time.  Anyone is welcomed to join these teleconferences from your computer, tablet or smartphone with the login information below:

https://global.gotomeeting.com/join/718914669

You can also dial in using your phone. United States : +1 (408) 650-3123 Access Code: 718-914-669

Georgia State University Piedmont Central Student Housing & Dining Hall