Tag Archives: January

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The Year Ahead 2025

“Chance favors the prepared mind.”
— Louis Pasteur

Today at 16:00 UTC

Agenda

Technical:

Respond to client queries and retainers

Recap of activity in the ISO and IEC catalogs.  We are members of Healthcare Management.  We coordinate our responses to IEC CDV’s with IEEE Education & Healthcare Facilities Committee.

2024 “Wins” and “Losses”

“Wins”: All of the references to IEEE research and recommended practices that appear in electrical related titles in the NFPA catalog are the result of Standards Michigan advocacy in collaboration with the IEEE

“Losses”: Persist in getting Article 210 (Soon to be in Chapter 1) 180 VA per outlet requirement down to 150 VA instead of 120 VA in the ASHRAE suite from an energy conservation perspective.  This will be the most meaningful and transformative code “win” since our 2014 code “win” in 2014 NEC Section 220.12.

Expansion of user-interest advocacy for the 2028 IEEE National Electrical Safety Code.

Follow up driving electrical safety concepts into the ASHRAE and ICC catalog that cannot, or will not, be incorporated into the NFPA catalog

Continue driving IEEE best practice literature into the NFPA, ASHRAE and IEEE catalog

Electric service reliability data gathering for point of common coupling of merchant utilities and schools, colleges, universities with emphasis on large health care systems.  (Bob Arno’s IEEE 493 Gold Book update)

Break out coverage of ASHRAE 90.1 in its entirety in a dedicated content management system now that its scope includes outside/between buildings.

Break out coverage of Chapter 27 (Electrical) of the International Building Code as a “pivot” or “anchor” post for other relevant titles in the ICC catalog.

10-year retrospective on the IEEE Education & Healthcare Facilities Committee at the May Technical Conference in Montreal

Administrative:

Expansion of our unaccredited for-profit educational mission to Michigan school districts, colleges, universities, trade schools.  In the normal course of business we present educational opportunities to faculty and students administered by ANSI, ASME, AWS, ACI, ICC, IEC, IEEE, IEEE, NIST, SAE and others.  List of Faculty & Student Standards Education Resources

New signage at our State Street office

Rollout the platform to at least two more states — we have only one now.

Re-organize web pages to track IEEE, NFPA, ASHRAE, ICC, CSA Group and TIA catalog action more effectively.  ASTM and UL catalogs remain “problematic” because their titles are so deeply embedded in products and less so in systems.

List of ANSI Accredited Standards Developers

List of US TAGS to the ISO

USNA IEC

Other:

Our thanks for the collegiality and wisdom of Larry Spielvogel as he enters retirement

Continued mentorship of electrical engineering students in the IEEE Southeastern Michigan Section.  Introduction to mentorship partner Nathan from private industry.

Social Page Rollout: Engagements, Weddings & Births

A few of the University’s Electrical Engineers

Looking Ahead: 2024

Root Beer Olympics

Sober Fun

North Dakota

“Standard Root Beer” is typically made using a combination of ingredients that include water, sugar, sassafras root or extract, and various other flavoring agents. Here’s a general overview of the process:

  • Sassafras Flavoring: In traditional root beer recipes, sassafras root or extract is a key ingredient. However, it’s important to note that sassafras contains safrole, a compound that has been deemed potentially carcinogenic. For this reason, commercial root beers often use a safrole-free sassafras flavoring.
  • Sweetener: Sugar is commonly used to sweeten root beer, although some recipes may use alternatives like corn syrup or honey. The amount of sweetener can vary based on personal preference.
  • Water: Root beer typically starts with plain water as its base. The water is heated to dissolve the sweetener and other ingredients.
  • Flavorings: Besides sassafras flavoring, root beer can include a range of other flavorings to create its distinct taste. These may include wintergreen, vanilla, anise, licorice, molasses, or other herbs and spices. The exact combination of flavors varies among different root beer recipes.
  • Carbonation: Carbonation gives root beer its characteristic fizz. This can be achieved by using carbonated water or by introducing carbon dioxide gas into the mixture. In commercial production, carbonation is typically added during the bottling process.
  • Yeast Fermentation (optional): Some traditional homemade root beer recipes involve a fermentation step. Yeast is added to the root beer mixture, which consumes the sugar and produces carbon dioxide as a byproduct. This creates a natural carbonation in the beverage. However, this step can also increase the alcohol content, so it’s important to be mindful of the fermentation duration.
  • Bottling and Aging: Once the root beer is prepared, it is typically poured into bottles or kegs and sealed. Some recipes may recommend allowing the root beer to age for a certain period to develop the desired flavors.

It’s worth noting that the commercial production of root beer may involve different processes, as well as the use of artificial flavors, stabilizers, and preservatives to ensure consistency and shelf life. The specific recipe and production methods may vary among manufacturers.

Standards North Dakota

 

Bangers and Mash

University of New England Financial Report 2022 | ($30.81M)

Classic British comfort food.  The origin of the recipe can be traced back to the United Kingdom in the mid-20th century. The dish’s name, “bangers,” comes from the habit of sausages bursting open (banging) while cooking due to their high water content, particularly during World War II when meat was scarce, and fillers were added to sausages.

The popularity of sausages and mashed potatoes as a meal likely dates back much further in British culinary history. Sausages have been a part of British cuisine for centuries, and mashed potatoes have been consumed in the UK since potatoes were introduced to Europe in the 16th century.  It has long since become the go-to meal for college students seeking a satisfying, simple, and budget-friendly option during their academic years.

Ingredients:

Pork sausages (traditional British bangers)
Potatoes (such as Russet or Yukon Gold)
Butter
Milk or cream
Salt and pepper to taste
Onion gravy (optional, for serving)

Instructions:

Start by preparing the sausages. You can grill, pan-fry, or oven-bake them until they are cooked through and nicely browned.

While the sausages are cooking, peel and chop the potatoes into chunks. Place them in a pot of salted water and bring to a boil. Cook until the potatoes are tender and can easily be pierced with a fork.

Drain the potatoes and return them to the pot. Mash the potatoes using a potato masher or a potato ricer.

Add butter and a splash of milk or cream to the mashed potatoes, and continue mashing until you achieve your desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serve the cooked sausages on top of the mashed potatoes, and if desired, pour onion gravy over the dish.

The History of “Bangers and Mash” as a College Meal:

Simplicity: The dish is easy to prepare, requiring basic cooking skills and readily available ingredients, making it ideal for students who may have limited cooking facilities or time.

Affordability: Sausages and potatoes are often budget-friendly ingredients, making “Bangers and Mash” a cost-effective meal for students on tight budgets.

Comfort and Nostalgia: The dish’s hearty and comforting nature brings a sense of nostalgia and home-cooked goodness to college students, especially those living away from home for the first time.

Social Meal: “Bangers and Mash” is a dish that can be shared with friends or hallmates, making it a popular choice for communal meals in college dormitories or shared kitchens.

Overall, “Bangers and Mash” has not only been a staple in British cuisine but also a go-to meal for college students seeking a satisfying, simple, and budget-friendly option during their academic years.

Standards Australia

Industrial electroheating and electromagnetic processing

The global standards for heat tracing systems are developed by IEC Technical Committee 27.  The scope of work for this committee is reproduced below:

Standardization in the field of industrial equipment and installations intended for electroheating, electromagnetic processing of materials and electroheat based treatment technologies Note: The scope of interest covers industrial installations with the use of the following equipment: – equipment for direct and indirect resistance heating; – equipment for electric resistance trace heating; – equipment for induction heating; – equipment using the effect of EM forces on materials; – equipment for arc heating, including submerged arc heating; – equipment for electroslag remelting; – equipment for plasma heating; – equipment for microwave heating; – equipment for dielectric heating; – equipment for electron beam heating; – equipment for laser heating; – equipment for infrared radiation heating. The list presents typical examples of equipment and its applications and is not exhaustive.

CLICK HERE for the link to the TC 27 Strategic Business Plan

Titles in this committee’s bibliography appears to be stable.   As with all IEC titles, they are relatively narrow in scope compared with the titles promulgated by most US standards developing organizations.  Our interest lies primarily in the application of this technology within and around education community buildings.

While heat tracing generally goes un-noticed it is an essential part of cold weather safety.  It is wise to keep pace with its evolution with innovation in materials and controls with the lead.

We maintain this committee’s work on the standing agenda of our seasonal Snow & Ice colloquia; along with US standards developed by UL, IEEE, NEMA, NFPA, ICC, ASHRAE and a few others.  We also collaborate with the IEEE Education & Healthcare Facilities Committee on this topic.  See our CALENDAR for the next online meeting; open to everyone.

 

Issue [18-332]

Category: Electrical

Colleagues: Mike Anthony, Lorne Clark, Jim Harvey

 

Nourriture Hiver

Western Colorado University Center for Cold Climate Food Security

Today we break down the catalog for food safety in education communities; with primary attention to consultations from private standard developing organizations and federal agencies charged with food safety.  We do so with sensitivity to animals and plants and sustainability of the global food supply chain.   Many schools are the communal cafeterias for the communities that own and operate them and run at commercial scale.

We prepare responses to public consultations released by standards developing organizations which, in many cases, have significant conformance enterprises.

ANSI Standards Action | Current Weekly Edition

Note the call for public comment on proposed WTO Agriculture, Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) measures (Page 48)

Core titles are published by the ANSI accredited organizations listed below:

3-A Sanitary Standards

Catalog

ASHRAE International

The ASHRAE catalog is the most cross-cutting and fastest moving catalog in the land.   If you claim ownership of the United States energy domain you pretty much capture everything related campus safety and sustainability.  Best to deal with it on a day-by-day basis as we usually do according to daily topics shown on our CALENDAR.

Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies

American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers

Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers

National Electrical Safety Code   (Our particular interest lies in the safety and reliability of off-campus agricultural and research facilities that receive power from regulated utilities)

Kitchen Safety and Security System for Children

TupperwareEarth: Bringing Intelligent User Assistance to the “Internet of Kitchen Things”

Designing an IoT based Kitchen Monitoring and Automation System for Gas and Fire Detection

Re-Inventing the Food Supply Chain with IoT: A Data-Driven Solution to Reduce Food Loss

International Code Council

Commercial Kitchens

International Building Code Assembly Group A-2

International Building Code Group U Section 312 Agricultural Buildings

International Building Code Moderate Hazard Factory Industrial Group F-1 (Food Processing)

Who Gets Rich From School Lunch

National Fire Protection Association

Kitchen Wiring

National Electrical Code Article 210 (Branch Circuits)

National Electrical Code Article 547 (Agricultural Buildings)

Standard for the Installation of Air-Conditioning and Ventilating Systems

Public Input Report for the 2024 Revision

Standard for Ventilation Control and Fire Protection of Commercial Cooking Operations

Public Input Report for the 2024 Revision

NSF International

Food Equipment

Commercial Warewashing Equipment

Commercial Refrigerators and Freezers

Commercial Cooking, Rethermalization and Powered Hot Food Holding and Transport Equipment

Commercial Powered Food Preparation Equipment

US Federal Government:

US Department of Agriculture

Food & Drug Administration (HACCP)

State Governments:

Lorem ipsum @StandardsState

Global:

International Organization for Standardization

International Electrotechnical Commission

Codex Alimentarius

Food safety and sustainability standards populate are of the largest domains we track so if we need a break0-out session, let’s do it.  Use the login credentials at the upper right of our home page.

University of Kentucky College of Agriculture, Food and Environment

Agenda / Farm & Table


More

Standards supporting vertical farming

STANDARDS SUPPORT SOPHISTICATED FARMING METHODS THAT BRING PRODUCE TO YOUR TABLE

US Food & Drug Administration: Food Facility Registration Statistics (as  of January 11, 2021)

National Grange of the Order of Patrons of Husbandry

The U.S. Land-Grant University System: An Overview

American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers Standards Development

The origin of the Land grant act of 1862 

International Electrotechnical Commission: Keeping food safe from farm to plate

 Codex Alimentarius

Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education: Dining Services Programs

Science and Our Food Supply: A Teacher’s Guide for High School Classrooms

Food Code 2017

Café Crème

Switzerland has some unique ways of making and serving coffee. One notable tradition is the “Schümli-Pflümli,” a Swiss coffee drink that combines coffee with plum schnapps and whipped cream.

Here are a few other Swiss coffee specialties:

Café Crème: A popular Swiss coffee, it’s a large coffee similar to an Americano but typically served with a layer of crema on top.

Kaffee fertig: This is a coffee with added Schnaps or Kirsch (a type of cherry brandy), served hot and often enjoyed in the winter.

Luzerner Kafi: A regional specialty from Lucerne, this is a coffee with Schnaps and sugar, sometimes with a bit of whipped cream.

Zuger Kirschtorte Coffee: Inspired by the famous cherry cake from Zug, this coffee includes cherry liqueur and is often served with a small piece of the cake or similar dessert.

These coffee traditions highlight Switzerland’s blend of coffee culture with local flavors and ingredients.


Ghana’s Rabbit Industry

Public Law 98-144: Martin Luther King Day

Public Law 98-144:

The federal law that established Martin Luther King Jr. Day as a national holiday was Public Law 98-144, signed into law by President Ronald Reagan on November 2, 1983. The legislation designated the third Monday of January each year as a federal holiday in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s contributions to civil rights and social justice.  The first official observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day as a federal holiday took place on January 20, 1986. However, it was not immediately observed by all states, and some states adopted it gradually over time, with all 50 states recognizing it by the year 2000.
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