(The Joint Commission: Oakbrook Terrace, IL) -- The Joint Commission, a health-care accrediting body, and SGS Group, a verification, inspection, certification, and testing company, are joining forces to offer hospitals and critical-access hospitals in the United States the option of pursuing both accreditation and certification to various standards from the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and industry best practice standards beginning in early 2012.

(NSF International: Ann Arbor, MI) -- NSF International, a global organization that certifies products and writes standards for food, water, and consumer goods, has launched a new program to help manufacturers gain global market access for water treatment, distribution, and plumbing products.

(ASQ: Milwaukee) -- In celebration of the second annual World Quality Month in November, the American Society for Quality (ASQ) will showcase how advancements and valuable quality contributions have improved incomes for businesses, communities, and institutions worldwide.

(ANSI: Washington, D.C.) -- The U.S. Agency for International Development’s Economic Prosperity Initiative (EPI) supports the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and the country of Georgia’s Georgian Accreditation Center (GAC). The signing ceremony, which took place on Oct. 25, 2011, lays the foundation for long-term cooperation between ANSI and GAC.

(CRC Press: Boca Raton, FL) -- Although complex and lengthy, the process of certification to the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) standard, ISO 13485—“Medical devices—Quality management systems—Requirements for regulatory purposes,” can be easily mastered using the simple method outlined in ISO 13485: A Complete Guide to Quality Management in the Medical Device Industry, by Itay Abuhav (CRC Press, 2011).

(ISO: Geneva) -- The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and ASTM International have signed an agreement to increase their cooperation in developing international standards for additive manufacturing—which refers to the process of joining materials to manufactured objects, usually layer upon layer, as opposed to “subtractive manufacturing” methods, such as machining.

(ANSI: New York) -- On Oct. 5, 2011, more than 90 international experts gathered in Montreux, Switzerland, for a meeting hosted by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) to exchange information and insights on the role of conformity assessment as a vital component of world trade.

(EPA Alliance Training Group: Houston) -- The EPA Alliance Training Group, provider of cost-effective environmental training to the private and government sectors, is offering the “ISO 14001 EMS Workshop: Auditing and Conformance” in Orlando, Florida, Jan. 11–13, 2012. The international standard, ISO 14001 for environmental management systems (EMS) from the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), includes specific requirements, and achieving full conformance requires a solid understanding of its specifications and associated guidance materials.

(Lion Technology: Las Vegas) -- Last month, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) added Peter Kuhn, former president and CEO of the French Gulf Mining and Bullion River Gold corporations, to their list of most wanted fugitives. Charged with illegal disposal of hazardous waste and violations of the Clean Water Act, Kuhn faces 20 years in prison if convicted. Violations of EPA regulations can cost facilities millions of dollars a year in penalties—and can cost those responsible their freedom.

(Kaplan EduNeering: Princeton, NJ) -- Kaplan EduNeering, a leading provider of online compliance and training management solutions, and Kaplan & Walker LLP, a U.S. law firm practicing exclusively in the area of corporate compliance and ethics (C&E) programs, are collaborating on a series of short videos that will provide key guidance to companies and their advisors on how to develop and implement strong C&E programs.