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The International Organization for Standardization reports an 18-percent increase in the number of international registrations issued for ISO 9001 in its annual ISO Survey of Certifications. The survey is ISO’s main barometer for measuring international use of and compliance with its…
The National Committee for Quality Assurance recently added new requirements for health plans seeking accreditation to its Quality Plus program. The change becomes effective in 2007.Candidate health plans will have to demonstrate that they provide their members with information to help…
Attendees at the Conference of African Ministers of Industry recently affirmed the role of international standards and conformity assessment in helping to develop commerce in Africa. The conference produced a formal report, in which it “reiterate[s] the commitment of our governments and call[…
The International Organization for Standardization has published a new standard to clarify types of environmental labels used to designate potentially harmful products. ISO 14025:2006, "Environmental labels and declarations—Type III environmental declarations—Principles and procedures"…
The U.S. World Standards Day Planning Committee recently named Constance A. Morella, U.S. ambassador to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, as the recipient of the Ronald H. Brown Standards Leadership Award. Morella received the award as recognition for her role in…
Companies are now expected to be able to lower recalls and warranty costs with a new Automotive Industry Action Group guideline that monitors parts undergoing heat treatment. Heat treatment is a special process that improves strength, fatigue life, ductility, wear and corrosion resistance on…
The International Electrotechnical Commission recently released the second edition of a standard related to requirements for software systems in nuclear power plants. IEC 60880: Nuclear Power Plants—Instrumentation and control systems important to safety—Software aspects for computer-…
DNV Certification and the Project Management Institute will launch the Organizational Project Management Maturity Model (OPM3) ProductSuite Certification Program. PMI has nearly 220,000 members in more than 15 countries and is the leading trade group for the project management profession.…
A metrology standard currently under development has the potential to save millions of dollars for any organization that shares quality management data with its suppliers or original equipment manufacturers. The standard is being developed by a technical committee organized by the…
The International Register of Certificated Auditors and RABQSA have agreed to recognize each other’s training certifications. Both organizations are currently performing evaluations to identify which of their certifications are mutually acceptable. They expect to add continually to the…
The United States National Committee (USNC) to the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) will host the 2010 IEC General Meeting in Seattle.The 10-day event, scheduled for Oct. 6–15, is expected to draw more than 1,500 delegates from around the globe for technical and policy…
The International Organization for Standardization recently published a new international standard for the market research industry. Market research is now a global industry and the cross-border trade will be standardized by the implementation of ISO 20252, which encourages consistency…
An International Organization for Standardization subcommittee recently discussed the development of standards to improve crisis management for natural and man-made disasters. Approximately 70 delegates from 30 countries, including 12 developing countries, attended the first meeting of…
The National Institute of Standards and Technology will host a meeting to help strengthen U.S. standardization efforts that help developing nations build their economies.The Options for Actions Summit will include trading partners’ assessments of U.S. standards-setting activities provided…
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) plans to form a task force to develop standards to facilitate interoperability of communications equipment used by various emergency personnel. A recent DHS report highlights the need for interoperable emergency communications devices. The…
The International Telecommunications Union has formed a focus group to lead standardization efforts for Internet television.Internet Protocol Television is a system by which digital television content is delivered via a broadband connection. It offers high-speed Internet, television and…
The American National Standards Institute will host an upcoming forum for standards developers in New York City. Open Forum for Standards Developers will be held June 20–21 and will continue a dialogue initiated in March, when consortia representatives met with members of the voluntary…
A new standard provides guidance for identifying and quantifying genetically modified materials in foods. ISO 24276, "Foodstuffs—Methods of analysis for the detection of genetically modified organisms and derived products—General requirements and definitions," lists sample collection…
RABQSA International recently released a new certification scheme for auditor certification of information security management systems (ISMS).Many organizations recognize the importance of their information assets, so they’re implementing information security management systems to identify…
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently issued an updated list of agency-approved consensus standards for the evaluation of medical devices. "Modifications to the List of Recognized Standards, Recognition List Number: 014" includes more than 50 changes to the FDA’s roster of…
The International Organization for Standardization recently published a new standard for tire-pressure early warning devices. ISO 21750:2006, “Road vehicles—Safety enhancements in conjunction with the tyre inflation pressure monitoring,” establishes overall performance guidelines for…
The National Institute of Standards and Technology recently issued the first set of standard reference materials (SRM) in a planned series for the assessment of botanical dietary supplements. The dietary supplement industry has exploded in the past decade to about 29,000 products, with about…
The American National Standards Institute recently launched a tracking system to record the implementation of the United States Standards Strategy. Published in December, the USSS establishes a framework that can be used to advance trade issues in the global marketplace, enhance consumer…
The National Institute of Standards and Technology is soliciting public comment on proposed changes to a standard to protect and verify the integrity of electronic data. “Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) 186-3-Digital Signature Standard” (DSS) would be used by federal…
Dozens of the United States’ largest consumer groups and employers recently endorsed new standards released by the National Committee for Quality Assurance. The standards address how health plans assess the quality and efficiency of the care provided by their contracting physicians and…
