公告&动态 第211页

Loving to learn: A new management system standard for educational organizations

Education is not only a basic right, but a fundamental part of society, so the quality of educational providers is everyone’s concern. While they can’t necessarily guarantee outcomes, there is a lot that educational institutes can do to stimulate learning and ensure learners are getting the level of quality they expect. A new standard is being developed to help them do just that, and it has just reached a critical stage.

While an educational organization can never guarantee the success of its learners, there are a number of ways that it can more effectively meet their needs and contribute to better learning outcomes. ISO 21001, Educational organizations – Management systems for educational organizations – Requirements with guidance for use, is a management system standard that is partially aligned with ISO 9001:2015 for quality management systems. It provides a common management tool for educational organizations aiming to improve their processes and address the needs and expectations of those who use their services.

The future standard will also help educational providers align their activities effectively with their mission and vision and offer more personalized learning, both of which benefit not only learners but, thanks to improved processes and a system in place for their improvement across time, educators, parents and other stakeholders who will also reap results from the more consistent outputs.

The standard has just reached Draft International Standard (DIS) stage, meaning that interested parties can submit feedback on the draft, which will be considered before it is published as a standard early next year.

Water is life. But when water is unsafe and sanitation non-existent, water can kill. For millions of people, it’s a daily reality. Today is World Water Day – a day about making a difference for people who do not have the water they need.

Right now, 663 million people don’t have access to safe water. Without this basic service, they have no choice but to drink dirty water that could kill them. Some 2.4 billion people – one in three – don’t have access to a proper toilet. Many are forced to go in the open, spreading dangerous pathogens. Can you imagine life without safe water to drink?

Every year on 22 March, people worldwide celebrate World Water Day. At ISO, it’s a day for us to take stock of how ISO standards are making a difference for people who do not have the water they need. Whether it’s billions of gallons of drinking water lost every day due to leaky pipes, lead poisoning in water or untreated wastewater, ISO standards have a practical contribution to make in alleviating a number of these problems.

This year’s theme “Why waste water?” invites us to think about how ISO standards are helping to respond to wastewater in the quest for sustainable development. Areas addressed by standards offer best practice on the treatment and use of water, the provision of water services and the use of irrigation in agriculture, manufacturing and construction.

Treating and reusing wastewater in agriculture can not only provide an oasis in the desert, it can boost economies and save communities. Now, a recently published ISO 16075 series of standards (developed by technical committee ISO/TC 282, Water reuse, provides guidelines for treated wastewater use in irrigation projects. In addition, a new International Workshop Agreement (IWA 20), developed in collaboration with the Standards Institution of Israel, offers information destined to advance the worldwide use of a sustainable drip irrigation method. These are just some of the ways ISO standards will continue to respond to the world’s wastewater challenges.

Water is fundamental to life. It is vital for more inclusive and sustainable development. This is why water stands at the heart of the new 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, highlighted in Goal 6 on ensuring the availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation.

Ensuring universal access to safe and affordable drinking water by 2030 requires that we invest in adequate infrastructure, provide sanitation facilities and encourage hygiene at every level. Let’s not forget to invest in ISO International Standards – after all, we have 500-plus standards to make the water cycle work better for every living thing on the planet.

IEC calls on disruptive technology for universal energy access

Announcing the LVDC Conference on Sustainable Electricity Access, 22-23 May 2017, in Nairobi

Geneva, Switzerland, 2017-03-30- The IEC (International Electrotechnical Commission) is stepping up efforts to bring electrical energy to the 1,3 billion people who have no access to electricity, via a disruptive technology – low voltage direct current (LVDC). The IEC is hosting the inaugural LVDC Conference on Sustainable Electricity Access, in Nairobi, Kenya, on 22 and 23 May 2017, in partnership with the Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS).

“Combined with some form of energy storage, LVDC has the potential to bring millions of people out of the dark. The IEC is driving the development of LVDC, making this technology safe and broadly accessible. Holding this conference in Africa will provide a real understanding of electricity access needs to IEC experts and stakeholders.

We invite participation of all those concerned with the Sustainable Developments Goals, especially Goal 7: Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all,” said Frans Vreeswijk, General Secretary & CEO of the IEC.

Energy, and especially electricity, is the golden thread that impacts the majority of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and furthermore, the development of every nation and economy. The work of the IEC directly impacts 12 of the 17 SDGs – it provides the technical foundation for the whole energy chain and all equipment that is driven by electricity.

The UN recognizes that electricity access helps to reduce poverty and hunger, improves educational opportunities and enables higher quality healthcare. In developing economies, LVDC helps governments and policy makers to rapidly improve the living conditions, livelihoods and leisure time of millions of citizens as they gain access to affordable and clean electricity.

Against this backdrop, the LVDC Conference on Sustainable Electricity Access will bring together a diverse group of stakeholders including policy makers, power utilities, equipment manufacturers, NGOs, technology gurus, industry experts, systems engineers, funding agencies and insurers.

“I urge all stakeholders to register and attend the conference which will be a thought leadership platform to effectively engage with policymakers and regulators. This event will help us to gain the technological and economic information needed to evolve LVDC standards and drive the technology’s commercialization,” said Charles Ongwae, Managing Director, Kenya Bureau of Standards.

The recent evolution of LVDC

LVDC is a disruptive technology that fundamentally changes and accelerates energy access. Over the last twenty years several mega-trends have created a groundswell of demand for LVDC. The need to mitigate the effects of climate change has seen a renewed focus on Energy Efficiency and sustainability, taking power generation increasingly towards renewable sources and away from fossil fuels.  In addition, the cost of energy generation from solar photovoltaics (PV) has become more accessible, while LED lighting has made the conventional incandescent lamp a thing of the past.

Without realizing it, today we live in a “direct current” world, with most of our electronic devices already being able to use current that is produced by renewable sources directly, without conversion.  As a result, LVDC is seeing a growth in uses like data centres, e-mobility and related infrastructure, urban homes and buildings for lighting and other applications, public distribution, DC micro-grids, and storage etc.

These trends challenge the traditional model of electricity distribution via alternating current (AC). Also, many of the technical issues that blocked the development of DC are no longer an obstacle. A diverse group of global experts in the IEC is currently preparing the technical foundation needed for the broad roll-out of LVDC. 

Vimal Mahendru, Chair of the IEC Systems Committee (SyC) on LVDC, and IEC Ambassador said, “For areas where grid connection is too expensive, LVDC is the only economic way to provide electricity access to everyone:  it is clean, safe and affordable.  The applications for LVDC are wide, varied and apply in every country in the world. This conference is your opportunity to input your local needs and requirements; to hear about economic benefits linked to LVDC; and to contribute to the development of key performance and risk assessment indicators to allow regulators and systems administrators to benchmark LVDC solutions.”

About LVDC

In technical terms, direct current is constant and flows in one direction. In opposition, alternating current periodically reverses direction in a wave-like pattern. Currently, electricity is converted to AC to be converted back to DC for use by DC driven devices, sometimes multiple times. Using Renewable Energy as DC electricity is more efficient and generates less e-waste in the form of transformers and power adaptors.

Solar cells and other renewable power technologies produce DC power and batteries receive, store and deliver DC power.  All electronics and battery driven devices use DC power, which today is often transformed from AC. Everything, from electric vehicles, renewable energy technology, kitchen appliances, lighting, transport, smart phones and tablets to systems with data and embedded electronics, such as the Internet of Things, smart homes and Smart Cities, runs on DC.

Standardization work for LVDC is perhaps one of the biggest societal impact initiatives undertaken by the IEC.  It requires a concerted effort by all stakeholders. For further reading, please see the article in e-tech of June 2015 and also visit the SEG4 and Syc LVDC.

IEC calls on disruptive technology for universal energy access

Announcing the LVDC Conference on Sustainable Electricity Access, 22-23 May 2017, in Nairobi

Geneva, Switzerland, 2017-03-30- The IEC (International Electrotechnical Commission) is stepping up efforts to bring electrical energy to the 1,3 billion people who have no access to electricity, via a disruptive technology – low voltage direct current (LVDC). The IEC is hosting the inaugural LVDC Conference on Sustainable Electricity Access, in Nairobi, Kenya, on 22 and 23 May 2017, in partnership with the Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS).

“Combined with some form of energy storage, LVDC has the potential to bring millions of people out of the dark. The IEC is driving the development of LVDC, making this technology safe and broadly accessible. Holding this conference in Africa will provide a real understanding of electricity access needs to IEC experts and stakeholders.

We invite participation of all those concerned with the Sustainable Developments Goals, especially Goal 7: Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all,” said Frans Vreeswijk, General Secretary & CEO of the IEC.

Energy, and especially electricity, is the golden thread that impacts the majority of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and furthermore, the development of every nation and economy. The work of the IEC directly impacts 12 of the 17 SDGs – it provides the technical foundation for the whole energy chain and all equipment that is driven by electricity.

The UN recognizes that electricity access helps to reduce poverty and hunger, improves educational opportunities and enables higher quality healthcare. In developing economies, LVDC helps governments and policy makers to rapidly improve the living conditions, livelihoods and leisure time of millions of citizens as they gain access to affordable and clean electricity.

Against this backdrop, the LVDC Conference on Sustainable Electricity Access will bring together a diverse group of stakeholders including policy makers, power utilities, equipment manufacturers, NGOs, technology gurus, industry experts, systems engineers, funding agencies and insurers.

“I urge all stakeholders to register and attend the conference which will be a thought leadership platform to effectively engage with policymakers and regulators. This event will help us to gain the technological and economic information needed to evolve LVDC standards and drive the technology’s commercialization,” said Charles Ongwae, Managing Director, Kenya Bureau of Standards.

The recent evolution of LVDC

LVDC is a disruptive technology that fundamentally changes and accelerates energy access. Over the last twenty years several mega-trends have created a groundswell of demand for LVDC. The need to mitigate the effects of climate change has seen a renewed focus on Energy Efficiency and sustainability, taking power generation increasingly towards renewable sources and away from fossil fuels.  In addition, the cost of energy generation from solar photovoltaics (PV) has become more accessible, while LED lighting has made the conventional incandescent lamp a thing of the past.

Without realizing it, today we live in a “direct current” world, with most of our electronic devices already being able to use current that is produced by renewable sources directly, without conversion.  As a result, LVDC is seeing a growth in uses like data centres, e-mobility and related infrastructure, urban homes and buildings for lighting and other applications, public distribution, DC micro-grids, and storage etc.

These trends challenge the traditional model of electricity distribution via alternating current (AC). Also, many of the technical issues that blocked the development of DC are no longer an obstacle. A diverse group of global experts in the IEC is currently preparing the technical foundation needed for the broad roll-out of LVDC. 

Vimal Mahendru, Chair of the IEC Systems Committee (SyC) on LVDC, and IEC Ambassador said, “For areas where grid connection is too expensive, LVDC is the only economic way to provide electricity access to everyone:  it is clean, safe and affordable.  The applications for LVDC are wide, varied and apply in every country in the world. This conference is your opportunity to input your local needs and requirements; to hear about economic benefits linked to LVDC; and to contribute to the development of key performance and risk assessment indicators to allow regulators and systems administrators to benchmark LVDC solutions.”

About LVDC

In technical terms, direct current is constant and flows in one direction. In opposition, alternating current periodically reverses direction in a wave-like pattern. Currently, electricity is converted to AC to be converted back to DC for use by DC driven devices, sometimes multiple times. Using Renewable Energy as DC electricity is more efficient and generates less e-waste in the form of transformers and power adaptors.

Solar cells and other renewable power technologies produce DC power and batteries receive, store and deliver DC power.  All electronics and battery driven devices use DC power, which today is often transformed from AC. Everything, from electric vehicles, renewable energy technology, kitchen appliances, lighting, transport, smart phones and tablets to systems with data and embedded electronics, such as the Internet of Things, smart homes and Smart Cities, runs on DC.

Standardization work for LVDC is perhaps one of the biggest societal impact initiatives undertaken by the IEC.  It requires a concerted effort by all stakeholders. For further reading, please see the article in e-tech of June 2015 and also visit the SEG4 and Syc LVDC.

Revised PAS sets out specification for installing energy efficient measures in buildings

BSI, the British standards company, has revised PAS 2030:2017 Specification for the installation of energy efficiency measures in existing buildings. The updated PAS specifies requirements for the installation of energy efficiency measures (EEM) in an existing building, applicable whether the building is used for commercial or residential purposes. 

In response to recommendations from existing users of PAS 2030, the specification has been expanded to include definitive requirements for design aspects to be validated by installers, as well as specific methods, processes and procedures to be employed in commissioning installation and handover of projects.

The development of this revised PAS was sponsored by BEIS Home Energy and supports the Energy Company Obligation (ECO), the government’s energy efficiency scheme to help reduce carbon emissions and tackle fuel poverty currently being updated. The revisions in PAS 2030 were prompted by changes in UK legislation relating to energy efficiency and to meet the requirements of suppliers and users of energy efficiency measures.

PAS 2030 is also recognized in the recently published Each Home Counts Review, which includes a recommendation for development of a Quality Mark in the domestic retrofit sector.

The revised PAS includes requirements for installation processes, process management and service provision. It also includes criteria relating to installation methods, equipment, tools, product or system and material suitability. The commissioning of installed measures and the training, skills and competence of the people undertaking such installation, is also covered in PAS 2030.

Ant Burd, Head of Market Development for Built Environment, said:

“Older buildings are typically much less energy efficient than newly constructed buildings, increasing costs for home occupiers and business alike. PAS 2030 provides a dedicated specification for anyone who wants to install energy efficiency measures into an existing building, whether that building is a Victorian warehouse or a two bedroom apartment built in the 1990’s.”

As well as installers of energy efficient measures in existing buildings, PAS 2030 is particularly relevant to certification bodies. PAS 2030 – available online and in PDF format – was launched with a dedicated online resource, which includes expert commentary and regular industry updates to keep purchasers of PAS 2030 abreast with developments in their sector.

The revised PAS does not include requirements relating to the certification of PAS 2030 compliance by independent third parties, which is covered by PAS 2031. PAS 2031 was developed in conjunction with PAS 2030, and is scheduled to launch in March 2017.

Landmark international standard for collaborative business relationships launched

BSI, the British standards company, has launched ISO 44001: Collaborative business relationship management systems – requirements and frameworks. The new international standard replaces BS 11000, and provides guidance for identifying, developing and managing collaborative relationships with or between organizations.

ISO 44001 addresses the management system of an organization, and provides a framework for how organizations can establish a management system, as well as the operational process requirements for specific or individual organizational relationship engagement.

The standard also provides guidance on how effective collaboration requires two or more organizations to work well together, with the necessity that a management system needs to accommodate the activities of both parties. Differing cultures in organizations, and the challenges this can pose to synergy, is covered in the standard to ensure organizations have the right template to deliver enhanced benefit to stakeholders through collaborative approaches.

There is continuity with the new ISO 44001 and its predecessor, BS 11000; indeed, the key requirements from BS 11000 have been retained to ensure the focus on the evolving nature of a relationships’ development. ISO 44001 uses a high level structure (HLS) – featuring terms, definitions, headings and text common to all management system standards – allowing easier integration when implementing multiple management systems. 

ISO 44001 also has an increased focus on competence and behaviours and a need to consider the implications of the supply chain and extended enterprise, as well as an emphasis on the importance of Senior Executives Responsible (SERs).

The standard is applicable to private and public organizations of all sizes, from large multinational corporations and government organizations, to non-profit organizations and small businesses. A business, for example, could comply with ISO 44001 on several different levels: a single application (including operating unit, operating division, single project or programme, or mergers and acquisitions); and an individual relationship (including one-to-one relationships, alliance, partnership, business customers, and joint ventures).

The standard is likely to be particularly relevant to organizations in long term contracts in areas such as construction, transportation, defence, and facilities management.

David Fatscher, Head of Market Development for Sustainability and Services at BSI, said: “Collaborative business relationships have been shown to deliver a wide range of benefits for organizations of all sizes, enhancing their competitiveness and performance whilst adding value.

“Collaboration between individuals is commonplace, but collaboration between organizations is more complex and demands different knowledge and skills. This standard is aimed precisely at meeting those needs.”

Voluntary Standards Cover the Spectrum: from Parking Facility Lighting to Plastics Machinery

In an effort to communicate the vital role that standards play in daily life, the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) publishes snapshots of the diverse standards initiatives undertaken in the global and national standards arena, many of which are performed by ANSI members and ANSI-accredited standards developers. Two of the latest selections follow:

Lighting for Parking Facilities

An illuminated parking space is helpful to pedestrians and drivers alike—lighting improves visibility and provides a higher sense of security in all types of parking settings, from college campuses to shopping centers.

A revised standard published by the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America (IESNA),IES RP-20-14, Lighting for Parking Facilities (Revised edition), includes recommendations for interior and exterior lighting practices for reasonably safe movement of vehicular and pedestrian traffic in parking facilities, enhancement of personal safety, and deterrence of vandalism and theft, while optimizing energy use and minimizing maintenance.

The document deals entirely with lighting and does not give advice on construction. It provides recommended practices for designing new lighting systems for parking facilities, and it is not intended to be applied to existing lighting systems until such systems are redesigned.

An ANSI member and standards developer, IESNA is a nonprofit organization that develops and publishes standards for lighting used throughout North America. Internationally, IESNA collaborates with the International Commission on Illumination to promote uniformity with the rest of the world.

Plastics Machinery-Safety Requirements for Injection Molding Machines

The plastics industry relies on injection molding machines (IMMs) to provide production efficiency, reliability, and quality products. These machines, also known as injection presses, are used to manufacture products and range from hydraulic, electric, and various hybrid performance versions.

The American National Standard (ANS) ANSI/PLASTICS B151.1-2017, Plastics Machinery – Safety Requirements for Injection Molding Machines, functions to identify and address known hazards to personnel working on or adjacent to IMMs. The requirements of this standard apply to horizontal and vertical clamp injection molding machines (HCIMMs and VCIMMs) that process plastic materials and inject material into a mold(s) held closed by the acting clamp. Safety requirements for the use of ancillary equipment or molds for IMMs are not covered by this standard.

The standard, published by the Plastics Industry Association (PLASTICS), is a revision of ANSI/SPI B151.1-2007, Safety Requirements for the Manufacture, Care, and Use of Horizontal Clamp Injection Molding Machines, and was combined with ANSI/SPI B151.29-2014, Safety Requirements for Vertical Clamp Injection Molding Machines, to replace both documents.

According to PLASTICS, two of the most significant changes in this standard “relate to the mechanical safety device (aka “jam bar” or “drop bar”) becoming optional for horizontal machines if built to the 2017 standard and the combination of two previously separate standards into a single, easier-to-use standard for both types of machines.” Furthermore, as PLASTICS notes, having one standard instead of two will ultimately serve to simplify the manufacturing of injection molding machines in the United States.

The Plastics Industry Association (PLASTICS), formerly SPI, is an ANSI-accredited standards developer and member. The association provides market research, legislative outreach, and other essential services to its members, while supporting the entire plastics supply chain.