Did You Know? highlights ANSI member and partner activities.

Press Release Summary:



AAMI is hosting 2 webinars: "Alarm Management: From Confusion, to Information, to Wisdom" and "Effects of Patient Load and Other Monitoring System Design Choices on Inpatient Monitoring Quality." ASSE International has published white paper on scald awareness: "Adjustment of Automatic Compensating Valves to Prevent Potential Scald Hazards." OPEI published tips for preparing homes and businesses for storms, and PGMA offers free guide detailing safety rules for using portable generators.



Original Press Release:



Did You Know?



Did You Know? offers a quick look at the broad scope of activities underway within the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) Federation of members and partners, highlighting recent accomplishments and new resources related to standardization.



AAMI to Host Two Webinars on Patient Safety

The Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI), an ANSI member and accredited standards developer, is hosting two free webinars on patient safety through its AAMI Foundation.



Alarm Management: From Confusion, to Information, to Wisdom will detail how hospitals use alarm data to enhance alarm effectiveness and patient safety. Attendees will learn how to use data to drive decisions about alarms, reduce the number of nuisance alarms, and meet the regulatory requirements for alarm management and safety. It will be held on August 3 from 12 to 1 p.m. ET. Click here to register.



Effects of Patient Load and Other Monitoring System Design Choices on Inpatient Monitoring Quality will cover new research on the effects of monitor watchers’ response time to life-threatening cardiac rhythms. Participants will learn how an increased number of patients affect the response of monitor watchers, characteristics of monitoring system design that may influence response time, and new methods for evaluating the impact of system design on monitoring. It will be held on August 10 from 12 to 1 p.m. ET. Click here to register.



To learn more about the free webinars, see the AAMI news release.



ASSE Publishes White Paper on Scald Awareness

ASSE International, an ANSI member and accredited standards developer, has published its third white paper on scald awareness. “Adjustment of Automatic Compensating Valves to Prevent Potential Scald Hazards” is intended to educate the plumbing industry and general public on the importance of properly setting limit stops on water temperature control devices.



“The purpose of the Scald Awareness Task Group is nothing more than an extension of ‘Prevention Rather Than Cure’ – the guiding motto of ASSE International,” said ASSE Scald Awareness Task Group chairman Richard J. Prospal. “Setting the limit stop on a temperature limiting device is the most important part of the device’s installation; it is the hope of the task group that our latest paper will be a reminder to every installer that they need to complete their jobs and properly set limit stops.”



Click here to access the white paper, and read more in the ASSE news release. The group has also published two previous white papers on scald awareness, both freely available at www.asse-plumbing.org.



OPEI Offers Tips for Preparing Homes and Businesses for Storms

The Outdoor Power Equipment Institute (OPEI), an ANSI member and accredited standards developer, has published a list of tips to help homeowners and business owners prepare for storm clean-up. The days following a storm can be chaotic and dangerous, so the Institute suggests people do the following as preparation before a storm occurs:



Review your property and decide what tools you may need, such as a generator, chainsaw, etc.

Ensure that outdoor power equipment is in good working order

Locate safety gear such as goggles, hard hats, and reflective clothing

Review owners’ manuals and product manuals for your equipment

Have a supply of fuel that may be needed for your power equipment



To learn more details about these tips and see several additional suggestions, read the OPEI news release.



PGMA Packet Guides Safe Use of Portable Generators to Reduce CO Poisoning Risks

The Portable Generator Manufacturers’ Association (PGMA), an ANSI member and accredited standards developer, has a free guide on their website detailing the safety rules for using portable generators to reduce the risk of carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning.



The guide provides information on CO alarms, an emergency checklist, and warning signs of CO poisoning. It also has a one-page press release with the key information, as well as radio and video public service announcement scripts, to help industry members disseminate information.



Some of the rules of safe operation include: only operate a portable generator outside, far away from windows and vents; install battery-operated CO alarms or plug-in alarms with battery backup; do not run portable generators inside homes, garages, sheds, basements, or other partially enclosed spaces; place portable generators downwind and point the engine exhaust away from occupied spaces; and if you feel sick, dizzy, or weak while using a portable generator, get outside to fresh air immediately and call 911.



To learn more, see the PGMA Guide.



New Website Provides Information on Standards and Patents for Renewable Energy Technology

The International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) has collaborated with the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) and the European Patent Office (EPO) to release a new online platform for global renewable energy standards and patents.



The platform, called the International Standards and Patents in Renewable Energy (INSPIRE), allows uses to search, locate, and analyze 400 standards and over 2 million patents for renewable energy technology. Users can search through a standards database and generate reports on specific standards, as well as learn more general information about standards such as what they are, how they are used, and why they are important.



“By linking the technical information in IEC International Standards to practical applications in renewable energy, INSPIRE will be a precious resource for energy regulators,” said IEC General Secretary CEO Frans Vreeswijk. “It will assist policy makers in finding relevant international standards faster and more efficiently. It will also help educate stakeholders about the strategic role of international standards and conformity assessment for the cost-efficient expansion of renewable energy generation.”



Learn more in the IEC news release.

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