U.S. to Celebrate World Standards Day 2011 with a Focus on Advancing Safety and Sustainability Standards Worldwide

WASHINGTON, Feb. 23, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Issues of safety and sustainability are important causes for stakeholders around the world, from alternative energies and environmental protection to the safety of products, services, homes, and workplaces. As governments, organizations, and individuals alike strive to address these transnational challenges, globally relevant standards provide the technological and scientific foundations that drive health, safety, and environmental innovation.  

This year, the U.S. Celebration of World Standards Day – Advancing Safety and Sustainability Standards Worldwide – will recognize the crucial role of standards, codes, and conformity assessment in assuring the health and safety of people and the environment, today and for future generations. Standardization speeds innovation, facilitates harmonized trade, and boosts consumer and government confidence in products, services, systems, and processes. But above all, standardization provides an adaptive framework for developing the most effective solutions to critical global challenges.

Leaders of business, industry, academia, and government will gather in Washington, D.C., on Thursday, October 13, 2011, for a celebration of the role standards play in building a safer, more sustainable world. The event will kick off with a reception and exhibition at The Fairmont Washington. The evening's festivities will include the presentation of the 2011 Ronald H. Brown Standards Leadership Award, which was named after the late U.S. Secretary of Commerce and honors an individual who has dedicated him/herself to the promotion of standardization as a key tool in the elimination of global trade barriers. The winners of the 2011 World Standards Day Paper Competition will also be announced and presented with their awards.

Since the initial celebration in 1970, World Standards Day is now recognized in nations around the globe. U.S. activities are organized annually by a planning committee consisting of representatives from across the standards and conformity assessment community. The event is co-chaired each year by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). The International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials (IAPMO) will serve as the administrating organization for this year's event.

"Standardization is the lifeblood of IAPMO," said IAPMO CEO GP Russ Chaney. "A lack of standardized plumbing procedures and products is what prompted our association's formation 85 years ago and has remained our guiding principal every day since. IAPMO is thrilled to administer the U.S. Celebration of World Standards Day to help bring awareness to this vitally important cornerstone of public health and safety."

For more information or to register, please visit www.wsd-us.org. Advance registration is required.

SOURCE American National Standards Institute