La Dirección General de Normas y Sistemas de Calidad (DIGENOR) has outlined the success of its Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with ASTM International and its use of ASTM standards in a recent annual report. DIGENOR and ASTM signed the MOU in 2009.
DIGENOR is the official institution for standardization, quality, certification and metrology in the Dominican Republic. The institution prepares and enforces the application of technical regulations and standards in cooperation with other national and international standards bodies and oversees the Dominican Republic’s national standardization plan.
The ASTM International MOU program is designed to encourage, increase and facilitate the participation of technical experts from around the world in the ASTM standards development process. Through MOU agreements, global national standards bodies reference, adopt, or use ASTM International standards as the basis of their national standards for infrastructure, energy, health and safety, petroleum, the environment and more.
MOU signatories receive a collection of ASTM International standards at no cost to use as a resource for their own standards development. Over the past year, DIGENOR referenced two ASTM International standards from ASTM Committees C01 on Cement and C09 on Concrete and Concrete Aggregates in Dominican regulations. In addition, 13 new normative references to ASTM standards have been added to the large number of standards being used in the Dominican Republic and other Caribbean nations as building and construction projects continue to increase.
“Since the MOU signing, DIGENOR has referenced more than 65 ASTM standards in the most recent 35 approved Dominican standards (NORDOM). ASTM standards are also referenced in draft building and construction standards that cover topics like cement, concrete and steel,” says Manuel Guerrero Veras, director general at DIGENOR. “Referencing ASTM gives NORDOM standards more credibility with our users, which include producers and consumers.”
In the future, Guerrero hopes DIGENOR’s relationship with ASTM International results in increased participation in ASTM technical committees for paint, infant safety, toys, textiles and more. DIGENOR also plans to take advantage of ASTM technical and professional training opportunities both on location and online.
Initiated in 2001, ASTM International's MOU program promotes communication between ASTM International and national standards bodies worldwide, fostering awareness of the standardization systems of all parties involved. The purpose of the program is to increase greater worldwide participation in the ASTM standards development process and facilitate the development of national standards that will aid health, safety, and environmental and economic conditions. More information on the MOU program can be found on the ASTM International Web site (www.astm.org/GLOBAL).
ASTM Staff Contact: Teresa Cendrowska, Phone: 610-832-9718; tcendrow@astm.org
Release #9302