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New ASTM Committee E58 to Develop Standards That Support Engineering Investigations and Assist the Court, ASTM International, one of the largest voluntary standards development organizations (SDO) in the world, today announced the formation of ASTM Committee E58 on Forensic Engineering . Committee E58 will develop standards that promote awareness of the scientific, engineering, ethical and legal considerations inherent in forensic engineering investigations, reporting and testimony., Bringing Engineering Reason to the Dispute Resolution Process, Forensic engineering focuses on the investigation of alleged defects in materials, products, structures and components. These cases are litigated on the premise that the defects cause personal injury or damage to property. Forensic engineering investigations may help determine the causes of these events and assist the disputing parties or the court in resolving the case. Today, forensic…, Assisting the Court through Consensus Standards, ASTM Committee E58 comes together to create important standards and guides that will support the judicial process by facilitating an improved understanding of forensic engineering practices and associated technical issues. This will better enable the court to resolve disputes in a more well-informed and efficient manner, relying on deeper knowledge of the technical data presented and the sound…, E58 Standards: Guiding Forensic Engineering Practice, E58 standards will help guide forensic engineers in conducting investigations in a robust manner while protecting overall public safety. The initial scope of Committee E58 activities will be driven by subcommittees on Product Defect Incidents, Vehicular Incidents, Electrical Incidents and Industrial Processes. ASTM Committee E58 will build upon the body of work of former subcommittee E30.05 on…, Foundation Standard for the Forensic Engineering Profession, Other E58 standards will bolster the role of forensic engineering professionals in the eyes of the court and other users of these services. Consistent with this objective, Committee E58 has recently drafted a general practice document for the forensic engineering profession, titled Standard Guide for the Practice of Forensic Engineering. The goal of this standard is to further educate the court…
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Immediate action would be necessary to minimize the effects of a radiological "dirty bomb" detonation in a major city. In order to help municipalities prepare for such a possibility, ASTM International Committee E54 on Homeland Security Applications is currently developing a proposed new standard, WK19352 , Specification for Materials to Mitigate the Spread of Radioactive Contamination after a…
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Control rooms are the heart of operations for many facilities that could be vulnerable to attack, such as power plants (particularly nuclear), water treatment facilities, oil and gas refineries, rapid transit systems, bridges and dams, among other structures. Subcommittee E54.05 on Building and Infrastructure Protection is currently working on a proposed new standard that deals with control rooms…
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A new ASTM International standard, E2592 , Practice for Evaluating Cache Packaged Weight and Volume of Robots for Urban Search and Rescue, is one result of a three-year National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)-coordinated effort with first responders and manufacturers to develop urban search and rescue robot standards. The new standard is under the jurisdiction of Subcommittee E54.08…
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One of the goals of Subcommittee E54.05 on Building and Infrastructure Protection is to provide guidance for the design of doors, windows and other opening protectives that are part of the exterior security envelopes of buildings. As one path to achieve that goal, the subcommittee is currently developing a proposed new standard, WK14650 , Test Methods for Forced Entry and Ballistics Resistant (…
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An ASTM International task group is developing a proposed new standard, WK11343 , Test Method for Performance Verification of Blast Resistant Trash Receptacles (BRTR). Manufacturers of BRTR and related products, transit and other security organizations that may deploy them, organizations that could conduct testing and other interested parties are welcome to attend a task group meeting from 9:00…
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ASTM International Committee E54 on Homeland Security Applications invites all interested parties to participate in the development of a proposed new standard, WK8908 , Guide for School Preparedness and All-Hazard Response. WK8908 is under the jurisdiction of Subcommittee E54.02 on Emergency Preparedness, Training and Procedures. WK8908 will cover concepts, principles and best practices for all…
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A proposed new ASTM International standard will help emergency responders develop succinct, usable emergency response guidance in the event of a radiological event, which may include an intentional release or an attack involving a radiological dispersal device (also known as a “dirty bomb”). The proposed standard, WK7020 , Guide for the Development of a Radiological Emergency Response Playbook,…
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ASTM International, one of the largest voluntary standards development organizations in the world, announced the approval and availability of a new standard for collecting, packaging, and transporting visible powder samples suspected of being biological agents. ASTM E 2458 ,, Standard Practices for Bulk Sample Collection and Swab Sample Collection of Visible Powders Suspected of Being Biological Agents from Nonporous Surfaces, is the first standard to address the subject. E 2458 incorporates reference guidance to comply with appropriate federal regulations regarding biosafety and biosecurity. The standard is applicable to nonporous surfaces only., Cooperative Interagency and Stakeholder Effort, The development of a sample collection standard was initiated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in order to address the problems associated with haphazard sample collection and screening. DHS assigned the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to coordinate and lead a task group whose charge was to develop a standard protocol for the collection of powders that are…, ASTM Committee E54 on Homeland Security, Currently there are over 500 stakeholders in Committee E 54 on Homeland Security, representing diverse groups including first responders, manufacturers, suppliers, trade and professional associations, and federal, state and local government. The committee was first organized in 2003. E 2458 is the third standard issued by Committee E54 on Homeland Security, and the first standard of Subcommittee…, Two-Step Procedure, E 2458 is a two-step procedure that is performed after an initial risk assessment is conducted and a visible powder is deemed a credible biological threat. The first step of the procedure, or Method A, covers the bulk collection and packaging of the suspicious visible powders from solid nonporous surfaces. Bulk samples are collected and transported in a manner that permits public health and…, Sample Collection Procedure Proven to Work, A study was conducted in March 2006 to validate the reliability of the sampling procedure at the U.S. Army Dugway Proving Ground. The study demonstrated that the sampling procedure can be used by trained Emergency Responders in simulated emergency conditions to consistently recover samples. The study also proved that sufficient number of Bacillus anthracis spores can be detected by Emergency…, after, all bulk samples have been collected. The evaluation study was designed to determine the recovery efficacy on seven environmental surface types that included stainless steel, food-grade painted wood, rubber, tile, concrete, finished wood, and plastic. The study involved six teams that included four National Guard Civil Support Teams (CST), the Navy’s Chemical Biological Incidence Response Force (…, Contacts, ASTM standards are available from Customer Service (610-832-9585); https://www.astm.org/contact/ ) or the ASTM web site store ( www.astm.org ). For further technical information, contact E54.01 Chairman Alim A. Fatah, Program Manager, Chemical Systems & Materials, Office of Law Enforcement Standards, NIST (phone: 301/975-2753; alim.fatah@nist.gov ). The next meeting of Committee E54 is Jan.…
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ASTM International Committee F16 on Fasteners has recently approved an important new standard that deals with coated threaded fasteners and washers by hot-dip zinc galvanizing. The standard, F 2329, Specification for Zinc Coating, Hot-Dip, Requirements for Application to Carbon and Alloy Steel Bolts, Screws, Washers, Nuts and Special Threaded Fasteners, is under the jurisdiction of Subcommittee…