New ANSI Z136.3 2011 Edition on Safe Use of Lasers in Health Care due this month

ANSI Z136.3 2011 Edition has been finalized and is due to be released from the printers this month.  The standard, “Safe Use of Lasers in Health Care Facilities,”  is recognized as the definitive document on laser safety in all health care environments.  It provides guidance for the safe use of lasers for medicine, diagnostic, cosmetic, preventative and therapeutic applications in any location where bodily structure or function is altered or symptoms are relieved.  It is designed to be used in conjunction with the ANSI Z136.1.

Lasers used in these applications are incorporated into an apparatus, which includes a delivery system, a power supply, mechanical housing, and associated liquids and gases as required for operation of the laser.

The entire apparatus is referred to as a health care laser system (HCLS), and this standard is intended for use by all personnel associated with the installation, operation, calibration, and maintenance and service of the system.

The ANSI Z136.3 revision was driven by the spread of medical lasers  from hospital operating rooms to the office and/or clinic environment. The use of ophthalmic refractive surgery (excimer) lasers, dermatological lasers and other medical lasers have moved from the closely regulated hospital environment into broad applications in conventional medical, surgical and allied professions.

The majority of medical laser systems are now found in private medical offices.  From this venue they have expanded into cosmetic uses in areas that may have limited or part-time medical supervision, such as in spas and beauty salons.  Not only has the environment of these laser systems been greatly broadened, but the training of the people using them has become far more diverse.

This rapid change in the pattern of use of health care laser systems has made it essential to have a current document to guide us in the approach to the safe use of these systems.  The Z136.3 represents many necessary compromises to make it fit the needs of this diverse population of users of these medical laser systems.

Pre-order your copy now from Document Center Inc. and get a special pre-issue price.  It’s a must for all hospitals, medical centers, spas, veterinary offices and clinics using lasers!  It’s available from our website, www.document-center.com.  Or order by phone (650-591-7600), fax (650-591-7617), or email (info@document-center.com).  Don’t miss out on this opportunity as it will expire at the end of the year.

New ASTM D1655 2011B Edition for Specification for Aviation Turbine Fuels

ASTM D1655-11b, “Standard Specification for Aviation Turbine Fuels,” has just been released.  This specification covers purchases of aviation turbine fuel under contract and is intended primarily for use by purchasing agencies.

The specification defines specific types of aviation turbine fuel for civil use in the operation and certification of aircraft and describes fuels found satisfactory for the operation of aircraft and engines. The document can be used as a standard in describing the quality of aviation turbine fuels from the refinery to the aircraft.

ASTM D1655 does not include all fuels satisfactory for reciprocating aviation turbine engines, but rather, defines the following specific types of aviation fuel for civil use: Jet A; and Jet A-1. The fuels are sampled and tested appropriately to examine their conformance to detailed requirements as to composition, volatility, fluidity, combustion, corrosion, thermal stability, contaminants, and additives.

The specification no longer includes wide-cut aviation turbine fuel (Jet B). The FAA has issued a Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin which now approves the use of ASTM D6615 to replace ASTM D1655 as the specification for Jet B.

The 2011B Edition replaces ASTM D1655-11a and before that the ASTM D1655-11.  The 16 page specification is updated much more frequently than most ASTM standards, since a 5-year cycle is the norm.

All current ASTM standards and many of the obsolete revisions are available from Document Center Inc. at our website, www.document-center.com.  Or they can be purchased by contacting our staff by phone (650-591-7600), fax (650-591-7617) or email (info@document-center.com).  We’ve been providing our customers with the ASTM standards and monitoring services since 1982.

New CGA C7 9th Edition, Guide to the Preparation of Precautionary Labeling and Marking of Compressed Gas Containers, from the Compressed Gas Association

The new 9th Edition for CGA C7, “Guide to the Preparation of Precautionary Labeling and Marking of Compressed Gas Containers,” was issued on 10/21/2011.  The standard covers use of precautionary labels to warn of principal hazards. It also includes general principles and illustrative labels for several types of gases, both industrial and medical.

Illistrative labels are provided for Asphyxiant gases, Flammable gases, Flammable liquids, Pyrophoric materials, Oxidizing gases, Cryogenic liquids, Toxic (poison) liquids and gases, Toxic (poison) corrosive liquids and gases, Toxic (poison) oxidizing and corrosive gases, and Corrosive liquids and gases.

Changes to this new edition of CGA-C7 include an addendum that provides guidance for compliance with the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals (GHS).

The GHS is a system for standardizing and harmonizing the classification and labelling of chemicals. It is a logical and comprehensive approach to:

  • Defining health, physical and environmental hazards of chemicals;
  • Creating classification processes that use available data on chemicals for comparison with the defined hazard criteria; and
  • Communicating hazard information, as well as protective measures,  on labels and Safety Data Sheets (SDS).

It was developed by the United Nations but the GHS itself is not a regulation or a standard.  It is intended to provide countries with the regulatory building blocks to develop or modify existing national programs that address classification of hazards and transmittal of information about those hazards and associated protective measures. This helps to ensure the safe use of chemicals as they move through the product life cycle from “cradle to grave.”

All CGA (Compressed Gas Association) standards are available from Document Center Inc. through our website, www.document-center.com.  Or contact us via phone (650-591-7600), fax (650-591-7617) or email (info@document-center.com).  We are here to help you with all your standards questions and issues.

New ASTM B117 2011 Edition, Standard Practice for Operating Salt Spray (Fog) Apparatus

ASTM B117:2011, “Standard Practice for Operating Salt Spray (Fog) Apparatus,” has just been released.  The 12 page standard is also available in a redline edition, which means that when you purchase the copyright document, you not only get the new edition, but also a copy of the previous 2009 Edition with all the corrections “redlined.”

One of the first standards to catch my interest, ASTM B117 is the oldest (originally issued in 1937) and most widely used cabinet test.  It’s used primarily to compare the corrosion resistance of painted or metal coated samples.

ASTM B117 covers the apparatus, procedure, and conditions required to create and maintain the salt spray (fog) test environment.  It provides a controlled corrosive environment which has been utilized to produce relative corrosion resistance information for specimens of metals and coated metals.

The reproducibility of results in the salt spray exposure is highly dependent on the type of specimens tested and the evaluation criteria selected, as well as the control of the operating variables. In any testing program, sufficient replicates should be included to establish the variability of the results.

Variability has been observed when similar specimens are tested in different fog chambers even though the testing conditions are nominally similar and within the ranges specified in the practice.

ASTM standards, both current and obsolete, are available from Document Center Inc. at our website, www.document-center.com.  Use our website to view the history of the standard as well, with more detail available than even at the ASTM International site.  Or contact us by phone (650-591-7600), fax (650-591-7617) or email (info@document-center.com).  We’re happy to assist you with your standards needs.

New MIL-HDBK-695 Revision E for Rubber Products: Recommended Shelf Life

MIL-HDBK-695, “Rubber Products: Recommended Shelf Life,” has just be revised to the new Revision E dated 10/20/2011.  This handbook provides guidance for establishing time periods for the expected life of elastomeric products during shelf storage.

It is a U.S. Department of Defense handbook, developed for guidance only, not to be cited as a requirement. The decision as to whether or not a product will have a limit placed upon the time that it may remain in storage is a function of the agency responsible for the product’s ultimate use.

The types of elastomeric products covered by MIL-HDBK-695E are

  • 1) Products fabricated solely from rubber. These include solid rubber, cellular rubber and hard rubber (ebonite) items.
  • 2) Composites in which the rubber is present as a discrete phase. Examples are cables, fabric reinforced gaskets, non-aerospace hoses, rubber coated fabrics, shock mounts and tires.
  • 3) Kits, accessories and outfits. The shelf life for these items should be determined by the component with the earliest expiration date.

The bulk of the handbook is a series of tables. Table I covers age resistance generally associated with products fabricated from various rubbers.  ARP 5316, “Storage of Elastomeric Seals and Seal Assemblies Which Include an Elastomer Element Prior to Hardware Assembly,” was used as the basis for developing Table I shelf life values and providing the external factors that influence an item’s shelf life.

Tables II through IV list various documents from the DOD, ASTM International, SAE International and AIA (NAS standards).  The documents listed in Table II, Table III, and Table IV list only the documents which had procurements within the last 10 years.

The shelf life values listed in Table II were determined based upon the optimum storage conditions and the type of rubber commonly used or required by the document.  Tables III and IV do not list specific shelf life dates because the specific rubber types are not defined in the document.

Appendix A provides a cross reference of all materials (Table V) and specifications (Table VI) that have been removed from the previous revision of this handbook.

There are no marginal notations on the changes from the previous issue because they were deemed too numerous to identify.  The new 42-page Revision E replaces Revision D with Change 2 from 5/23/2005.

MIL Specs and Standards, both current and obsolete editions, are available from Document Center Inc. via our website, www.document-center.com.  Long noted for low prices for these documents, we provide not only fast delivery either in paper or pdf format, but also superior updating services so that customers are notified promptly when new revisions are issued.  Contact us by phone (650-591-7600), fax (650-591-7617) or email (info@document-center.com) for more information.

ISO 19011 2011 Edition just released on Guidelines for auditing management systems

ISO 19011:2011 2nd Edition dated 11/15/2011 has just been released.  Titled “Guidelines for auditing management systems,” the standard is a staple of the management system standards series from ISO.  This edition reflects the need for a more generic guide for a wider range of auditing requirements, beyond covering just quality and environmental management systems standards.

ISO 19011 provides guidance on auditing management systems, including the principles of auditing, managing an audit program and conducting management system audits.  It also provides guidance on the evaluation of competence of individuals involved in the audit process, including the person managing the audit program, auditors and audit teams.

It is applicable to all organizations that need to conduct internal or external audits of management systems or manage an audit program.  This includes small and medium-sized organizations, for both first party auditing (auditing your own company) and second party auditing (where customers audit their suppliers).  It can be used for the purposes of self declaration, and can also be used for auditor training or personnel certification.

For third party auditing, users should also consider the use of ISO/IEC 17021:2011, “Conformity assessment – Requirements for bodies providing audit and certification of management systems.”

In this edition, remote auditing methods and the concept of risk management to systems auditing are introduced.  The relationship between the document and ISO/IEC 17021 has been clarified.  Confidentiality has been added as a new principle of auditing.  A new Annex A give illustrative examples of discipline-specific knowledge and skills.  And additional information has been included in Annex B, resulting in the removal of help boxes.

The new ISO 19011:2011 replaces the previous edition ISO 19011:2002, as well as ISO 10011-1, ISO 10011-2, and ISO 10011-3.  Any draft copies are now obsolete as well (ISO/DIS 19011, ISO FDIS 19011).  It was prepared by ISO Technical Committee 176, Subcommittee 3.

All ISO, IEC and ISO/IEC standards can be purchased from Document Center Inc. from our website, www.document-center.com.  They are available in both paper and pdf format for customers based in the United States.  Contact us by phone (650-591-7600), fax (650-591-7617) or email (info@document-center.com) for more information.

 

New 2011 Edition for ASTM F1487, Standard Consumer Safety Performance Specification for Playground Equipment for Public Use

ASTM F1487-11, titled “Standard Consumer Safety Performance Specification for Playground Equipment for Public Use,” has just been released.  The new 66-page revision replaces the previous ASTM F1487-07a(e1) edition, which is now obsolete.  The document provides safety and performance standards for various types of public playground equipment.

ASTM F1487 establishes nationally recognized safety standards for public playground equipment to address injuries identified by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).

This consumer safety performance specification does not eliminate the need for supervision of children on public playground equipment. It is intended to minimize the likelihood of life-threatening or debilitating injuries, such as those identified by the CPSC.

The range of users encompassed by this consumer safety performance specification is the 5th percentile 2-year-old through the 95th percentile 12-year-old.

Home playground equipment, toys, amusement rides, sports equipment, fitness equipment intended for users over the age of 12, public use play equipment for children 6 to 24 months, and soft contained play equipment are not included in this specification.

Products or materials (site furnishings) that are installed outside the equipment use zone, such as benches, tables, independent shade structures, and borders used to contain protective surfacing, are not considered playground equipment and are not included in this specification.

This specification does not address accessibility, except as it pertains to safety issues not covered in the DOJ 2010 Standard for Accessible Design.

ASTM F1487 and all ASTM standards (including many obsolete revisions) are available from Document Center Inc. at our website, www.document-center.com.  Or contact us by phone (650-591-7600), fax (650-591-7617) or email (info@document-center.com).  Our customers rely on us for responsive, knowledgeable service and a wide range of products to keep their conformance standards current.

New Amendment 2 for BS EN 55014-1, the European adoption of CISPR 14-1 on Electromagnetic compatibility – Requirements for household appliances, electric tools and similar apparatus – Part 1: Emission

BS EN 55014-1, 2006 Edition with Amendment 2 entitled “Electromagnetic compatibility – Requirements for household appliances, electric tools and similar apparatus – Part 1: Emission,” has just been released.  It is the official English language edition of the European adoption of CISPR 14-1,  Edition 5.0 with Amendments 1 and 2.  It is part of the harmonized standards list for the EMC Directive (2004/108/EC).

BS EN 55014-1:2006+A2:2011 applies to the conduction and the radiation of radio-frequency disturbances from appliances whose main functions are performed by motors and switching or regulating devices, unless the r.f. energy is intentionally generated or intended for illumination.

It includes such equipment as household electrical appliances, electric tools, regulating controls using semiconductor devices, motor-driven electro-medical apparatus, electric/ electronic toys, automatic dispensing machines as well as cine or slide projectors.

Also included in the scope of this standard are separate parts of the above mentioned equipment such as motors and switching devices e.g. (power or protective) relays.   However no emission requirements apply unless formulated in this standard. The frequency range covered is 9 kHz to 400 GHz.

Multifunction equipment which is subjected simultaneously to different clauses of this standard and/or other standards shall meet the provisions of each clause/standard with the relevant functions in operation; details are given in section 7.2.1. The limits in this standard have been determined on a probabilistic basis, to keep the suppression of disturbances economically feasible while still achieving an adequate radio protection.

In exceptional cases radio frequency interference may occur, in spite of compliance with the limits. In such a case, additional provisions may be required. The effects of electromagnetic phenomena relating to the safety of apparatus are excluded from the scope of this standard.

As with all BS  documents, the amendment is not available separately.  This means that you will need to repurchase a complete copy of any BS standard when it is modified by an amendment.  They are all available from Document Center Inc. on our website, www.document-center.com.  Or consider contacting us by phone (650-591-7600), fax (650-591-7617) or email (info@document-center.com).  We are available to assist you with all your standards questions and requirements.

New API STD 2220 3rd Edition, Contractor Safety Performance Process, from 10/2011 now available

The new API STD 2220 3rd Edition from 2011, “Contractor Safety Performance Process,” has just been released.  The purpose of this standard is to assist owners and contractors within the petroleum and petrochemical industries develop, improve and maintain their mutual safety programs.

Widely diverse contractor functions and uses may include resident, non-resident, long-term and short-term contractors. These have in common the need for effective safety programs to protect both owner and contractor personnel from workplace injury and illness, as well as from losses associated with incidents arising out of contractor work.

This standard aims to help both owners and contractors improve the contractor’s safety performance while preserving the independent contractor relationship. It was developed for the petroleum and petrochemical industries and the firms that perform contract work for them.

Contractors perform greatly varied work within the petroleum and petrochemical industries. Some perform construction and turnaround activities or drilling and well servicing.  Specialty contractors provide skills and services that are not typically found within an owner’s work force. Contractors may even provide services that augment the peak loads and skills of owners’ work forces, such as in the maintenance and operation of facilities.

Since owner sites and contracted work are diverse, this standard may not be applicable to all operations at each company or to all contract work performed in those operations. As such, this publication may not apply to incidental contractors that generally do not affect facility safety, such as those that provide janitorial, laundry and delivery services.

This document addresses “conventional” safety and health. It does not address safety concerns associated with security or terrorism issues.

API 2220 and all API standards are available from Document Center Inc. at our website, www.document-center.com.  Or consider contacting us by phone (650-591-7600), fax (650-591-7617) or email (info@document-center.com).  We’re available at our Silicon Valley headquarters to assist you with any standards issues you may have.

New ASTM C1036 2011 Edition, Standard Specification for Flat Glass

There’s a new ASTM C1036-11 that’s just been released.  Titled “Standard Specification for Flat Glass,” the 9-page standard covers the requirements for annealed, monolithic flat soda-lime glass supplied as cut sizes or stock sheets. The new 2011 Edition replaces the previous ASTM C1036-06.

ASTM C1036 covers the quality requirements of flat, transparent, clear, and tinted glass. This glass is intended to be used primarily for architectural glazing products including: coated glass, insulating glass units, laminated glass, mirrors, spandrel glass, or similar uses.

The monolithic flat glass can be supplied as cut sizes or stock sheets. Two types of glasses can be used: Type I which is a transparent flat glass and Type II which is a patterned and wired flat glass. Type II glass has clear and tinted classes while Type I glass only has the clear class.

Different test methods for Type I glass can be performed in order to determine the following properties: point blemish and linear blemish content, ream distortion, string distortion, line distortion, dimension, squareness, reflectance, and transmittance.

As for the type II glass the following properties can be determined after different tests: associated distortion and blemish appraisal, dimension, point blemish, reflectance, and transmittance.

All current ASTM standards, as well as many obsolete editions, can be purchased from Document Center Inc. at our website, www.document-center.com.  Or contact us by phone (650-591-7600), fax (650-591-7617) or email (info@document-center.com).  We can help you determine what edition was in force for a specific date you may be interested in.