Why Standards Matter

Pamela Suett, B.S.

Course Outline

This two-hour course is designed as an introduction for management and technical personnel in business, industry association management, government, and public policy; university faculty and students; engineers, quality control and purchasing staff; consumers; and those new to organizations that develop standards. This course consists of 6 lessons.

This course includes a multiple-choice quiz at the end, which is designed to enhance the understanding of the course materials.

Learning Objective

At the conclusion of this course, the student will be able to:

• Identify what a standard is;
• Recognize how different organizations are involved in standards development;
• Recognize the importance of standards in everyday life;
• Explain how standards protect health, safety and the environment;
• Explain why standards are developed;
• Identify the difference between voluntary standards and regulations; and
• Recognize the role of standards in U.S. business and the global marketplace.
  
  

Course Content

This course consists of the following six lessons.

Lesson 1 - Course Overview

• Description of Course

Lesson 2 - Standards in the World Around You

• Lesson Overview
• Suit Yourself? - Standards for Clothing
• The Three Little Pigs - Standards for Shelter
• Planes, Trains and Automobiles - Standards for Transportation
• Don't Drink the Water - Standards for Water
• Can You Hear Me Now? - Standards for Communication

Lesson 3 - Standards Are Important

• Lesson Overview
• Missed Communication - 9/11 and the World Trade Center
• Be Careful! - Child Safety Standards
• Don't Blow Up the Cook - New Gas Barbeque And Propane Tank Standards
• Spinning the Web - Standards and the Internet

Lesson 4 - Standards Protect Our Health, Safety and Environment

• Lesson Overview
• You Are What You Eat - Food Safety Standards
• Is the Doctor In? - Standards for Medical Devices
• Environmental Protection - Government/Industry Partnerships
• Where's the Fire Exit? - Fire Safety Standards

Lesson 5 - The Business of Standards

• Lesson Overview
• It's Good Business - Standards Promote Efficiency and Economy in Business
• Why All the Parts Fit - Interchangeability
• The World is Getting Smaller and Markets are Getting Bigger
• Lesson Review - Self Assessment

Lesson 6- Course Wrap-Up

• Frequently Asked Questions
• Glossary of Terms
  

Lessons are in PDF format. You need to open or download those documents to study this course.

Acknowledgement

This course is a part of E-Learning Program offered by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). ANSI is a private, non-profit organization that administers and coordinates the U.S. voluntary standardization and conformity assessment system. Its mission is to enhance U.S. global competitiveness and the American quality of life by promoting, facilitating, and safeguarding the integrity of the voluntary standardization system. The Institute represents the interests of its company, organizational, government, institutional and international members through its headquarters in Washington, DC and its operations center in New York City.

The Education and Training Department of ANSI in conjunction with the ANSI Committee on Education developed this course. The following subject matter experts and ANSI staff were contributors to this course:

Dr. William F. Kelly, Professor, The Catholic University of America
Libby Parker, NIST
Dr. Steven Spivak, Professor, The University of Maryland
Diane Thompson, Thompson Consulting, Inc.

Once you finish studying the above course content, you need to take a quiz to obtain the PDH credits.

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DISCLAIMER: The materials contained in the online course are not intended as a representation or warranty on the part of PDHonline.com or any other person/organization named herein. The materials are for general information only. They are not a substitute for competent professional advice. Application of this information to a specific project should be reviewed by a registered professional engineer. Anyone making use of the information set forth herein does so at their own risk and assumes any and all resulting liability arising therefrom.

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