Standardization News

Delegation from South Korean Government and Industry Spends Two Weeks at ASTM Headquarters

From Jan. 17 to Feb. 2, ASTM International hosted a delegation of eight standards experts from South Korean government and industry at ASTM headquarters in West Conshohocken, Pa. The delegation was led by the Korean Agency for Technology and Standards, with which ASTM has collaborated extensively since signing a memorandum of understanding in May 2006. During this intensive training program, the delegation focused on the nuclear energy standards promulgated by ASTM Committees C26 on Nuclear Fuel Cycle and E10 on Nuclear Technology and Applications.

The program was conducted by ASTM International, KATS, the Korean Standards Association and Korean industry. Funding for the program was provided primarily by the South Korean government with additional support from South Korean industry. ASTM prepared the educational content and made logistical arrangements.

On their arrival, the delegates launched into a weeklong concentrated training program covering the U.S. standardization system and ASTM International's standards development process. The delegates also came prepared to discuss specific ASTM standards that they reference in their daily work and to offer suggestions for revisions to existing standards. In addition to meeting with key ASTM staff members, the week at headquarters also afforded the delegation the opportunity to conduct virtual meetings with members from ASTM technical committees to gain insight into their technical work.

During the second week of training, ASTM staff organized site visits for the delegation to gain practical insight into the use of ASTM International standards. These visits took place at New Jersey-based companies that provide components for building nuclear power plants.

The delegates traveled to ASTM's Washington, D.C., office, where they met representatives from the American Society of Mechanical Engineers and from Advanced Systems Technology and Management Inc., on behalf of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

The delegates were also invited to the U.S. Department of Commerce to visit with staff from the International Trade Administration and learn about the U.S. Civil Nuclear Trade Initiative. In addition, the delegation spent one afternoon at the National Institute of Standards and Technology to visit the NIST Center for Neutron Research.

Before departing Washington, the group met with a senior director from NACE International (formerly the National Association of Corrosion Engineers), which works in close collaboration with ASTM Committee D33 on Protective Coating and Lining Work for Power Generation.

The delegation completed their training program by attending the January committee week meetings of ASTM Committees C26 and E10 in Baltimore, Md. Attendance at the meetings allowed the group to observe the ASTM consensus process in action. During the committee meetings, ASTM committee officers and members engaged the delegation in their technical and administrative discussions.

ASTM International has conducted a similar program for the plastics industry in India and is planning another focused on road and highway construction for the Middle East. Such programs provide extensive hands-on training and can be tailored to various sectors.