Standardization News

ASTM Staff Play Integral Roles at ICPHSO Annual Meeting

Len Morrissey, ASTM’s director of global business development and strategy and current president of ICPHSO (International Consumer Product Health & Safety Organization) opened the ICPHSO 2024 annual meeting and training symposium in Orlando, Florida, on February 19.

Also participating in the ICPHSO meeting was Molly Lynyak, an ASTM technical committee manager. Lynyak led a panel about product safety warnings that included Carol Pollack-Nelson, former ASTM board member; Rachael Shagott, a member of the consumer products committee (F15) and the owner and principal consultant at Best Practice Quality; and Cheryl Falvey, former general counsel for the U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission and a partner at Crowell & Moring.

Lynyak also spoke on the history of standards for per- and polyfluorinated substances (PFAS) and current standards development to address PFAS in consumer products.

ASTM Member Participates in Events at Singapore Airshow

Phil Kenul, vice-chair of ASTM’s unmanned aircraft systems committee, participated in events held in conjunction with the Singapore Aerospace Technology and Engineering Conference (SATEC) during the week of February 19.

On Feb. 19, Kenul spoke at a U.S. Commercial Service breakfast briefing for U.S. companies, the objective of which was to provide American business representatives with an overview of the aerospace and defense business environment, future outlook, and new opportunities in Singapore and throughout the region. Kenul’s presentation focused on standards for advanced air mobility and unmanned aircraft systems.

On Feb. 21, Kenul presented on innovations, standards, and regulations during the main conference at SATEC. In a breakout session that followed, Kenul presented the ASTM white paper, “Roles and Responsibilities for Operational Control in the Age of Increasingly Autonomous Flight.”

Kenul attended related meetings throughout the week. These included sessions with Blair Cowles, regional director, safety and ops, International Air Transport Association (IATA); and Norazman Bin Mahmud, CEO, Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM). 

On Feb. 3, ASTM President Kathie Morgan accepted For Pete’s Sake Cancer Respite Foundation’s Leader in Philanthropy Award on behalf of the entire ASTM International community. For Pete’s Sake Cancer Respite Foundation enables cancer patients and their loved ones to strengthen, unify, and deepen their relationships by creating unforgettable and lasting respite experiences.

Michael Lopez-Alegria, Axiom Space Ax-3 commander and immediate past chair of ASTM’s commercial spaceflight committee (F47), spoke to ASTM staff and members live from the International Space Station on January 23. In addition to speaking about the importance of consensus-driven standards, Lopez-Alegria also demonstrated how to drink water in space.