Standardization News

Former Intern Encounters ASTM Standards along Career Path

Reece O'Neill outside Salter Spiral Stair, in Collegeville, Pa.

It's always nice to know when you have helped someone else succeed. We here at ASTM International's Corporate Communications department recently experienced this when a former intern contacted us to say hello.

Reece O'Neill, marketing manager, Salter Spiral Stair, spent the summer of 2010 in ASTM's internship program, learning about how members of our department tell the ongoing story of ASTM and the standardization process. At the time, O'Neill was between his junior and senior years at Elizabethtown College, in Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania.

During his summer at ASTM, O'Neill notes that, more than just being assigned tasks, he was given ownership over a project, sections of the "About" page on ASTM's website. "As a result, my work had real value and I gained hands-on experience that differentiated me and segued into another internship at a web design agency.

"My time at ASTM taught me the values of collaboration, accountability and the pursuit of excellence in what I do," says O'Neill. "During my internship, I was able to observe the process in which the world's brightest technical professionals came together to create standards with the goals of universal safety and enhanced product quality."

In addition, O'Neill says, he also learned about the peer review process and the importance of working together toward a common goal.

Following his graduation from Elizabethtown, O'Neill was hired as a product marketing specialist at a large restaurant supply company. His ASTM internship played a role in his hiring.

"My technical background in standardization differentiated me in the pile of resumes," says O'Neill. "As the in-house product marketing specialist, I quickly realized the trust and sense of security that an ASTM-approved product instills in customers."

At this first job, O'Neill quickly became aware of the importance of ASTM standards such as G21, Practice for Determining Resistance of Synthetic Polymeric Materials to Fungi, which is used in the manufacture of restaurant booths with bacteria-resistant vinyl; and D178, Specification for Rubber Insulating Matting, important in the development of nonconductive mats that protect restaurant employees from high voltage shock.

This spring, O'Neill moved on to Salter, a company in Collegeville, Pennsylvania, that sells spiral staircases for both commercial and residential use. O'Neill is responsible for Salter's online marketing activities, including web design and development, advertising and content creation.

It wasn't long before O'Neill encountered ASTM standards on the job. Salter uses A653/A653M, Specification for Steel Sheet, Zinc-Coated (Galvanized) or Zinc-Iron Alloy-Coated (Galvannealed) by the Hot-Dip Process.

"Customers always ask us which stair material withstands the outdoor elements best," says O'Neill. "We recommend galvanized spiral stairs. We use a hot-dipped galvanization process that adheres to A653. This ensures that the end user will receive a maintenance-free stair that will be protected against corrosion for 75 to 100 years."

In addition, O'Neill notes, compliance to A36/A36M, Specification for Carbon Structural Steel, is a vital part of Salter's manufacturing process and enables the company to offer a lifetime guarantee on its steel fabrication.

While O'Neill was at ASTM just one summer, he appreciates the kickstart his experience here has provided.

"Getting involved with standards early on in my career was essential to my growth as a professional in the workplace," says O'Neill. "ASTM standards are used all around the world, and my standardization background has proven time and again to open doors for my development."