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Special Inspection Requirement in NYC
Results in Surge of Interest

On April 13, 2012, the New York City (NYC) Department of Buildings (DOB) put measures into effect that will require Special Inspection Agencies (SIAs) to become registered with NYC and firms working on larger projects will be accredited. Firms performing Special Inspections on "Class 1" projects must become accredited by May 13, 2013. IAS has been accrediting special inspection agencies in New York to meet the DOB requirements and has two staff dedicated to New York: Akshay Mishra, P.E., is IAS's Eastern Operations Program Manager and Lawrence J. O'Connor, P.E., L.S., F. NSPE is a New York Representative. In addition, IAS is developing a "home team" of New York region assessors that can be brought in to conduct on-site assessments.

"With full implementation of the NYC Building Code of 2008 and the requirement for accreditation of SIAs, New York has taken a strong lead on the east coast in requiring higher levels of assurance in the quality of the constructed project. I expect that other jurisdictions in the region will see the benefits and this program will continue to grow," said O'Connor.

New York City Special Inspection Agency Training in January

A training program for special inspection agencies about the New York City accreditation requirements will be offered on January 16-17. For more information or to register, click here.

Model Program for Special Inspection Updated

Published jointly by the International Code Council and IAS, this user-friendly document provides building officials with guidance on the administration and implementation of the special inspection requirements of Section 1704 of the 2012 International Building Code. Special inspection tasks were often delegated to project owners, architects or engineers of record, and sometimes even to building contractors. In the 21st century, the responsibilities of building officials in providing oversight of special inspection activities are driven by several factors, including legal liability, assurance of competent performance and completion of work as specified and approved, and involvement of local government. Duties and responsibilities of building officials, special inspectors, project owners, engineers, architects and contractors are defined in this guide. Click to continue.

IAS Develops Food Safety Management
System Accreditation Program

IAS has developed an accreditation program for organizations that audit and certify food safety management systems. The objective of IAS's Food Safety Management System (FSMS) Accreditation Program is to ensure regulators and ultimately consumers receive high-quality products and services supported through its established conformity assessment structure. Click to continue.

STAREGISTER Accredited to ISO 17024 by IAS

STAREGISTER International Inc. has been granted accreditation from IAS verifying compliance with ISO Standard 17024 Conformity assessment—General requirements for bodies operating certification of persons. Click to continue.

Egyptian Green Building Council Meets with ICC and IAS

The Egyptian Green Building Council invited Dr. David Nelson, IAS Senior Policy Advisor and Eng. Imad Eldurubi to provide a presentation on ICC and IAS "Green Building" initiatives on October 1. The meeting was held at the Housing and Building National Research Center (HBRC), Cairo, Egypt.

MBMA Releases 2012 Metal Building Systems Manual

The Metal Building Manufacturers Association (MBMA) announces the release of the new 2012 edition of the Metal Building Systems Manual. Since the manual's first publication in 1959, this nationally recognized reference manual has been the primary resource for the metal building industry for building owners, manufacturers, general contractors, erectors, engineers, architects, specifiers, inspectors, and other building professionals. The 2012 Metal Building Systems Manual provides a practical and comprehensive resource that will help engineers, building officials, and plan checkers meet the metal building requirements of the 2012 International Building Code.

Special Inspection Training at ICC Annual Conference

Code officials, special inspectors and industry representatives attended an IAS training program "Special Inspections—Implementing and Managing IBC Chapter 17 Requirements for Building Departments" at the ICC Annual Conference in Portland. Attendees learned how to set up and manage a special inspection program and how IAS can assist building departments in those efforts. The three-hour program provided CEUs from ICC. Greg Johnson, a past member of the ICC and IAS Board of Directors and a past chairman of the ICC Education Committee, presented the program. If you are interested in hosting this training event, contact IAS Senior Policy Advisor David Nelson.

IAS Educates at Cracker Barrel

IAS staff had the opportunity to make three presentations at the International Code Council's popular Cracker Barrel roundtable during the Annual Conference in Portland. IAS topics included Building Department Accreditation presented by IAS Program Manager Preet Bassi, Special Inspections presented by IAS Program Manager Sandi McCracken and IAS Marketing Manager Greg West, and Fabricator Inspection Accreditation presented by IAS Vice President Patrick McCullen.

IAS Honors Jurisdictions at Annual Conference in Portland

The International Accreditation Service honored the city of Salem, Ore., the village of Tinley Park, Ill., and the city of Roanoke, Va., during the ICC Annual Conference in Portland:

Salem First City in Oregon to Achieve IAS Building Department Accreditation.
Tinley Park Fire Prevention Bureau First U.S. Municipal Department to Achieve IAS Accreditation.
Roanoke First City in Virginia to Achieve IAS Building Department Accreditation. View the video produced by RVTV-3.

Building Department Administration 4th Edition Released

Published jointly by the International Code Council and IAS, this comprehensive one-stop resource is critical to successful management and operation of building safety administration. It has benefitted from the expertise and practical knowledge of more than 50 experts participating as authors, contributors, peer reviewers and editors, making it one of the most widely participatory publications in the industry. Every chapter has been revised and/or reformatted, updating to the most current state-of-the-art information for the needs of the 21st century building safety. Online Bonus features are included as an added benefit for support and more in-depth information. This publication is available for purchase from the ICC bookstore online.

2012 Joint Annual Meetings of IAF and ILAC in Rio de Janeiro

Ronald Coiner, Program Manager for the IAS Product Certification Agency Accreditation Program, attended the 2012 Joint Annual Meetings of International Accreditation Forum and International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation, October 16-26 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The meetings were hosted by the General Coordination for Accreditation, a unit of the Brazilian National Institute of Metrology, Quality and Technology (Inmetro). Inmetro is recognized by the Brazilian government and is responsible for the accreditation of certification and inspection bodies, as well as testing, calibration and medical testing laboratories in the framework of the Brazilian Conformity Assessment System at national and international levels.

ISO/IEC Standard 17020:2012 Training Webinar in January

A two-hour training webinar about the newest provisions in ISO/IEC Standard 17020:2012 will be offered by IAS on January 16, 2013. Inspection bodies, product certification/listing organizations, consultants and others interested in learning about the changes made since the previous edition of the standard (1998) and how to apply them will benefit from this training. Participants will also receive an overview of the major areas of the standard and learn about the development, implementation and maintenance of an effective ISO/IEC 17020 management system. Click here.

Federally Mandated Accreditation Stimulates Growth for IAS

Energy efficiency guidelines set by federal agencies is driving growth in the conformity assessment sector resulting in an increase in applications for accreditation to IAS in several program areas especially from testing laboratories and product certification agencies. The goal of the federal "Energy Star" program is designed to implement the current administration's mandate for increased energy efficiency by consumers. In one such program called "Lighting Facts," the U.S. Department of Energy teamed up with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to increase the efficiency of consumer lighting products. IAS plays an important role in providing services to meet the accreditation needs of laboratories and product certifiers that service energy-related industries. If your organization is involved in testing or certifying products in the field of energy efficiency, please contact IAS Energy Star Program Manager, Hershal Brewer or call IAS at (866) 427-4422.

Technical Assessors Recruitment

IAS is actively seeking and retaining contract technical assessors and experts that have experience in auditing the quality and technical processes of laboratories, inspection agencies, building departments and product certification agencies. Knowledge of ISO/IEC 17025 (testing and calibration), ISO/IEC 17020, ISO/IEC 17065, ISO/IEC 17021, measurement uncertainty, proficiency testing and IAS accreditation criteria is preferred. For more information or to apply, click here.

Chinese Ministry of Transportation Representatives Meet with IAS

On November 29, representatives from the Ministry of Transportation of the People's Republic of China, along with representatives from the transportation industry, visited the IAS headquarters in Whittier, Calif. The purpose of the trip was to learn about the quality control and construction regulatory system in the United States. Greg West, IAS Marketing Manager, hosted the group and gave a presentation. Steve Ikanda, ICC Senior Staff Engineer, Ping Cheng, ICC-ES Staff Engineer, and Qiaoli Meng, ICC-ES Product Review Engineer also participated in the meeting.

IAS Visits International Headquarters of ACES

The international headquarters of the Arab Center for Engineering Studies (ACES) hosted a visit by IAS Sr. Policy Advisor Dr. David S. Nelson (fourth from left) on May 6. Established in Amman, Jordan, ACES provides a range of specialized engineering services that include project quality control, special studies, environmental studies, materials testing, and land and marine surveying. ACES has 14 offices throughout the Middle East, four which are currently IAS-accredited testing laboratories. Dr. Izz Eddin Katkhuda (fifth from left) is Director and Partner of ACES, and for the past two years has served on the IAS Board of Directors. Dr. Katkhuda's experience and expertise in managing private-sector construction testing laboratories helps to assure that IAS' leadership remains attuned to the special needs and opportunities of this sector.

McCullen Receives Award

Patrick McCullen, Vice President and Chief Technical Officer of IAS, was recipient of the 2012 John Nosse Award for Technical Excellence by the International Code Council (ICC). The award is presented each year to a staff professional that exemplifies vision, leadership and technical expertise. The award commemorates the achievements of John Nosse, retired president of ICC Evaluation Service and former president of ICBO Evaluation Service where he served both organizations for 44 years. Click to continue.

ICBO's Jim Bihr Remembered

James Bihr, a visionary who led the International Conference of Building Officials (ICBO) to national and global prominence in the 1970s, '80s and '90s, and who served as one of the primary architects of the International Code Council consolidation, died September 7 in Whittier, California, following a battle with cancer. He was 85. Click to continue.

ICC Orange Empire Chapter Officer Installation

The International Code Council Orange Empire Chapter Appreciation and Installation Luncheon was held December 5 at the Richard Nixon Library, in Yorba Linda, Calif. Mark Johnson, Executive Vice President of ICC, conducted the installation of chapter officers. IAS President Chuck Ramani attended the event. Pictured, left to right: Chapter Past President Gabriel Linares, Building & Safety Manager, city of Brea; Johnson; Chapter Vice President Daniel Kennedy, Principal Plan Check Engineer, city of Newport Beach; Chapter President Henry Huang, Building Official, city of Tustin; Chapter Secretary Charles Russell, Building Official, city of San Marino; Chapter Treasurer Dennis Bogle, Building Official, city of Laguna Beach; and IAS President Chuck Ramani.

Look for the IAS Accreditation Mark

When you see the IAS Accreditation mark associated with a company or organization, you know IAS has evaluated it for competence and quality.

Let IAS Know What You Are Thinking

Share your comments about accreditation with IAS using our new online feedback form. See the Feedback link on the Contact Us page of the IAS website.

IAS Signatory of ILAC, APLAC, PAC, IAF

IAS is a Mutual Recognition Arrangement signatory of the Asia Pacific Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (APLAC) and the International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC) for the accreditation of testing and calibration laboratories and inspection bodies. IAS is also a Multilateral Recognition Arrangement signatory of the Pacific Accreditation Cooperation (PAC) and the International Accreditation Forum (IAF) for the accreditation of Product Certification Bodies.

New and Updated IAS Accreditations

For a complete list of companies and organizations that became accredited or renewed their accreditation with IAS between August 1 and November 1, 2012, click here.

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EDITOR'S NOTE — We are dedicated to providing informative insight into the world of accreditation. IAS would like to encourage all of our participants in all of our programs to submit relevant articles for future publications. Your unique perspective will prove extremely valuable to our readership. Please forward your articles and photographs to Pat McCullen at pmccullen@iasonline.org.
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