Subscribers and committee members now access Underwriter Laboratories proposed standards online thanks to a new approval process. Proposed standards can circulate publicly in as little as 39 weeks.
The old way of routing drafts and standards was by U.S. mail and email. A regular package to Europe could take up to three weeks. “Access is now instant and available 24/7,” says Mike Palm, at UL in Chicago. He says the Collaborative Standards Development System will speed other work as well, as when UL standards become national standards through ANSI. Similarly, some international standards from the IEC (International Electrotechnical Commission) can become national standards more quickly.
Users who purchase a subscription or bulletin get access as do members of Standard Technical Panels. STPs are groups that examine proposals and those that subscribe to particular standards can comment on them.