Sep 14, 2012

The Palestine Standards Institution (PSI) reports that it has adopted several ASTM International standards over the past year. PSI signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with ASTM in 2005.

The ASTM International MOU program is designed to encourage, increase and facilitate the participation of technical experts from around the world in the ASTM standards development process.  Through MOU agreements, global national standards bodies reference, adopt, or use ASTM International standards as the basis of their national standards for infrastructure, energy, health and safety, petroleum, the environment and more.

The Palestine Standards Institution facilitates trade and investment in Palestine by meeting the needs of business and industry for metrology, standards, conformity assessment and quality. PSI provides access to national and global standards, accredited testing facilities, calibration services and certification. PSI has multiple technical committees that cover various subjects. Each committee includes qualified representatives from the private, public and education sectors that oversee the development of Palestine standards in their area of expertise.

MOU signatories receive a collection of ASTM International standards at no cost to use as a resource for their own standards development and technical experts from any of the countries where MOUs have been signed can participate at no cost as full voting members in the ASTM standards development process. “The MOU with ASTM International has resulted in many great benefits for PSI,” says Mazen Abu Sharia, CEO of PSI.

As part of the MOU program, signatories compile an annual report regarding their use of ASTM standards. In its most recent report, PSI stated that 19 ASTM standards were adopted as identical Palestinian standards over the past year. The adopted standards cover copper refinery shapes, copper and copper alloy castings, and copper and copper alloy wrought products and are under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee B05 on Copper and Copper Alloys.

“ASTM International standards are an important factor in the development of Palestinian standards for many sectors, particularly building construction,” says Abu Sharia. “These standards are also used as references in schools and testing laboratories accredited by PSI.”

Initiated in 2001, ASTM International's MOU program promotes communication between ASTM International and national standards bodies worldwide, fostering awareness of the standardization systems of all parties involved. The purpose of the program is to increase greater worldwide participation in the ASTM standards development process and facilitate the development of national standards that will aid health, safety, and environmental and economic conditions. More information on the MOU program can be found on the ASTM International Web site (www.astm.org/GLOBAL).

ASTM Staff Contact: Teresa Cendrowska, Phone: 610-832-9718; tcendrow@astm.org

Release #9295