ATLANTA - The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) announced that it has been named an "audited designator" by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), one of only five organizations to earn the designation.

According to ANSI, audited designators are those who have demonstrated a "consistent record of successful voluntary standards development." The designation means that ASHRAE now has the authority to designate its standards as ANSI standards without approval by ANSI's Board of Standards Review.

ASHRAE should now be able to get standards published in less time, perhaps four to six weeks says the Society, since it will not have to wait for the letter ballot process at ANSI.

"ASHRAE is pleased to receive ANSI's recognition as an audited designator," said Ronald Vallort, P.E., ASHRAE president. "The ANSI designation recognizes ASHRAE's strong consensus standards development process, which draws a wide variety of professional disciplines and perspectives."

ASHRAE currently has 114 standards in various stages of development.

For more information, visit www.ashrae.org.

Publication date: 08/09/2004