A group of Israeli homeland security companies, including Advanced Evacuation Systems (AES), headed by Ehud Barak and Escape Rescue Systems, headed by CEO Yoni Shimshoni, are working with the Israel Standards Institution to formulate the world's first building evacuation standards.
Standards Institution director general Ziva Patir told "Globes" that the standards were being written after the US decided in principle to establish evacuation standards for skyscrapers. She said the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) would use Israel's draft recommendations for establishing the US standard.
Patir said, "There are great many creative ideas on how to cope with terrorism in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001, attacks, but most are impractical, because US standards and regulations were not designed with terrorism in mind."
The Standards Institution and ANSI have been in touch recently in an attempt at setting a joint US-Israeli standard for homeland security. A recently established unit at ANSI is responsible for this cooperation, through which Israeli companies can influence the setting of standards.
Patir's term as International Organization of Standardization (ISO) Vice-President (technical management) has opened another channel for Israeli companies to influence standards. ISO has set up an advisory committee, headed by ANSI chairman Dr. George W. Arnold (formerly Lucent Technologies (NYSE:LU) VP Standards and Intellectual Property) and Dr. Avi Galor of Rafael (Israel Armament Development Company).
The advisory committee is examining existing standards that require adding security standards, including for aviation, sea, and overland routes; chemicals (envelopes, for example); online information; civilian (including construction codes); the supply chain; and identification methods (including biometic verification and a new international standard for electronically sealing containers).
Patir said wanted to name the advisory committee's general secretary, so that Israeli companies could influence the drafting of strict standards. "If Israel wins the post, this will enable Israeli companies to strongly influence the setting of international standards for homeland security products, services, handling procedures and accompanying services," she said.
Israel is also cooperating with the US on homeland security through the US-Israel Science and Technology Commission (USISTC), which implements the ISO 14001 standard, including risk assessment methods and their application in management environments, including security management. A joint US-Israel pilot will soon get underway with the participation of Israeli hospitals, fuel companies and Postal Authority.
Published by Globes [online] - www.globes.co.il - on July 26, 2004