WEST CONSHOHOCKEN, Pa.—Considering the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and safety concerns for members and staff, ASTM International's November and December committee week meetings in Atlanta, Ga., will transition to all-virtual, the standards organization said in a Sept. 30 press release.
The decision to convert to all-virtual meetings was based on, among others: input from ASTM members whose organizations are increasingly concerned with travel; most participating committees opting to meet virtually; specific information on the high COVID-19 case counts and hospitalizations in Atlanta; and the continued review of information and recommendations from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the World Health Organization and other governmental bodies.
ASTM staff will contact committee leaders to plan for virtual meetings or other alternatives for conducting committee business, ASTM said. The respective executive subcommittees working with ASTM headquarters will make decisions about upcoming independent meetings.
Looking forward, ASTM said it will rely on these and other relevant criteria and input points to assess the status of ASTM's future standards development meetings and events.
Members can view the status of their committees' next meeting by visiting astm.org/meetings.
Last year, ASTM International began offering no-cost public access to a suite of more than 24 standards used in the production and testing of personal protective equipment to combat the coronavirus public health emergency. For more information, visit astm.org/COVID-19.