2012 Annual Report (PDF) - 3-A Sanitary Standards

The new 3-A SSI “A level” standard will encompass key criteria
which are common to 3-A Sanitary Standards. Some of these key
criteria include definitions of important terms, acceptable materials
and testing requirements, and fabrication details. Unlike other types
of standards, 3-A Sanitary Standards relate to the cleanability of
processing equipment.
In conjunction with the new “A level” standard, 3-A SSI will
develop the technical requirements applicable to specific types of
equipment contained in a series of revamped “B-level” standards.
3-A SSI currently maintains 69 individual 3-A Sanitary Standards
encompassing virtually all the major types of equipment involved
in the processing and transport of fluid milk and dairy products.
Under the new tiered system of standards, 3-A SSI will be able to
more easily update the common criteria for its broad inventory of
equipment standards.
3-A SSI relies on a network of dedicated subject matter experts
from all interest groups to participate in the consensus process for
developing and maintaining the large inventory of essential 3-A
Sanitary Standards and 3-A Accepted Practices. At the direction of
the 3-A Steering Committee, 14 Working Groups (WGs) coordinate
the drafting of new or revised documents within particular groups
of related equipment. All 14 WGs mobilized this year to revise
current documents, create new standards, or in some cases, withdraw
a document. Collectively, the WGs devoted hundreds of hours of
discussion via phone conferences and meetings.
Among the key accomplishments this year:
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Convened a new Working Group to address the
development of the new “A level” Standard. a major, yet
innovative, shift in the way 3-A SSI will develop sanitary
standards. With an A/B level standards system, 3-A SSI
will realize much higher efficiency by streamlining the
standards update process.
The following 3-A Sanitary Standards and 3-A Accepted
Practice revisions were published: 20-27 (Multiple-
Use Plastic Materials), 29-03 (Air Eliminators), 35-04
(Blending Equipment), 74-04 (Sensor and Sensor Fittings
and Connections Used on Equipment) and 85-02
(Double-Seat Mixproof Valves).
A new 3-A Accepted Practice was published, 612-00, Plant
Environmental Air Quality.
Quarterly Standards Developers’ conference calls were
continued to support the effectiveness and efficiency of
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leaders and participants in the consensus development
process.
Over 175 conference calls were held to develop and
revise the content of the 3-A Sanitary Standards and 3-A
Accepted Practices within the Work Group document
subgroups.
Approximately 34 letter ballots were completed.
There currently are 76 active standards development and
revision proposals.
This year 3-A SSI attained re-accreditation by the American National
Standards Institute (ANSI) as a Standards Developer Organization.
ANSI accreditation signifies the new procedures meet the Institute’s
Essential Requirements for openness, balance, consensus and due
process. Formal accreditation provides the opportunity for 3-A
SSI to submit new standards developed in accordance with ANSI
requirements as American National Standards.
Pharmaceutical (P3-A) Standards
A series of revisions to the current ANSI P3-A
pump standard were circulated for a public
review and ballot. The revisions were approved
and a copy of the revised standard was issued
in early 2012.
The Pharmaceutical 3-A (P3-A) Council
continues to work on four other new standards
projects, including Agitated Filter Dryers,
Vessels and Agitators, Mills and Classification
Equipment, and Process Heat Exchangers.
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