WEST CONSHOHOCKEN, PA-ASTM International, a voluntary standards development organization, has announced the launch of a new Internet-based system designed to initiate, develop and track draft standards and revisions before and during their balloting stage. The new Work Item Registration system, which is accessible from the ASTM Web site, www.astm.org, adds increased openness and transparency to ASTM's consensus standards development process.

Now, any interested individual from anywhere in the world who wants to know whether ASTM is developing or revising a specific standard can access the information using the Work Item Registration system. Users will be able to search for information about new standards and revisions, sign up for a free e-mail advisory service that provides notification of new work items in their area of interest and view a committee's jurisdiction for the item in question.