An “abbreviated” primer on voluntary safety standards

Most of us take voluntary safety standards for granted. As I look at my computer’s AC adapter, I see more than 20 symbols. As a consumer, I know that the manufacturer is declaring that the device conforms to numerous global, national and regional standards. The UL symbol, for example, tells me that the adapter conforms to the proper specification developed by Underwriter’s Laboratory. Without these standards, our world would truly be one of “buyer beware.”

At the business level, we buy machinery, equipment and tooling that list conformance to appropriate standards. ANSI B11 (general industry machine safety standards), API (American Petroleum Institute), NFPA, ASTM and UL are only some of the dozens of standards developing organizations in world of industrial safety. We also have standards for procedural things like lockout (ANSI Z244.1) and management system standards (ANSI / AIHA Z10).

As a matter of information that is sometimes a point of confusion, ANSI (American National Standards Institute) does not develop standards. Instead, ANSI accredits over 200 standards developing organizations in the United States and administers the consensus process of development to ensure balance, openness and due process.

In the global arena, we find groups like ISO (International Organization for Standardization) and IEC (International Electrotechnical Commission) that are familiar to many. Less familiar is the fact that far more international standards are developed by organizations such as ASTM International and IEEE. The European Union has CEN standards that are roughly equivalent to ANSI standards in the US.

Voluntary safety standards are a complex and confusing world, and are akin to peeling an onion – there is always another layer – and sometimes you just want to cry. All of us benefit from the untold hours spent by thousands of volunteers who devote time and energy to develop the requirements that will protect the public and employees.

This is the first of what will be a series of blog posts to help HSE pros gain a better understanding by “eating this elephant” one bite at a time. For now, the answer to the questions of “What’s in it for me?” or “Why should I care?” is this:

Without voluntary safety standards:

• Companies would be dealing with a huge number of hazards that should have been addressed in the design phase of products or services.
• HSE pros would have to address increased residual risk because hazards were not eliminated and feasible engineering controls were not used. Achieving acceptable risk would require increased warnings, training, administrative controls and PPE.

Voluntary standards make the world a safer place.