According to a recent survey, 53% of the SAIA membership does not understand the role of the ASC A92 Secretariat.
ANSI’s mission is to “empower its members and constituents to strengthen the U.S. marketplace position in the global economy while helping to ensure the safety and health of consumers and the protection of the environment.”
The ASC A92 committee currently has eight subcommittees that manage and maintain each of our standards. Since 2008, more than 475,000 Manual of Responsibilities and 3,000 Standards were put in the hands of dealers, owners, users, operators, lessors, and lessees. Revisions to the A92.8-2006 were just released, and a BSR-9 form will be submitted to ANSI in January for the 92.7-201X. Participating in any of SAIA’s 11 subcommittees will give you the opportunity to be the voice for the standard.
Below is key information about the relationship between SAIA and ANSI.
Q: What does “ASC” and “A92” stand for?
A: ASC stands for “Accredited Standards Committee,” and A92 is the name of the series of standards. “ASC A92 – Aerial Platforms Committee” is the official title of the consensus body that was approved by ANSI for standard development.
Q: What is a standard?
A: A standard is a document that is established by consensus that provides rules, guidelines, or characteristics for activities or their results (as defined in ISO/IEC Guide 2:2004).
Q: What are A92 standards?
A: Consensus (industry) standards that are voluntarily used by manufactures, dealers, owners, users, and operators of aerial work platforms. The purpose of the standards is the prevention of accidents and injuries, as well as establishing criteria for the manufacturers. The standards also aid the manufacturers, dealers, owners, users, and operators of the platforms to understand their various responsibilities.
Q: What are ANSI and SAIA?
A: ANSI is the American National Standards Institute. It is the parent organization for a wide variety of standards (today, there are some 9,500 American
National Standards that have been developed and approved in accordance with the ANSI Essential Requirements). ANSI governs the way many American products are made and used, and ANSI standards have also been used as a worldwide pattern for standards in many instances. ANSI is also the official U.S. representative in the International Standards Organization (ISO), which writes standards with worldwide application.
The SAIA is a non-profit trade 501(c) (6) association committed to raising the standards of professionalism within the scaffold and access industry. The SAIA represents all facets of the scaffold and access industry through various councils that include, aerial work platform, construction hoist, fall protection equipment, international, industrial, mast-climbing, plank and platform, supported scaffold, and suspended scaffold. Through its various programs, the SAIA promotes safety, training and a highly professional, responsible image of the scaffold and access professional. The SAIA delivers hundreds of safety training programs a year at various locations throughout the world. The SAIA has been accredited through accordance of ANSI’s consensus procedures to develop American National Standards. Accreditation ensures adherence to ANSI’s cardinal principles as defined in their essential requirements.
Q: How is the group organized?
A: The ASC A92 Main Committee is the consensus body approved through ANSI. The ASC A92 Main Committee reports to ANSI through its Secretariat, SAIA. In addition, the A92 Main Committee oversees eleven subcommittees assigned to develop, revise, maintain, and address issues related to a specific standard. Each subcommittee reports to the ASC A92 Main Committee.
Q: What is the purpose of the A92 consensus body?
A: The consensus body was created to: “To develop safety guidelines for the design, construction, testing, maintenance, inspection, training, use and operation of elevating and rotating aerial devices, work platforms and vertical devices primarily used to position personnel.”
Q: What’s the makeup of the committee?
A: The goal is to make each committee a balance of interested classes. The classifications are: Consumers/Users, Directly Affected Public,Distributors/Dealers, Experts, Government, Industrial/Commercial, Insurance, Labor, Manufacturers, Professional Societies, Regulatory Agencies, Testing Laboratories, Not-for-Profit, and Component Manufacturers.
The main committee is made up of company and organizations. Each member assigns a representative, with the option of an alternate representative. Membership on the subcommittees is individual based. Membership on the main committee is not contingent with membership on a subcommittee, and vice versa.
Q: When and where are the meetings?
A: The ASC A92 Main Committee meets annually in October with coinciding subcommittee meetings. Subcommittees may call meetings at other times throughout the year. Consideration is given to minimizing expense and inconvenience, and often a meeting will be held in conjunction with a major tradeshow.
Q: What is the purpose of the main committee meeting?
A: The main committee votes on and provides input on the work of its subcommittees. It also votes on membership and officers.
Q: What are my responsibilities as a member of a subcommittee?
A: You will be expected to attend meetings, contribute your ideas and feedback, occasionally accept assignments such as drafting language for a particular section, and vote on changes to the standard.
Q: How am I selected and approved?
A: If you apply to a subcommittee, the subcommittee chair passes your application along with a recommendation to the main committee chair that checks the interest classification to assure it remains in balance. Your name and brief description of your affiliation and interest is passed on to the main committee. The main committee votes on all applications annually. If you apply for the main committee, the process is similar except that the application is directed to the main committee.
Q: What’s the difference between membership on the main committee and subcommittee?
A: Members on the main committee are members of the consensus body and must adhere to the requirements set up by the ASC A92 policies and procedures, as well as the ANSI essential requirements. Members of the main committee are represented on the organizational level. Members on each subcommittee are represented as individuals. Each subcommittee is formed to expedite the work of the consensus body as outlined in its scope and duties. Some of these responsibilities include drafting all or portion of a standard, drafting responses for comments, and other advisory functions. Membership on the main committeed a subcommittee are not interdependent. An interested company and individual must apply for each committee separately and will be voted on individually.
Q: How does the work of the committee get done?
A: The formal meetings are lively discussions of issues before the committee. Much of the preparation is done ahead of time, and draft language is mailed and commented on prior to meetings. Informal meetings and phone calls often prepare members for the meetings. Balloting on proposed language is done by email.
Q: How do I apply to be a member of the main committee or subcommittee?
A: If you are interested in becoming a member, fill out an ASC A92 Membership Application online at www. saiaonline.org. Submit completed applications to the A92 Secretariat. Applications are reviewed at the ASC A92 Annual Meeting in October.
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