Materials
Comments Sought for Steel Safety Certification Changes
New language in American Institute of Steel Construction standard ATSC 207 would harmonize safety certifications for fabricators and erectors
The draft edition of AISC 207 is available for public comment through Feb. 14. Document courtesy of the American Institute of Steel Construction
A draft of the next version of the American Institute of Steel Construction Standard for Certification Programs, AISC 207, now is available for public review and comment through Feb.28.
The new standard excludes safety program requirements, recognizing the evolution of broader industry safety standards and practices over the past several decades.The updated standard also harmonizes terminology with the AISC Code of Standard Practice, among other improvements.
"We are now using the exact same words in the Code of Standard Practice as we use in the certification standard," said AISC Vice President of Membership and Certification Todd Alwood in a statement. He also said the bigger change in this update is removing safety requirements from the certification standard.
"When [AISC 207] was first introduced, [U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration] requirements were not nearly as rigorous as they now are," Alwood explained. "The standard has always said a fabricator or erector needs to follow all applicable local, state and federal regulations. Despite this, there has been some confusion over whether the limited and specific requirements in the standard superseded OSHA requirements, which was never the intent."
He adds: "This change is simply a recognition that OSHA requirements are the gold standard to ensure a safe work environment."
AISC 207 certifies safety programs for both steel erectors and fabricators, with institute members noting that those program certifications were never meant to be an evaluation of site safety plans that are created by contractors and local authorities.
"AISC has certified erector safety procedures for a long time," said David Zalesne, president of fabricator Owen Steel in Lexington, S.C. "Over the last 10, 15, 20 years, pretty much every project has its own set of safety standards, and general contractors have developed their own standards."
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He noted that "owners that develop a lot of work have safety standards. A third-party certification of what you did last year really doesn't have much value over what you're going to be doing on the job that you're about to start."
The draft is available as a free download at aisc.org/publicreview through Feb. 28. A hard copy is available for a fee by contacting Martin Downs at AISC at downs@aisc.org
