A draft of the next version of the American Institute of Steel Construction’s standard for certification programs, AISC 207, is now available for review and public comment.
The new rule excludes safety program requirements in recognition of the evolution of safety standards and practices in the industry 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 Standard Code of Practice that we use in the Certification Standard,” AISC Vice President of Membership and Certification Todd Alwood said in a statement. Alwood also said the biggest change in this update is removing security requirements from the certification standard.
“When [AISC 207] was first introduced, OSHA’s requirements were not as rigorous as they are now,” Alwood explained. “The rule has always said that a manufacturer or assembler must follow all applicable local, state and federal regulations. Despite this, there has been some confusion as to whether the limited and specific requirements of the standard superseded OSHA’s requirements, which was never the intention. This change is simply a recognition that OSHA’s requirements are the gold standard for ensuring a safe work environment.”
AISC 207 certifies safety programs for both assemblers and fabricators, and AISC members said these program certifications should never be an assessment of site safety plans, created by contractors and authorities locals
“AISC has certified assembler safety procedures for a long time,” said David Zalesne, president of fabricator Owen Steel in Lexington, SC “Over the last 10, 15, 20 years, almost every project has its own of safety standards and General contractors have developed their own standards.Owners who develop many jobs have safety standards.A third-party certification of what you did last year is not really worth much be doing the work you are about to begin.”
The draft is available as a free download at aisc.org/publicreview until February 28, 2025. A hard copy is available for an additional fee by contacting AISC.
