A draft of the next version of the American Institute of Steel Construction for certification programs, AISC 207, is now available for public review and comment until February 28.
The new standard excludes security program requirements, recognizing the evolution of broader industry security standards and practices over the past several decades. The updated standard also harmonizes terminology with AISC Standard Code of Practice, among other improvements.
“We are now using the same words in the Code of Standard Practice that we use in the certification standard,” AISC Vice President of Membership and Certification Todd Alwood said in a statement. He also said the biggest change in this update is removing security requirements from the certification standard.
“When [AISC 207] was introduced for the first time, [U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration] The requirements were not as rigorous as they are now,” explained Alwood.” The rule has always said that a manufacturer or erector 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this, there has been some confusion as to whether the limited and specific requirements of the standard requirements superseded by OSHA, which were never intended.”
He adds, “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 steel erectors and fabricators, with institute members noting that such program certifications were never intended to be an evaluation of site safety plans created by contractors and local authorities.
“The AISC has certified Erector safety procedures for a long time,” said David Zalesne, president of manufacturer Owen Steel in Lexington, SC “over the last 10, 15, 20 years, almost every project has its own safety standards and General contractors have developed their own standards.
He noted that “proprietors who do 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 do in the job you’re starting.”
The draft is available as a free download at aisc.org/publicReview until February 28. A hard copy is available for a fee by contacting Martin Downs at AISC at downs@aisc.org
