Late Friday, JLG, Genie and six other key aerial industry stakeholders, sent a petition to the SAIA (Scaffold & Access Industry Association), the secretariat for the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) A92 Series of standards, requesting the new standards be published by March 1, 2020, along with a request to reform the appeals process.
The following is an excerpt from the petition:
As leaders in the construction and access equipment industry, we must all continue to drive the importance of innovation and safety across our end markets. Ongoing delays in the effectivity of the ANSI A92.20, .22, and .24 standards are causing unnecessary disruption and confusion in the aerial industry in the United States and in the global markets that adhere to these standards, as well as concerns over the impact that such delays will have on the users of the products to which these standards apply. Moreover, the appeals process used during standards promulgation, which lacks sensible procedures that allow for a finite timeline, has also contributed to the failure to formally implement the latest standards. While we understand and appreciate the grounds for the appeals that are currently being considered by SAIA, the continued ambiguity around the updated standards and their timing are negatively impacting the industry and must come to an end.
Pursuant to Section 8.5 of ASC A9 -- Aerial Platforms Committee Policies and Procedures for the Development of American National Standards, we hereby request that the ASC A92 Main Committee issue a letter ballot to make the above standards effective no later than March 1, 2020. Further, in the event the March issuance date is not adhered to, pursuant to ANSI Essential Requirement Annex B: Procedures for the Development of a Provisional American National Standard (“ANS”) or a Provisional Amendment to an ANS, we hereby demand that you immediately proceed under the authority of the above-cited requirement to make the above standards provisionally effective as of March 1, 2020. Finally, we demand that the SAIA and ANSI Board of Standards Review and take immediate action to establish and implement new procedures going forward to better define the timing and implementation requirements for any new future standard and the resolution of any corresponding appeals.
The petition was signed by:
· Genie, a Terex brand
· JLG Industries
· Brent Hoover LLC
· Skanska USA Inc.
· Evulich and Associates
· SEA Ltd.
· Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM)
· Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC)
JLG said in a statement: “JLG has worked to support the Association and its new standards and has invested in helping educate the industry about the forthcoming changes since early 2017. Our hope is this action will bring finality to the current appeals, create a long-term structure around the appeals process and result in the publication of the new standards.”
Following the filing of the petition, Matt Fearon, Genie President, Terex AWP, said: “We must all continue to drive innovation and safety across our industry in a coordinated way. We want the appeals resolved and new ANSI A92 standards to be effective on March 1, 2020, with no further delays. As an industry, we’ve invested significantly in our product line, standards together. The continued delay in issuing the ANSI A92 standards has caused significant disruption and confusion for everyone in the industry. On behalf of aerial equipment manufacturers, owners and users, we are petitioning SAIA to ballot the ANSI A92 committee members to ensure the new standards are issued on March 1, 2020, and that the appeals process is reformed.”
