The American Society of Safety Professionals (ASSP) has updated a key national voluntary consensus standard for construction and demolition sites, which are among the most hazardous work environments. The revised standard is helping to elevate World Standards Week, an event held Nov. 12-14 by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) to promote best practices in workplace safety.

ANSI/ASSP A10.1-2024 Pre-Project and Pre-Task Safety and Health Planning establishes effective elements and activities for pre-project and pre-task safety and health planning in construction and demolition work.

“The primary purpose of this standard is to assist construction owners, project constructors and contractors in making pre-project and pre-task safety and health planning a typical part of their overall planning process,” said subcommittee Chair Wesley Wheeler, SMS, CESCP, MSP, of the National Electrical Contractors Association. “There must be a formal process in place to evaluate the safety and health performance of constructor candidates.”

The standard calls for each potential contractor to provide a report detailing safety staff assigned to the project, time allotted for safety and health training, a substance abuse program, and personal protective equipment and other resources anticipated for the project. Safety training should include new hire orientation, job-specific and task-specific training, on-site safety meetings and regular re-training.

“The revised standard also recommends the use of leading indicators to more accurately gauge workplace safety and health performance,” Wheeler said.

Organizations that make worker safety a core value help reduce the economic and reputational costs of incidents involving their workers. That may include medical care, equipment repair, liability, lost productivity, environmental impacts and damage to the company’s reputation.

World Standards Week is the standardization community’s premier annual gathering in Washington D.C. with issue-based conferences and special events designed to inspire open dialogue about standards and conformity assessment. Nearly 400 people attend ANSI’s multi-day event each year, representing industry, government, standards developing organizations, trade associations, consumer groups and academia.

Voluntary consensus standards provide the latest expert guidance and fill gaps where federal standards don’t exist. Companies rely on them to drive improvement, injury prevention and sustainability. With government regulations being slow to change and often out of date, federal compliance is not sufficient to protect workers.

“We are a leader in the development of workplace consensus standards that reduce injuries, illnesses and fatalities,” said ASSP President Pam Walaski, CSP, FASSP. “We form credible groups that have the collective technical expertise to ensure our standards reflect the latest industry advancements and best safety practices.”

In its last fiscal year, ASSP created, reaffirmed or revised 15 standards, technical reports and guidance documents, engaging 1,400 safety experts who represented 500 organizations. The Society also distributed more than 14,000 copies of standards.

To obtain A10.1-2024 or other workplace safety standards, visit the online ASSP Store.