Are you aware that fall protection standards are changing? If not, you are not alone. Since 2007, the ANSI Z359 Fall Protection Code Committee has been pumping out new fall protection consensus standards. The ANSI Z359.1-1992 (R1999) Standard has been replaced by a family of Standards. From 2007 to date, the ANSI Z359 Fall Protection Code Committee has completed and published a family of ten fall protection related documents or standards. What’s more, ANSI has already approved and ASSE will be publishing additional Z359 Standards for 2013 with more in the works.
Some of you may be asking yourself, how does this concern me since OSHA regulations have not changed? ANSI standards are continually changing or evolving as fall protection practices and/or equipment make advances in the industry. OSHA regulations change slowly with the last significant change in fall protection being in 1995 (OSHA 1926 Subpart M).