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If you’re part of an AIHA working group or technical committee, or have a strong interest in standards development, I encourage you to submit ideas for standards through the International Safety Equipment Association standards development portal. ISEA has been developing standards for product performance, use, hazard prevention, and other health, safety, and environmental issues for over 85 years. The organization includes leading safety equipment manufacturers as well as safety professionals in the education, consulting, testing, and advocacy fields.

Standards start as ideas and are drafted and developed through 12 ISEA product groups. These groups cover numerous safety categories including head protection, respiratory protection, emergency eyewash/shower, and heat stress, just to name a few. Consensus is achieved either through a formal panel review or by submission to an accredited standards committee. With either method, the standards undergo rigorous public review before they are approved by ANSI as American National Standards.

In addition to standards development, ISEA members collaborate on advocacy, market data collection, and product use and selection guides.

ISEA has always considered proposals for new standards from within the organization, but recently, it opened the standard idea-generation process to the safety-knowledgeable public. As AIHA comprises certified industrial hygiene professionals and experts who participate in special interest, working, and technical groups, ISEA believes that AIHA members are an ideal group to submit ideas for standards on a variety of topics.

AIHA volunteer groups or individual members who are interested in submitting an idea for a standard will find more information through the ISEA portal. ISEA’s standards submission process contains clear guidelines on the data needed to propose a standard, the standard review process, feedback loops, and next steps. A checklist ensures that your submission complies with ISEA requirements.

Don’t miss the chance to be a safety trailblazer. You or your group’s proposal could be the next breakthrough in occupational safety.

If you have any questions, please reach out to me via email or contact Nicole Randall, the senior director of marketing communications at ISEA.