The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) has dismissed the latest appeal brought by the Construction Industry Employer Coalition to withdraw the adoption of the approved voluntary consensus standard aimed to reduce musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) in the construction industry. This was the last appeal allowable under the ANSI appeals process.
The standard, “Reduction of Musculoskeletal Problems in Construction” (ANSI/ASSE A10.40-2007), is designed to reduce incidences of MSDs. It includes risk elimination, substitution, use of engineering controls, administrative changes, training, use of protective equipment and assessment of individuals' physical capabilities.
The Construction Industry Employer Coalition, a coalition of five trade associations of U.S. construction interests, filed several unsuccessful appeals starting in 2006 untl their most recent appeal on May 5, 2008.
“National consensus standards, such as A10.40, reflect the insights of the final users and the opinions of professionals who work at all levels of public and private sectors in technology development, safety and health, manufacturing, training, financial analysis, personnel and academia,” said A10 Committee Chair Richard King.
“This balanced perspective enables standards to be crafted in a manner that benefits and protects standard users.”
The standard notes that construction workers and supervisors should be trained to recognize risk factors and ways to reduce the risk of MSDs through proper work techniques. Employee participation and injury management program also are discussed in the standard. In addition, A10.40 includes a risk assessment guide, a construction MSD problem checklist, a return-to-work checklist, a list of resources, key terms and definitions and a list of non-occupational risk factors associated with work-related MSDs such as age, strength and gender.
