ISEA,Safety Organizations Ask OSHA to Update PPE Standards
On March 12, the International Safety Equipment Association (ISEA) and eight other safety organizations called on OSHA to update, on an expedited basis, its incorporated-by-reference references to the following national consensus standards:
• ANSI/ISEA Z87.1 – Eye and Face Protection (29 CFR 1910.133)
• ANSI/ISEA Z89.1 – Industrial Head Protection (29 CFR 1910.135)
• ANSI/ISEA Z308.1 – Workplace First Aid Kits (Appendix A [non-mandatory] to 29
CFR 1910.151).
The letter notes that some of OSHA’s current references include editions dating back to 1989 (Z87.1), 2009 (Z89.1), and 1998 (Z308.1), and since then, "standards have undergone
substantial improvements that enhance worker protection, clarify testing protocols, and
reflect modern materials and hazard environments."
The group noted that updating these incorporated references would:
• Improve the safety of over 100 million American workers
• Align OSHA regulations with widely adopted industry best practices
• Impose no additional regulatory burden
• Reflect technical updates already in use across the marketplace.
The groups supporting the petition include:
- American Association of Occupational Health Nurses (AAOHN)
- ABSA International: Association for Biosafety and Biosecurity
- American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA)
- American Society of Safety Professionals (ASSP)
- Board of Certified Safety Professionals (BCSP)
- Institute of Hazardous Materials Management (IHMM)
- National Safety Council (NSC)