I have participated in both U.S. and international codes and standards development for over 40 years and, although the process can be cumbersome, and, yes, a bit frustrating, I believe in the basic principles of consensus and due process which are the foundation of all valid standards and codes development processes.

The ASA Advocacy team has been busy over the last quarter representing ASA membership. In addition, through our partnership with HARDI, we also represented HARDI members in codes and standards activities.  The following provides updates on those activities.

There have been strong collaborative efforts by various industry associations, including ACCA, ASA, ASHRAE, HARDI, PHCC and others.

In October 2021, OSHA released preliminary data for the top 10 most-cited standards in fiscal year 2021. The data includes violations cited between Oct. 1, 2020, and Sept. 30, 2021. The preliminary data was presented at the 2021 NSC Safety Congress and Expo by Patrick Kapust, deputy director of the Directorate of Enforcement Programs at OSHA.

When Supply House Times reached out to me to ask if I would consider writing a quarterly column providing readers with updates on what is happening in the world of codes and standards I jumped at the chance. So beginning with this introductory column I will begin providing you with what I hope to be valuable information on codes and standards changes impacting your business.