ANSI shines a spotlight on Standards in action as they support safety, efficiency and well-being in interesting aspects of everyday life.
In an effort to communicate the vital role that standards play in daily life, the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) publishes snapshots of the diverse standards initiatives undertaken in the global and national standards arena, many of which are performed by ANSI members and ANSI-accredited standards developers. Two of the latest selections follow:
Passing by a construction or a demolition site, the first thing one might notice is how noisy it is. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC), approximately 51 percent of construction workers have been exposed to hazardous noise and 31 percent of those workers report not wearing hearing protection. Furthermore, approximately 14 percent of all construction workers have hearing difficulty. An American National Standard (ANS) on hearing loss prevention for those workers has been recently updated by the American Society of Safety Professionals (ASSP), an ANSI member and ANSI-accredited standards developer.
ANSI/ASSP A10.46-2020, Hearing Loss Prevention For Construction And Demolition Workers, applies to all construction and demolition workers with potential noise exposures (continuous, intermittent and impulse) of 85 dBA and above. The standard also provides probable noise levels of common construction tools and equipment such as air hammers, electric grinders, nail guns, and circular saws, which could help determine what noise levels could be at different areas of the job site and assist workers in determining appropriate measures to protect hearing.
Radon is a naturally-occurring radioactive gas. According to the CDC, radon is the leading cause of lung cancer behind smoking. As breathing radon over time increases the risk of lung cancer, minimizing exposure is important to consider when building a home. The American Association of Radon Scientists and Technologists (AARST), an ANSI member and accredited standards developer, has developed an ANS on controlling radon levels in new constructions of one- and two- family dwellings and townhouses.
ANSI/AARST CCAH-2020, Reducing Radon In New Construction Of One & Two Family Dwellings And Townhouses, regulates the design and construction of buildings to facilitate the removal of radon gas and provides minimum requirements for the rough-In of radon control system components in new dwelling units under construction. The standard also provides requirements for adoption by states and local jurisdictions.
