Workplace Safety Standards

Welding Safety Standards

Welding Safety Standards address the full spectrum of safety considerations within the welding industry, covering everything from generally applicable guidelines to requirements specific to a single piece of equipment used for a single welding procedure. With welding's potential effects on health and safety, and given the large amounts of energy necessarily involved in welding, welding safety standards are vital in their role of protecting the safety of those involved, as well as safeguarding property and assuring the reliability of welding designs and consistency of manufacturing output.

Protective Clothing Standards

Protective clothing for industry has numerous standards. This listing includes those standards applicable to chemical protective clothing and hot work, protection from cuts, and molten metal as well as other types of hazards. They provide guidance for selection, use, proper care, and maintenance. There are so many standards for protective clothing, they can't all be listed here. Specialized standards for protective clothing in agriculture, violent situations, medical use, and standards for protective clothing manufacturers are not listed here.

Explosive Atmosphere Standards

Explosive atmosphere standards deal with the design, use, and selection of equipment to be used in environments with the potential for or certainty of an explosive atmosphere. Electrical and non-electrical equipment are addressed separately, given the significant difference in techniques applied to handling the two, and special attention is paid to mining because of the especially notable combination of a dangerous atmosphere and dangerous work in one industry.

Laboratory Safety Standards

Laboratory Safety Standards are in use in clinical and chemical labs, testing labs, and research and development labs in both industrial and educational facilities. Lab safety standards pertain to protective clothing and equipment such as lasers, as well as procedures and lab designs that promote safety. Many publishers such as ISO, ISEA, IEC, LIA, ASSP, and others have standards available on many topics in protective clothing, equipment safety, laboratory testing and management, hand and eye protection, laser safety, and laboratory design and procedures. Many laboratory safety standards can be purchased as a package bundle, or individually as instantly delivered PDF files.

Construction Safety Standards

Construction safety standards is a rather broad term, since much of what contributes to safety in this setting is handled by separate technical committees, each responsible for their respective industries or equipment. The standards included here are a representative selection of safety standards commonly used in construction and demolition.

Demolition Safety Standards

Demolition safety standards are published by the American Society of Safety Engineers and ISO. A popular standard here is ANSI/ASSP A10.48, Criteria for Safety Practices with the Construction, Demolition, Modification and Maintenance of Communication Structures, which also includes important practices for construction, not just demolition. Also listed is the ISO 20474 series on earth-moving machinery, which outlines proper guidelines for heavy equipment such as bulldozers and trucks.

Chemical Safety Standards

Safety standards for chemical production facilities, refineries, petroleum, and related industries are grouped below as an overview of standards commonly used in chemical plants, oil platforms, refineries, and other chemical production and processing sites. Health and safety professionals working in these industries as well as those workers and managers responsible for operations, facility management, testing, and production or R&D as well those providing goods or services to these industries should familiarize themselves with these standards and be operating in accordance with them.

Confined Spaces Safety Standards

Confined Spaces Safety Standards address the health and safety of individuals in confined spaces. This includes the overall management and minimization of time spent within confined spaces, as well as the recommended preparation, training, equipment, and procedures for the various environments present therein.

ANSI Safety Standards

Ladder safety standards, fall protection, construction safety, clothing & equipment, workplace surfaces, and occupational health and safety are categorized below. The listing here contains selected safety standards from the American Ladder Institute (ALI); American Society of Safety Professionals (ASSP); International Organization of Standardization (ISO); and the International Safety Equipment Association (ISEA).

These standards represent guidelines compliant with safety regulations in a variety of different settings, most notably safety standards on construction sites in regards to precautions such as hearing protection and protective clothing. However, many of the same standards can be applied to laboratory settings and specifications for building a safe work environment that prevents injury long after construction is complete. Many of the standards listed can be purchased as a PDF that is instantly accessible, or as part of a package of multiple standards that can be applied to your specific sector or industry. Learn more about ANSI’s role in construction safety to prepare your workers.

Workplace Lighting Standards

Workplace Lighting Standards address a plethora of concerns associated with the principles of design, placement, installation, energy requirements, and upgrades to light fixtures in various workplaces. Proper illumination is essential for the optimization of both comfort and productivity in the workplace; workplace lighting dictates quality of perception, mood, and performance of employees.

Noise Safety Standards

Noise Safety Standards address the many factors involved in preventing injury or discomfort resulting from the effects of sound. Whether by designing devices in such a way as to reduce noise output, manipulating that noise before it reaches people, or through the use of personal protective equipment such as earmuffs, noise safety takes many forms, each tailored to meet the specific types of noise present in an environment.

Workplace Safety Standards

Workplace safety standards listed below represent a selection of programs, equipment, procedures and reports that would commonly apply across many occupations. The grouping is not oriented especially to the manufacture or testing of products used to protect workers. Instead these standards apply to the worker and the employer making responsible decisions for their own safety and that of their coworkers.

Safety and Compliance Standards

Safety and Compliance standards address the many factors involved in the management of equipment and workplace safety in industrial plants, as well as meeting industry-wide compliance requirements and standards. Safety and Compliance Standards provide the basis of meeting said requirements through the regulation of the installation and maintenance of machinery; procedures for inspecting and testing equipment and products; requirements for plant facilities and work environments; and measurements to assure workplace safety.

Safety Signs and Labels

Safety Signs and Labels Standards delineate the proper design, classification, and implementation of safety signs and safety labels. The cross-industrial standardization of safety signs and labels is integral to the reduction of risks to health and safety. Safety signs and labels standards are a key part of ongoing efforts to promote safe practices throughout an exceptionally wide range of specific situations.

Machine Risk Assessment Standards

Machine Risk Assessment and Safeguarding Standards provide basic guidelines for the assessment and reduction of machine-related risk in the workplace. Safeguarding principles outline methods for optimal risk prevention through the recommendation of specific design safety practices and machine ergonomics standards.