ASSP Revised Its Construction and Demolition Safety Planning Standard
ASSP’s revised standard emphasizes the importance of pre-project and pre-task planning for worker protection.
- By Robert Yaniz Jr.
- Nov 14, 2024
To commemorate World Standards Week—the annual event held by the American National Standards Institute—the American Society of Safety Professionals (ASSP) announced an update to its construction and demolition safety planning standard.
According to a recent release, the revised ANSI/ASSP A10.1-2024—which seeks to strengthen safety protocols in some of the riskiest work environments—will emphasize the essential role of pre-project and pre-task safety planning in project management.
“The primary purpose of this standard is to assist construction owners, project constructors and contractors in making pre-project and pre-task safety and health planning a typical part of their overall planning process,” subcommittee Chair Wesley Wheeler of the National Electrical Contractors Association said in a statement. “There must be a formal process in place to evaluate the safety and health performance of constructor candidates.”
The updated standard requires potential contractors to submit details on safety personnel, training hours, substance abuse programs and PPE. It also advises using leading indicators to monitor and improve safety performance. By making worker safety a core organizational value, ASSP believes companies can reduce the economic and reputational risks, including medical care, equipment repair, liability and lost productivity.
Voluntary consensus standards, like those developed by ASSP, often provide essential guidance beyond existing federal safety regulations, which can be slow to update. In the last fiscal year, ASSP created, reaffirmed or revised 15 standards, technical reports and guidance documents, which collectively engaged 1,400 safety experts, the group said.
“We are a leader in the development of workplace consensus standards that reduce injuries, illnesses and fatalities,” ASSP President Pam Walaski said in a statement. “We form credible groups that have the collective technical expertise to ensure our standards reflect the latest industry advancements and best safety practices.”
About the Author
Robert Yaniz Jr. is the Content Editor of Occupational Health & Safety.