Where can I find ANSI standards?

ANSI standards can be found everywhere you look. As an organization that facilitates the creation of safety standards by accrediting Standard Developing Organizations (SDOs), they have been able to gather thousands of expertly advised guidelines from all kinds of companies, businesses, and government agencies. These SDOs are invested in creating a safer working environment for employees which is not only more productive, but also extremely efficient in creating quality materials for consumers.

To grasp how often these standards find their way into people’s daily lives, take a look at the natural gas and oil that people use in their homes and vehicles. The American Petroleum Institute (API) has ANSI accredited standards that focus on the development of petroleum manufacturing equipment and their operating standards. Even the toys that children receive have standards during the manufacturing and testing phases of which are deemed to be the best practice method to obtain a safe end product. As can be seen here, even though ANSI standards are voluntary, companies use these guidelines because they are a safety net for staying in compliance with mandatory regulations.

When Standard is Law

Occasionally an ANSI standard can be made into a mandatory regulation by OSHA through referencing the standard in OSHA’s own list of regulations. OSHA can also cite employers for not using best practices, of which ANSI falls under consistently since their guidelines have been proven to be the golden standard for safety related concerns. For these reasons, ANSI standards are always around since they are a good reference point for staying compliant with all sorts of safety regulations.

Where to actually find these standards is another question that must be answered. ANSI standards are available to anyone wanting to reference them on ANSI’s website catalogue. There are well over 10,000 of them for almost any situation.