ASC O1 Standards - Wood Industry Association

Accredited Standards Committee O1

WIA is an ANSI-Accredited Standards Developer. WIA serves as the Secretariat for the consensus body that develops standards for woodworking machinery, the Accredited Standards Committee O1 (ASC O1).

About ANSI

The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) is a private, non-profit organization that administers and coordinates the U.S. voluntary standards and conformity assessment system. Founded in 1918, the Institute works in close collaboration with stakeholders from industry and government to identify and develop standards- and conformance-based solutions to national and global priorities.

ANSI is not itself a standards developing organization. Rather, the Institute provides a framework for fair standards development and quality conformity assessment systems and continually works to safeguard their integrity.

American National Standards

An American National Standard (ANS) is a voluntary consensus standard that is developed in accordance with the ANSI Essential Requirements: Due process requirements for American National Standards and subject to ANSI’s neutral oversight and approval.

Only ANSI-Accredited Standards Developers (ASDs) can submit standards for approval as American National Standards. Not all standards are an ANSI standard.

ANSI-Accredited Standards Developers

An ANSI-Accredited Standards Developer is an organization that has voluntarily submitted its standards development procedures to ANSI for review and accreditation.

ANSI-Accredited Standards Developers’ (ASD) procedures must comply with ANSI’s Essential Requirements, including provisions for demonstrating openness, balance, lack of dominance, due process, and consensus.

Once accredited, an ASD agrees to comply with ANSI's oversight when submitting individual standards for approval as ANS.

American National Standards Approval Process

ANSI approves a document as an American National Standards (ANS) when the sponsoring ANSI-Accredited Standards Developer (ASD) successfully demonstrates that consensus has been achieved and that the standard's development complied with ANSI’s Essential Requirements and oversight process.

Demonstrating Consensus

Consensus Bodies (ANS Voting Groups)

Openness – open to all parties with material interest (cannot require membership)
Lack of Dominance – must not be dominated but any single interest category
Balance – must have participation from diverse interest categories
Consideration of Views and Objections – all must have opportunity to share views and objections and consensus body must consider and respond
Consensus Vote – evidence of consensus must be demonstrated

Accredited Standards Committee O1 (ASC O1)

The Accredited Standards Committee O1 (ASC O1) is the consensus body that works to develop standards for the safe design, installation and use of woodworking and accessory equipment, used in industrial and commercial applications, having a total connected power of 3.7kw (5hp) or greater, or having 3-phase wiring.

Consensus body members may or may not be members of the association. Many are not due to the need for representation from all interested parties, ie. Manufacturers, importers/distributors/retailers, end users, safety professionals, etc.

ASC O1 Roster

ASC O1 Procedures

Apply to join ASC O1