Clarion Safety Systems’ CEO Selected To Serve on U.S. Committee to Write New International Standard to Improve Global Workplace Safety
Milford, PA (PRWEB) November 26, 2013 -- Clarion Safety Systems, a leading designer and manufacturer of safety signs and labels, announces that its CEO, Geoffrey Peckham, has been selected to a group of U.S. experts to support a new international occupational health and safety (OH&S) standard aimed at providing effective, real-world solutions to improve worker safety.
“This proposed occupational health and safety standard represents one of the most significant consensus standards activities in the last 50 years,” said S. Joe Bhatia, American National Standards Institute (ANSI) president and CEO, in a recent statement. “It has the potential to significantly and positively impact occupational health and safety management on a global level.”
Recent workplace tragedies – such as the April 2013 garment factory collapse in Bangladesh which killed more than 1,000 people – have emphasized the need to take steps to improve worker safety and health in countries throughout the world. Therefore, the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) took the action of developing a new global OH&S standard to provide governmental agencies, industries, and organizations with effective, usable guidance to make workplace environments safer. The finished standard will allow organizations to implement OH&S management systems that reflect the state-of-the-art best practices.
The standard’s development will be overseen by ISO Project Committee (PC) 283, Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems. The American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) will lead the development effort by serving as administrator of a U.S. Technical Advisory Group (TAG) to ISO PC 283. The TAG will advise ANSI, the U.S. member body to ISO, on voting positions and will lead discussions on the creation of the standard.
In September 2013, ANSI and ASSE assembled the U.S. TAG to ISO PC 283, a group of experts and stakeholders that will influence the development of the standard. Peckham is one of 75 members selected, a group chosen for their industry-leading safety expertise and for their national and international standards experience.
“It’s truly a privilege for me to serve as a member of this TAG, and to be part of this critically important effort to develop a standard that can be practically implemented to improve workplace safety around the world,” says Peckham. “This new standard will give organizations a framework to follow – with tried and proven processes and procedures – that are in line with today’s best practices. What does this ultimately mean? Reduced risk, improved worker safety and fewer accidents, injuries and fatalities.”
Peckham brings to the technical advisory group more than two decades of experience in actively advancing safety communications. He has led, and continues to lead, both the U.S. and international efforts to harmonize ANSI, ISO, OSHA and NFPA standards in the area of safety signage. In addition to this new role on ISO/PC 283, Peckham also serves as chair of the ANSI Z535 Committee for Safety Signs and Colors and chair of the U.S. TAG to ISO/TC 145 – Graphical Symbols (safety signs, colors and symbols).
ABOUT ISO
ISO (International Organization for Standardization) is the world’s largest developer and publisher of International Standards. ISO is a network of national standards bodies of 164 countries, with a Central Secretariat in Geneva, Switzerland.
ABOUT ANSI
The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) is a private non-profit organization whose mission is to enhance U.S. global competitiveness and the American quality of life by promoting, facilitating, and safeguarding the integrity of the voluntary standardization and conformity assessment system. Its membership is made up of businesses, professional societies and trade associations, standards developers, government agencies, and consumer and labor organizations. The Institute represents the interests of more than 125,000 companies and organizations and 3.5 million professionals worldwide. The Institute is the official U.S. representative to the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and, via the U.S. National Committee, the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), and is a U.S. representative to the International Accreditation Forum (IAF).
ABOUT ASSE
Founded in 1911, the Des Plaines, IL-based ASSE is the oldest professional safety society and is committed to protecting people, property and the environment. Its more than 34,000 occupational safety, health and environmental professional members lead, manage, supervise, research and consult on safety, health, transportation and environmental issues in all industries, government, labor, health care and education.
ABOUT CLARION SAFETY SYSTEMS
Clarion Safety Systems, LLC, is the leading designer and manufacturer of visual safety solutions that help customers in more than 180 industries worldwide to make their products and premises safer. Clarion offers a full range of standard and custom products including machinery safety labels, environmental and facility safety signs, pipe and valve identification markings, lockout/tagout products, and safety-grade photoluminescent egress path-marking escape systems. Founded in 1990, the company continues to play a leading role in the development and writing of international and national standards for safety signs, labels, and markings. Clarion is headquartered at 190 Old Milford Road in Milford, PA, 18337, and online at http://www.clarionsafety.com.
Erin Earley, Clarion Safety Systems, http://www.clarionsafety.com, +1 (800) 748-0241 Ext: 228, [email protected]
Share this article