The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and American National Standards Institute (ANSI) establish safety standards designed to protect workers from a wide range of hazards in commercial, industrial, and municipal facilities, including falls, collisions with moving objects, and machine-related injuries. These standards address both active and passive safety measures, from personal fall protection gear to permanent guardrails, safety gates, machine-guarding barriers, and retractable or portable barricades used during maintenance or facility layout changes.
Organizations benefit from having personnel who understand these regulations and can select compliant safety solutions that protect employees, visitors, and equipment. Learn more about OSHA and ANSI requirements and how our safety products support full-facility compliance.
What Are OSHA and ANSI?
OSHA establishes mandatory workplace safety requirements that apply to different categories of safety, including fall protection, machinery safety, and more. ANSI is a non-profit organization that develops best practices for various products and processes, including workplace safety. Adherence to ANSI safety standards is voluntary, though it’s often part of the requirements for some certifications.
As a government agency, OSHA can legally enforce its requirements by having compliance safety and health officers (CSHOs) make unannounced inspections. Noncompliance (especially repeated noncompliance) leads to hefty penalties and fines.
Due to the benefits of ANSI compliance and the need for OSHA compliance, safety product manufacturers create products and services that directly align with the relevant safety standards. These solutions help organizations make purchases that they can trust to adhere to safety protocols and reduce the risk of noncompliance penalties.
Safety Equipment Standards Explained
OSHA’s 29 CFR 1910 and 29 CFR 1926 standards define the requirements for machine guarding and fall protection, including proper signage, training, and reporting. Much of the guidance, however, specifies the minimum design and performance attributes of safety equipment. For example, OSHA defines the required heights for mid-rails and top rails on perimeter barriers, as well as the types of barricades needed for guarding different machines, the perimeter coverage they must provide, and the acceptable construction materials.
While ANSI compliance isn’t required, many OSHA requirements reference ANSI safety standards, and maintaining both standards provides better results for overall worker safety and organizational standing.
How North American Safety Products Helps You Stay Compliant
North American Safety Products (NASP) specializes in facility safety, starting with our flagship Versa-Guard® system—an OSHA-compliant, 25-pound expanding barricade designed to create safe, clearly defined barriers down aisles, around hazardous machinery, and throughout warehouse environments. Beyond Versa-Guard®, we offer a full range of OSHA- and ANSI-compliant safety solutions to help your facility meet regulatory requirements, including:
- Rear-Guard® expandable machine guarding
- LoadDox-Guard® for open-air loading docks to prevent fall injuries
- Restrict-Guard® modular wire mesh panels for equipment protection and inventory storage
- Safety vests and high-visibility solutions
All our OSHA safety equipment is customizable to meet the size and configuration needs of your facility.
Request a Compliance Consultation
The first step to complying with safety standards is identifying potential gaps in your facility and processes so you can provide targeted training and physical resources. Since 1995, North American Safety Products has provided facilities with Versa-Guard® and other retractable OSHA safety equipment guarding solutions. Talk to our safety experts to find out where our solutions can protect your staff and help your business maintain OSHA compliance.
