Two technicians are discussing the HVAC/R field. Technician A says that industry codes that require certain types of installation practices carry the force of law with them. Technician B says that ANSI is an organization that establishes codes for the HVAC/R field. Which one of the following statements is correct?
What are your choices?
Oops sorry - it's either Technician A or Technician B, or Neither or Both. Who is correct? Both of them? Or Neither? Or A or B?
I know Technician B is correct, but is Technician A also correct? Is there any "force of law" carried with these standards?
http://www.ansi.org/news_publications/other_documents/safeguarding.aspx?menuid=7
So what they are saying is that if the ANSI standard happens to be adopted by OSHA, THEN it has the "force of law". Is that what you are reading/interpreting?
And that would mean that both are correct...
But at this time, the standards haven't been adopted by OSHA, so they do not have the force of law now.
To determine which technician is correct, let's break down the statements and analyze them.
Statement 1: Technician A says that industry codes that require certain types of installation practices carry the force of law with them.
This statement suggests that industry codes have legal authority. To verify this, we need to understand the relationship between industry codes and the law. In most cases, industry codes and standards are not laws themselves, but they may be referenced or incorporated into laws and regulations as a requirement for compliance. Simply put, industry codes are often used as a guide to ensure safety and best practices in a specific field.
Statement 2: Technician B says that ANSI is an organization that establishes codes for the HVAC/R field.
ANSI, which stands for the American National Standards Institute, is indeed an organization that develops and maintains voluntary consensus standards for various industries, including the HVAC/R field. These standards are often referenced and used by organizations, manufacturers, and professionals as a basis for best practices and compliance.
Based on this analysis, Technician B's statement is correct. ANSI does establish codes (or standards) for the HVAC/R field. However, it's important to note that these codes are voluntary and not legally binding unless they are specifically adopted or referenced by a relevant jurisdiction or regulatory body.
In summary, Technician B's statement is correct. ANSI is an organization that establishes codes (or standards) for the HVAC/R field. However, Technician A's statement is incorrect as industry codes generally do not have the force of law unless they are specifically adopted or referenced by applicable laws or regulations.
Technician B.
http://www.ansi.org/about_ansi/overview/overview.aspx?menuid=1