Ansi

ANSI stands for the American National Standards Institute. Founded in 1918, ANSI has grown to give its accreditation to more than 10,000 standards. Each standard is written and approved by a sub-committee comprised of volunteers interested in the subject matter of the standard. Once the volunteer consensus group approves the standard, it is presented for public review. Only after each comment from the public sector is addressed can the standard then be presented for final review and approval of an Executive Committee.

The American Standards Association, a predecessor to ANSI, gave the designation “A14” to the ladder committee in 1923 when the first safety standard for portable wooden ladders was approved. Since that time, advancements in technology led to ladders being constructed from other materials such as metal and reinforced synthetic fibers. Numerous different types and styles of ladders have evolved or been invented, performance tests for ladders have been developed, and on-product labeling has emerged.