| Texas America Safety Company Fall Protection Third Party Certification |
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| NATIONAL CONSENSUS STANDARDS: In the U. S. and Canada organizations exist that administer the development of voluntary consensus standards. In the United States, The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) administers these standards and in Canada the Canadian Standards Association (CSA) administers the standards. Voluntary consensus standards are written with a rigorous development and review process by industry experts, manufacturers, users, government regulators, and others knowledgeable in the specific fields. These standards represent the minimum acceptable requirements for industry products and practices. Two major series of standards are set forth for the fall protection industry: the ANSI Z359 series of standards for the U. S. and the CSA Z259 series of standards for Canada. Additionally, ANSI A10.14-1999. While compliance with these standards may not be a legal requirement in many areas, compliance does have legal relevance from the manufacturer to the user. This means that failure to comply could result in law suits in the event of an injury or death. Additionally, OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) in the United States sets standards for certain products either not covered in one of the ANSI standards or in addition to them. At Elk River, each product is labeled with the standard number(s) and year to which the products comply. Elk River uses multiple techniques to assure that all products sold by the company comply with the applicable standards. Utilized are internal engineering controls, extensive product testing both external and internal as well as the advice from specific industry experts. Additionally, the company uses “third party” certification on many products. “Third party” certification is defined as having submission of the product or products to an outside, independent entity for further testing and certification. Labels indicate whether the product is “compliant” or “certified” and by whom. When purchasing fall protection, one can be assured of Elk River's commitment to assuring that the products meet or exceed the applicable National Consensus Standards as well as any other government regulations. The company is able to supply test records, independent certifications, and product certifications as needed. QUALITY SYSTEM STANDARDS: Elk River ensures that each product complies with the National Consensus standards through ISO 9001:2000 compliant Quality Management System. ISO 9001:2000 is the standard developed to establish the best practices for Quality Management Systems. This standard is recognized worldwide as the ultimate of quality systems and is considered the “gold standard” in quality management systems. The 2000 version of ISO 9001 is considerably more extensive than previous versions which were product oriented; the 2000 version is much more customer and system oriented. The 2000 version covers every aspect of company interaction with customers resulting in a rigorous process but one that is extremely beneficial. The Elk River Quality Management System has been certified as being compliant by an external registration organization with a worldwide reputation. The certification copy of ISO 9001:2000 is available upon request from Elk River. The bottom line for all these standards and regulations is to ensure the safety of all workers.
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