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Scaffold Group Adds ‘Access’ to Name

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

The Scaffold Industry Association has changed its name, effective Oct. 1, to incorporate other access equipment.

The newly renamed Scaffold & Access Industry Association (SAIA) “exemplifies the association’s brand as the voice of the scaffold and access industry,” the association said in a statement.

Members overwhelmingly approved the name change in July, SAIA said.

SAIA

The Scaffold & Access Industry Association is the voice of the scaffold and access industry.

“It may take some time for the new name to become second nature, and the acronym SAIA may not roll off the tongue quite as easily as SIA, but give it time,” said association president Steve Smith. “It took many years for the original name to be recognized countrywide and around the globe.”

Training and Safety Focus

The nonprofit association represents all facets of the scaffold and access industry through various councils that include aerial work platform, construction hoist, fall protection equipment, international, industrial, mast climbing, plank and platform, supported scaffold and suspended scaffold.

Through its various programs, the SIA delivers safety training and promotes safety, training and a highly professional image of the scaffold and access professional. The group is also the secretariat for the American National Standard, SIA ASC A92 standards.

OSHA Alliance Renewed

The association has also announced the renewal of its Alliance with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

“The materials developed through our Alliance are valuable resources for training and educating workers on the hazards they can face in their jobs and how they can be prevented,” said Dr. David Michaels, OSHA Administrator.

“Four of the 10 most frequently cited OSHA construction standards involve scaffolding, so renewing this Alliance is a great opportunity to build on our work to better protect the men and women who work on scaffolds.”

Since the nationwide Alliance was first signed in 2008, OSHA and SIA have developed Transport Platforms and Mast Climbing Work Platforms safety materials relating to scaffold and fall hazards, as well as applicable American National Safety Institute (ANSI) consensus standards. Several of these products have been translated into Spanish and Portuguese.

Goals of the renewed Alliance include increasing awareness of OSHA’s rulemaking and enforcement initiatives, developing new effective training and education programs, and conducting outreach and communication activities on workers’ rights and employers’ responsibilities. The organizations will continue to emphasize scaffold safety, including issues related to mast climbing scaffolding, suspended scaffolding, and aerial lift equipment.