The American National Standards Institute Certificate Accreditation Program (ANSI-CAP) has awarded the first accreditation for a national Walkway Auditor Certificate Program to Texas-based National Floor Safety Institute (NFSI).

NFSI, founded in 1997 as a nonprofit education and research organization, will become the nation’s sole Accredited Program Certificate Issuer for individuals qualifying as Walkway Auditor Certificate Holders (WACH).

“The NFSI has been training walkway auditors since 2006,” Russell Kendzior, chairman, and founder of the NFSI, said. “ANSI accreditation reflects both the success of our program as well as our ongoing commitment to preventing slips, trips and falls by establishing rigorous walkway safety training standards and procedures.” To become a WACH attendees must complete an intensive four-day training course and pass both a written exam and mock audit.

“Our content-centered WACH course prepares candidates to produce an actionable walkway audit for business and property owners that will assist them in complying with both the current and upcoming standards, rules, and regulations, as well as ensuring that they are employing the best practices to protect both their employees and customers from the risk of a slips, trips, and falls. Graduates of the program will advance both their skills and knowledge and will bring a new level of professionalism to the safety industry.”

“ANSI is delighted to have the National Floor Safety Institute as an ANSI Accredited Certificate Issuer under ANSI/ASTM E2659-09 and looks forward to a successful continued partnership,” Dr. M. Turan Ayvaz, Senior Program Manager ANSI-CAP, said.

In November 2014, the Obama Administration announced its intention to finalize those regulations as part of the administration’s Unified Agenda. Under a proposed Labor Department/OSHA rule regarding Walking Working Surfaces and Personal Fall Protection Systems (RIN 1218-AB80) will require business owners throughout the U.S. employ a Qualified Person to inspect and remediate substandard walking surfaces including floors, ramps, stairs, scaffolding, and fixed and portable ladders.

In addition to its WACH course conducted at NFSI’s Southlake Texas training and research center, beginning in January 2015 the institute will host a wide range of general-information classes in other parts of the U.S. to help various professionals understand both the new and proposed floor-safety standards. Those interested in continuing-education credits may include insurers, architects, risk managers, and attorneys. The NFSI is also developing a national training network to meet growing demand for improved walkway safety.

In 2006, the NFSI became an ANSI Standards Developing Organization and established the ANSI B101 committee on slip, trip and fall prevention. The committee has published five ANSI B101 walkway safety standards and is developing five additional standards, which will be released in the near future.

Background
The National Floor Safety Institute, a 501(c)(3) organization headquartered in Southlake, Texas, was founded in 1997 to aid in the prevention of slips, trips, and falls through research, education, and standards development. NFSI’s 15-member board represents product manufacturers, insurance underwriters, trade associations, medical and legal professions and independent consultants.

ANSI’s mission is to enhance the global competitiveness of U.S. business and the American quality of life by promoting, facilitating, and ensuring the integrity of voluntary consensus standards and the related conformity assessment systems.

For more information as how to become a WACH, as well as other NFSI training programs, please visit www.nfsi.org/training.