Fourteenth Annual Report on Federal Agency Use of Voluntary 

Consensus Standards and Conformity Assessment 

Mary F. Donaldson and Nathalie Rioux

Standards Services Group

Standards Coordination Office

Laboratory Programs

NISTIR 7789
NISTIR 7789

Fourteenth Annual Report on Federal Agency Use of Voluntary 

Consensus Standards and Conformity Assessment

Mary F. Donaldson and Nathalie Rioux

Standards Services Group

Standards Coordination Office

Laboratory Programs

June 2011

U.S. Department of Commerce

Gary Locke, Secretary

National Institute of Standards and Technology

Patrick D. Gallagher, Director
i

Table of Contents

Table of Contents............................................................................................................................. i

1.0 Executive Summary.................................................................................................................. 1

2.0 Overview and Scope ................................................................................................................. 2

3.0 Federal Agency Use of Standards............................................................................................. 3

3.1 Government-Unique Standards Used in Lieu of Voluntary Consensus Standards .............. 3

3.2 New Uses of Voluntary Consensus Standards (VCSs) by Federal Agencies....................... 4

3.3 Current Agency Reporting on Voluntary Consensus Standards Substituted for 

 Government-Unique Standards............................................................................................. 4

4.0 Federal Participation in Private-Sector Standards Activities.................................................... 4

4.1 Participation Data for FY 2010............................................................................................. 5

5.0 Federal Agency Conformity Assessment Activities................................................................. 6

6.0 Evaluation of the Effectiveness of OMB Circular A-119......................................................... 7

7.0 The Interagency Committee on Standards Policy (ICSP)......................................................... 8

8.0 Success Stories: Examples from Federal Agencies................................................................. 8

9.0 Summary and Conclusions ....................................................................................................... 9

Appendix A: FY 2010 List of Reporting Federal Agencies........................................................ 11

Appendix B: FY 2010 Federal Agency Information on Participation/Adoption of 

 Voluntary Standards Activities Required by OMB Circular A-119....................... 12

Appendix C: FY 2010 New Government Unique Standards Used in Lieu of Voluntary 

 Consensus Standards............................................................................................... 13
1

Summary Report on Federal Agency Use of Private-Sector Standards and 

Conformity Assessment Activities for Fiscal Year 2010

1.0 Executive Summary

The U.S. Department of Commerce presents this summary report for the Office of Management 

and Budget (OMB) in compliance with OMB Circular A-119 and Public Law 104-113, the

National Technology Transfer and Advancement Act (NTTAA). As required by Section 9 of the 

Circular, this report, prepared by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), 

describes activities related to the use of voluntary consensus standards (VCSs) by 25 Federal 

agencies during Fiscal Year (FY) 2010. 

In keeping with the requirements of the NTTAA, Federal agencies continue to look to VCSs in 

support of their regulatory and procurement activities. NIST, through its Standards Incorporated

by Reference database, independently tracks government use of private-sector standards. As of 

the date of this report, NIST has identified over 9,360 citations of standards incorporated by 

reference in regulatory documents – more than 80 percent of these were developed by the private 

sector. Available online at http://standards.gov/sibr/query/index.cfm, this interactive database 

illustrates the extensive use of voluntary standards throughout the U.S. Government. 

For FY 2010, three agencies each reported issuing a government unique standard (GUS) in lieu 

of VCSs raising the total to 48 currently reported GUSs. The agencies required these GUSs

either for a unique purpose, to provide cost savings and greater protection, or to simplify 

compliance. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service created a standard for 

fire suppressant foam for wildland firefighting in cooperation with the Department of Interior 

(DOI), the State of California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, and the Canadian 

Interagency Forest Fire Center. The Forest Service’s GUS for foam products is used specifically 

by wildland fire equipment and for unique situations such as use of helicopters to deploy foams, 

remote storage conditions and varying water quality in wildland settings, all of which were not 

addressed adequately by the existing National Fire Protection Association’s VCS. The 

Department of Labor developed a single standard in lieu of sixteen VCSs for cranes and derricks 

in construction to cover all varieties of cranes and derricks and their applications. The 

Department of Transportation developed an ‘ejection mitigation’ standard related to vehicle 

airbag deployment in lieu of referencing standards maintained by two private sector standards 

developers that deal with mitigation of external vehicle impacts. This GUS provided for 

additional safety to passengers and reduced costs for producers over the existing VCSs.

In FY 2010, Federal agencies reported 231 new uses of VCSs. Both the continued adoption of

significant numbers of VCSs along with the careful consideration and low rate of development of 

new GUSs in lieu of VCSs demonstrate the NTTAA’s success in encouraging agencies to look 
2

first to voluntary consensus standards to meet their regulatory, procurement, and conformity 

assessment needs.

Agencies reported 2,837 personnel participating in a total of 518 standards-developing 

organizations during FY 2010. This high level of Federal engagement reflects a sustained 

commitment of the U.S. government to the activities of the private sector led VCS system.

Individual agency reports for FY 2010 reflect the benefits of this engagement, demonstrating that 

a strong Federal investment in voluntary standards development helps to provide a sound 

technical basis for standards, speeds the standards development process, and enables the 

adoption of VCSs to support agency missions. Furthermore, Federal use of VCSs yields 

economic and social benefits to numerous stakeholders including Federal agencies, the Nation’s 

businesses, and the public through reduced injuries and deaths, increased transactional 

efficiencies, reduced administrative burdens, and lower costs of products and services. 

In their FY 2010 reports, agencies provided several examples of benefits realized from the 

adoption of and participation in the development of VCSs. For example, the Department of 

Homeland Security (DHS) reports achieving greater marketplace competition, lower cost, 

improved features and a larger vendor selection through their collaboration on the development 

of the ANSI/NIST-ITL 2-2008 standard for iris capture cameras. In another example, DHS’s 

Office for Interoperability and Compatibility (OIC) adopted the Emergency Data Exchange 

Language - Hospital AVailability Exchange (EDXL-HAVE) messaging standard developed by 

the Organization for the Advancement of Structured Information Standards (OASIS) to enable 

the exchange of hospital status, capacity, and resource availability/usage information among 

medical and health organizations and emergency information systems. Deployed in Haiti for 

earthquake relief, the standard’s flexibility and adaptability enabled effective sharing of lifesaving information. As a preliminary example of the value of electronic health records (EHR) 

technology, the Indian Health Service (IHS) of the Department of Health and Human Services 

(HHS) reported near real time surveillance of H1N1 flu in their populations and effective routing 

of scarce vaccines using their Resource and Patient Management System (RPMS). IHS uses 

Health Level 7 (HL7) standards for interoperability between RPMS and external systems. 

Section 8.0 contains further details on these examples.

2.0 Overview and Scope

NIST formulated this report based on input submitted by 25 Federal agencies in fulfillment of 

the requirements of OMB Circular A-119 and the reporting requirements of Section 12 (d) (3) of 

the NTTAA. The report describes Federal agency activities related to the use of private-sector 

standards in regulation, procurement, and conformity assessment during FY 2010. A list of 

reporting agencies is in Appendix A.
3

3.0 Federal Agency Use of Standards

The OMB Circular requires that Federal agencies use voluntary consensus standards in lieu of 

government-unique standards in their regulatory and procurement activities. However, a Federal 

agency is given discretion in deciding whether to use existing voluntary consensus standards if 

the agency determines that the use of such standards would either be inconsistent with applicable 

laws or otherwise impractical. The Circular also directs agencies to establish a process for 

continuously reviewing their use of standards for purposes of updating such use, including 

substitution of private-sector standards for government-unique standards wherever possible. 

3.1 Government-Unique Standards Used in Lieu of Voluntary Consensus 

Standards

The OMB Circular requires that agencies report their use of standards on either a “categorical” 

or a “transactional” basis. Those agencies that report on a categorical basis are not required to 

list each instance that a government-unique standard is used in lieu of a private-sector standard in 

procurement actions. However, such agencies are required to have a system in place to ensure 

that government-unique standards are developed only when suitable private-sector standards are 

not available for use. At present, only the Department of Defense (DoD) and the National 

Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) report on a categorical basis. In situations where 

private-sector standards do not exist, agencies are not required to report on their use of GUSs.

Table 3.1 Government-unique Standards Used in Lieu of Private Sector Standards Statistics

Agency 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

USDA 1 1 1 1 1 1

HHS 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 2 2 4 4 1 1 1

HUD 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2

DOL 1 2 4 5 5 6 8 8 9 10

DOT 1 2 2 2 2 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 4

EPA 3 28 29 40 45 50 50 50 50 23 23 23 23

GSA 3 2 2 3 2 2 3 3 3 3 3

NARA 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1

CPSC 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2

GPO 4 4 4 4 4 

ACCESS 1 1 1 1 1

New Uses 4 4 25 12 12 7 9 1 1 5 2 1 3

Discontinued 1 2 4 27 3 1

Total In Use 4 8 33 45 56 63 72 71 68 73 48 45 46 48

Table 3.1 illustrates the cumulative number of GUSs (total by year and agency) used in lieu of private sector 

standards since FY 1997, as well as the number of GUSs introduced and discontinued in each fiscal year. 

During FY 2010, three Federal agencies found it necessary to develop their own standard instead 

of using private sector standards. Appendix C lists each agency, their new GUS, and their 
4

rationale for why use of the relevant VCS was impractical. For a complete listing of the 

government-unique standards used in lieu of voluntary consensus standards and justifications 

from FY 1997 through FY 2010, visit http://standards.gov/NTTAA/agency/index.cfm. 

3.2 New Uses of Voluntary Consensus Standards (VCSs) by Federal Agencies

For FY 2010, Federal agencies reported the adoption of 231 new VCSs. Three agencies—DoD, 

DHS, and USDA—accounted for nearly 60 percent of the reported new uses.

3.3 Current Agency Reporting on Voluntary Consensus Standards Substituted 

for Government-Unique Standards

Federal agencies also report annually on the number of VCSs that they have substituted for 

GUSs during the year. Figure 3.3 illustrates the substitutions for each year since FY 1998. In 

FY 2010, Federal agencies reported substituting 192 VCSs for GUSs.1 All of these substitutions 

were within DoD. 

309

547 536

105 91

185

104

243

132

68

489

112

192

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

Figure 3.3 — Number of Voluntary Consensus Standards Substituted for GovernmentUnique Standards

4.0 Federal Participation in Private-Sector Standards Activities

OMB Circular A-119 states that Federal agencies “must consult with voluntary consensus 

standards bodies, both domestic and international, and must participate with such bodies in the 

development of voluntary consensus standards when consultation and participation is in the 

public interest and is compatible with their missions, authorities, priorities, and budget 

resources.” The Circular goes on to declare that “agency support provided to a voluntary 

 1 GUSs being substituted include the universe of GUSs, i.e., those in use prior to the implementation of NTTAA 

reporting, those that are not “in lieu of VCSs”, and those that are in lieu of VCSs. Since NIST began collecting data, 

there have been 3,263 reported substitutions of VCSs for GUSs across agencies. While we do not know the entire 

universe of GUSs, we know from published sources that DoD—the largest user of such standards— lists over 

21,000 GUSs, counting military, Federal, and NATO specifications, and more than 8,600 private-sector standards. 

DoD adopted 7,400 private-sector standards before 1997.
5

consensus standards activity must be limited to that which clearly furthers agency and 

departmental missions, authorities, priorities, and is consistent with budget resources.” 

4.1 Participation Data for FY 2010

In FY 2010, agencies reported participation in 517 private-sector standards bodies compared to 

528 in FY 2009 (see Figure 4.1a). The list of organizations includes VCS developers accredited 

by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), other (non-ANSI-accredited) standards 

developers, industry and trade associations, international standards organizations, and consortia.

154

357

473 490

421 413

497 534 528 517

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

Figure 4.1a — Number of Private-Sector Standards Bodies with 

Federal Agency Participation

Federal agencies are also required by OMB to report the number of their employees who 

participate in private-sector standards body activities. This number includes not only those who 

serve on technical standards development committees, subcommittees, or workgroups, but also 

those who participate in management activities, annual meetings, or seminars. 

In FY 2010, Federal agencies reported that 2,837 employees participated in private-sector 

standards body activities. While a decrease from the previous year, participation continues to 

remain above the annual average of 2,789 for reporting agencies. HHS has the largest number of 

staff participating in VCS standards body activities (922) followed by the Department of Energy 

(488). Figure 4.1b illustrates total Federal employee participation in private-sector standards 

body activities since FY 1998. Data detailing FY 2010 participation for each agency is provided 

in Appendix B. A complete listing of the standards-developing organizations in which Federal 

agencies participated can be viewed in the extended appendices to this report, located at 

http://standards.gov/NTTAA/agency/index.cfm. 
6

3298

2663 2723 2723

3229

3568

3208

3954

4075

2615

2243 2277 2183

2768

3118

2772 2848 2969

3374

2935

3316

2837

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

3000

3500

4000

4500

1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

Number of Employees

Fiscal Year

Figure 4.1b — Federal Employee Participation in Private-Sector 

Standards Body Activities* 

* The upper series includes DoD data; 2006 is the last year that DOD reported staff participation in standards body 

activities. The lower series excludes these data.

5.0 Federal Agency Conformity Assessment Activities

The NTTAA requires NIST to coordinate Federal, State, and local government standards and 

conformity assessment activities with those of the private sector, with the goal of eliminating 

unnecessary duplication and complexity in the development and promulgation of conformity 

assessment requirements and measures. Federal conformity assessment activities are a means of 

providing assurance that the products and services regulated or procured by Federal agencies 

have the required characteristics and/or perform in a specified manner. Agency conformity 

assessment procedures may include sampling and testing; inspection; accreditation; certification; 

licensing; product listing; the submission to an agency of manufacturing, operational, and related 

data for review; manufacturer self-declaration of conformity to agency requirements; mandatory 

labeling and advertising requirements; establishment of national requirements which are then 

adopted/enforced at the State and local government levels; issuance of regulatory guidelines; premarketing approval requirements; post-marketing monitoring requirements; and conducting 

environmental impact assessments. NIST publishes directories and reports on conformity 

assessment-related issues and maintains a website (http://gsi.nist.gov/global/index.cfm/L1-5/L2-

45) that provides conformity assessment information.
7

Numerous Federal agencies engage in conformity assessment activities and many use NIST’s 

support2 to help design and implement appropriate and effective conformity assessment 

programs. Some of the programs NIST supported during FY 2010 include: 

Health IT - The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) 

developed, in consultation with NIST, a temporary certification program for health information 

technology (health IT). The program provides a way for organizations to become authorized by 

the National Coordinator to test and certify electronic health record (EHR) technology. Use of 

certified EHR technology is a core requirement for health care providers to become “meaningful 

users” and eligible for payment under Medicare and Medicaid EHR incentive programs.

Body Armor Program - In cooperation with the Department of Justice’s National Institute of 

Justice (NIJ) and the National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center, NIST 

developed and implemented a significant enhancement to the current body armor certification 

program including a revised NIJ performance standard for the safety of law enforcement officers. 

Under the NIJ Body Armor Compliance Testing Program, 119 distinct body armor models have 

been listed on the NIJ Body Armor Compliant Products List. 

Toy Safety - Through the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act, the Consumer Product 

Safety Commission (CPSC), NIST and the private sector continue to develop model certification 

programs to address toy safety issues. CPSC successfully implemented their program utilizing 

existing conformity assessment schemes. Now over 329 laboratories are listed from 34 

countries, accredited by 43 different accreditation bodies. 

Smart Grid - Under the Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA) of 2007, NIST is 

developing a plan, in consultation with industry, government, and other stakeholders, for a 

testing and certification framework for Smart Grid related devices, systems, and processes. The 

framework will enable interoperability and security under realistic operating conditions. 

Additional information about Smart Grid activities can be found at 

http://www.nist.gov/smartgrid.

6.0 Evaluation of the Effectiveness of OMB Circular A-119

During FY 2010, the majority of reporting agencies either had no comment on the effectiveness 

of OMB Circular A-119 or indicated that they found the Circular effective in helping them 

manage their standards development programs. Presented below are individual agency 

comments and recommended changes to the Circular.3

 2

 Under the NTTAA, NIST is responsible for coordinating conformity assessment activities of federal, state and 

local governments with those of the private sector

3 It is within OMB’s purview to consider and respond to these comments as appropriate.
8

Department of Homeland Security (DHS) - DHS organizations suggested that OMB use 

examples to illustrate points in the Circular, and ask for more guidance on when the use of GUSs

is preferred over VCSs. 

Department of Interior (DOI) – Organizations within the DOI suggested improvements including 

a request for NIST and/or OMB to identify high priority VCS and non-consensus standards for 

implementation by Federal agencies, especially standards that pertain to E-Gov initiatives and IT 

security requirements. Additionally, assistance was requested in interpreting the Circular on 

such issues as a perceived preference of international VCSs over national standards.

Department of Transportation (DOT) – DOT recommended that OMB Circular A-119 be revised 

to require NTTAA reporting only on instances of GUSs being used in lieu of VCSs, with the 

default position being that agencies are using VCSs for regulatory work as much as possible. 

The Circular should continue the policy cited in sections 6g and 9a of not requiring reports on 

GUSs developed where a VCS is unavailable. 

Department of Agriculture (USDA) – The USDA recommended examining the effectiveness of 

the annual reporting methodologies. Specifically, the USDA would like to know who is using 

the information generated by individual agencies and whether it is useful and user friendly. It 

suggested providing a method to obtain user feedback and suggestions for changes to the report.

The full text of agency comments may be found in the Addendum to the Fourteenth Annual 

Report on Federal Agency Use of Voluntary Consensus Standards and Conformity Assessment, 

soon to be available online at http://standards.gov/NTTAA/agency/index.cfm.

7.0 The Interagency Committee on Standards Policy (ICSP)

During FY 2010, 58 individuals served on the ICSP, including agency Standards Executives, 

their alternates, NIST support staff, and a representative from OMB. The ICSP met three times 

in FY 2010. Two were joint meetings with the American National Standards Institute’s 

Government Member Forum. Information concerning the ICSP, including membership, charter, 

and meeting minutes, may be found online at http://standards.gov/icsp/query/index.cfm.

8.0 Success Stories: Examples from Federal Agencies

Agencies and stakeholders throughout the Federal Government find substantial resource savings 

by leveraging the private-sector standards development process for government uses. 

Additionally, benefits flow to the private sector through Federal involvement and support of the 

VCS development process. As reported in FY 2010, agencies and affected constituents continue 

to realize significant benefits from Federal participation in the development and adoption of 

VCSs to support agency missions. Examples of successes include:
9

DHS through the US-VISIT program has been active in the development of biometric standards 

and the ANSI/NIST-ITL standard for iris capture cameras. In 2008, when the ANSI/NIST-ITL 

2-2008 standard was first introduced, there were only five vendors of iris capture cameras. As a 

direct result of the new standard the number of vendors grew to 27 by 2010. This resulted in 

increased competition, giving rise to a larger selection of products with more features at a lower 

price. For example, hand-held iris capture cameras fell from approximately $12,000 to the 

$2,000 range and several camera vendors added a full-face image capture capacity to their 

product without a significant cost impact. 

DHS’s OIC adopted the EDXL-HAVE messaging standard which enables the exchange of 

hospital status, capacity, and resource availability/usage information among medical and health 

organizations and emergency information systems. Developed by OASIS, the standard was 

approved in 2009 as an OASIS Standard. EDXL-HAVE allows dispatchers and emergency 

managers to make sound logistical decisions, such as where to route victims, based on up-to-date 

information about nearby hospitals’ availability and services. Emergency Operations Centers 

(EOCs), 9-1-1 centers, Emergency Medical Services agencies, and HHS use EDXL-HAVE to 

improve response to both day-to-day and major incidents. In 2010, earthquake relief personnel 

used EDXL-HAVE in Haiti to access data on hospital and health facility location, operating 

status, medical services, and capacity. Specifically, EDXL-HAVE’s Extensible Mark-up 

Language (XML) schema allowed the data to be accessible by multiple devices including 

cellular phones, personal digital assistants and laptops. OIC conducted a case study of EDXLHAVE’s use in Haiti and determined the standard’s flexibility and adaptability was well-suited

to support the lack of infrastructure in Haiti, and was effective in sharing life-saving information.

The HHS’s IHS provides health care to a service population of 1.9 million American Indians and 

Alaska Natives who reside in 35 states. IHS uses an EHR system based on interoperability 

standards developed by HL7. For FY 2010, the IHS reported that 247 facilities across the 

country used the RPMS electronic health record suite. In addition, RPMS is also used by the 

Community Health Network of West Virginia, which has RPMS EHR running at about 45 

ambulatory clinics throughout the state. As early proof of the effectiveness of EHRs for public 

health surveillance, the IHS in collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 

(CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), created a new public health reporting tool 

which used de-identified information from EHRs to provide near real-time surveillance of the 

H1N1 flu in American Indian/Alaska Native populations. The new system helped direct the 

distribution of limited supplies of H1N1 vaccine.

9.0 Summary and Conclusions

As of FY 2010, 14 years since the start of the NTTAA reporting requirement, Federal agencies 

report using only 48 government-unique standards in lieu of voluntary consensus standards. This 

small inventory reflects a real and continuing reliance on voluntary consensus standards. The 

NTTAA has successfully encouraged agencies to look first to VCSs and to engage with the 
10

private sector standards system for solutions to government needs, rather than to develop GUSs 

unnecessarily.

Guided by the NTTAA and OMB A-119, NIST continues to assist Federal agencies and their 

stakeholders with standards and conformity assessment information, program support, guidance 

and policy concerns. NIST hosts the online portal http://standards.gov, which provides 

information related to Federal use of voluntary consensus standards and Federal engagement in 

the standards development process. Standards.gov offers background, materials, useful links, 

and search tools for locating information about the use of standards in government, including the 

searchable Standards Incorporated by Reference database. The website enables NIST to provide 

ongoing practical guidance, tools, and information needed by agencies to implement the NTTAA 

successfully as well as an electronic means to report standards activities as required by the 

NTTAA and OMB Circular A-119. In addition, NIST is working with agency standards 

executives and OMB to integrate standards participation and use more directly into the missions, 

decision-making processes, operating procedures, and strategic goals of Federal agencies. This 

report fulfills the annual reporting requirements of both the NTTAA and OMB Circular.
11

Appendix A: FY 2010 List of Reporting Federal Agencies

Agency Acronym

Department of Agriculture USDA

Department of Commerce DOC

Department of Defense DoD

Department of Energy DOE

Department of Education ED

Department of Health and Human Services HHS

Department of Homeland Security DHS

Department of Housing and Urban Development HUD

Department of the Interior DOI

Department of Justice DOJ

Department of Labor DOL

Department of State DOS

Department of Transportation DOT

Department of the Treasury TRES

Environmental Protection Agency EPA

General Services Administration GSA

National Archives and Records Administration NARA

National Aeronautics and Space Administration NASA

Consumer Product Safety Commission CPSC

Federal Communications Commission FCC

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission FERC

Federal Trade Commission FTC

Nuclear Regulatory Commission NRC

Government Printing Office GPO

Access Board ACCESS
12

Appendix B: FY 2010 Federal Agency Information on 

Participation/Adoption of Voluntary Standards Activities Required 

by OMB Circular A-119

Agency Government 

unique 

standards 

used in lieu of 

VCSs

VCSs

substituted 

for 

government 

unique 

standards 

New 

VCSs

used this 

year 

Employee 

participation 

in VCS 

bodies 

VCS bodies 

with agency 

participation 

USDA 1 0 22 127 47

DOC 0 0 0 399 103

DoD * 192 53 *** 122

DOE 0 0 9 488 91

ED 0 0 0 24 4

HHS 1 0 63 922 197

DHS 0 0 13 128 42

HUD 2 0 0 9 5

DOI 0 0 2 166 84

DOJ 0 0 0 1 0

DOL 10 0 12 59 21

DOS 0 0 0 9 1

DOT 4 0 8 141 50

TRES 0 0 2 0 0

EPA 23 0 0 0 ***

GSA 3 0 0 18 21

NARA 1 0 18 17 13

NASA * 0 0 71 12

CPSC 2 0 2 30 9

FCC 0 0 0 28 14

FERC 0 0 19 0 0

FTC 0 0 0 0 0

NRC 0 0 6 184 15

GPO 0 0 2 7 4

ACCESS 1 0 0 9 6

Totals 48 192 231 2837 **

* Agencies reporting on a categorical basis per OMB Circular A-119, Section 12.

** Total not provided; includes duplicate counting due to participation in a standards 

body by more than one Federal agency.

*** Data not submitted.
13

Appendix C: FY 2010 New Government Unique Standards Used in 

Lieu of Voluntary Consensus Standards

Agency Department of Labor (DOL)

Government 

Standard

29 CFR 1926 Subpart CC Cranes and Derricks in Construction 

[Incorporated 2010]

Voluntary Standards ASME B30.2-2005; ASME B30.5-2004; ASME B30.7-2001; ASME 

B30.14-2004; AWS D1.1/D1.1M:2002; ANSI/AWS D14.3-94; BS EN 

13000:2004; BS EN 14439:2006; ISO 11660-1:2008(E); ISO 11660-

2:1994(E); ISO 11660-3:2008(E); PCSA Std. No.2; SAE J185; SAE 

J987; SAE J1063; ANSI B30.5-1968

Rationale Sixteen voluntary consensus standards (VCS) were relied upon for the 

various provisions in the final rule, however, no single VCS is available 

to cover all varieties of cranes and derricks and their applications.

Agency Department of Transportation (DOT)

Government 

Standard

Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 226, Ejection 

Mitigation (49 CFR 571.226; 49 CFR 585, Subpart K) (2011) 

[Incorporated 2010]

Voluntary Standards SAE J2568—Intrusion Resistance of Safety Glazing Systems for Road 

Vehicles; BSI AU 209—Vehicle Security

Rationale NHTSA studied the potential of applying these standards, but decided 

against adopting them for several reasons. These standards provide 

glazing intrusion resistance requirements from external impact (outsidein) as opposed to ejection mitigation (inside-out). Additionally, the 

requirements are not appropriate for vehicles with only side curtain air 

bags, given that there is a time dependence associated with a curtain’s 

ejection mitigation performance. Once deployed, the pressure in the air 

bag continuously decreases. The 16 km/h test is done at 6 seconds to 

assure that the pressure does not decrease too quickly. It does not seem 

that the 40 mm gap test could be done after the 6-second impact, in any 

timeframe which is related to rollover and side impact ejections. Further, 

there was no shown safety need for applying the suggested standards. 

We cannot show that ejections that would not be prevented by the 

primary 100-mm displacement requirement would be prevented by a 

secondary 40-mm requirement. Also, it seemed that the 40-mm 

requirement would indirectly require installation of advanced glazing. 

The costs associated with advanced glazing installations at the side 

windows covered by the NHTSA standard are substantial in comparison 

to a system only utilizing rollover curtains. For these reasons, the 

agency did not accept the standards.
14

Agency Department of Agriculture (USDA)

Government 

Standard

WILDLAND FIRE FOAM: GUS Number: 5100-307a; June 2007. 

Specification for Fire Suppressant Foam for Wildland Firefighting (Class 

A foam) [Incorporated 2010]

Voluntary Standard NFPA 1150 - Standard on Fire-Fighting Foam Chemicals for Class A 

Fuels in Rural, Suburban, and Vegetated Areas.

Rationale Foam fire suppressants contain foaming and wetting agents. The 

foaming agents affect the accuracy of an aerial drop, how fast the water 

drains from the foam and how well the product clings to the fuel 

surfaces. The wetting agents increase the ability of the drained water to 

penetrate fuels. Foam fire suppressants are supplied as wet concentrates. 

This standard was developed with international cooperation for Class A 

Foam used in wildland fire suppression situations and equipment. 

Standard was created by the USDA Forest Service in cooperation with 

the Department of Interior (DOI), the State of California, Department of 

Forestry and Fire Protection and the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire 

Center. The Forest Service has not chosen to utilize NFPA 1150 as it is 

designed specifically for application by municipal fire agencies in the 

wildland-urban interface, utilizing apparatus and situations that they are 

likely to encounter. The Forest Service’s GUS for foam products is 

specific to use by wildland fire equipment and situations that are unique, 

e.g. helicopter use of foams, remote storage situations, and varied quality 

of water sources in the wildland settings. The agency feels this standard 

more accurately reflects the needs and mission of the federal wildland 

fire suppression agencies.