THE SECRETARY OF COMMERCE 

Washington, D.C. 20230 

June 16, 2008 

The Honorable Jim Nussle 

Director, Office ofManagement and Budget 

Washington, DC 20503 

Dear Mr. Nussle: 

I enclose the Eleventh Annual Report on Federal Agency Use ofVoluntary Consensus 

Standards and Conformity Assessment. This document represents activities administered by 

Federal agencies during FY 2007, as required under Public Law 104-113, the National 

Technology Transfer and Advancement Act, and Office ofManagement and Budget (0MB) 

Circular A-119. I am pleased to submit this report to 0MB for review and subsequent 

forwarding to Congress. 

As this report demonstrates, Federal agencies continue to rely on private-sector standards 

for their regulatory and procurement needs, and understand the benefits from doing so. Reported 

use of government-unique standards in lieu of voluntary consensus standards is at the lowest 

level in seven years, and continues to represent a very small percentage of overall standards used 

by the Government. 

Furthermore, Federal agencies continue to develop a better understanding ofthe 

requirements set forth in the Act and the Circular, resulting in more consistent interpretation and 

reporting of agency activities. The enclosed report contains the most accurate data compiled to 

date regarding Federal agencies' use of government-unique standards instead of voluntary 

consensus standards. 

If you require further information, please contact Mary Saunders, Chief, Standards 

Services Division, National Institute of Standards and Technology, at (301) 975-2396. 

Sincerely, 

Enclosure 
NISTIR 7503 

Eleventh Annual Report on Federal 

Agency Use of Voluntary Consensus 

Standards and Conformity Assessment 

Mary F. Donaldson 

Standards Coordination and Conformity Group 

Standards Services Division 

Technology Services 

NISI 

National Institute of 

Standards and Technology 

U.S. Department of Commerce 
NISTIR 7503 

Eleventh Annual Report on Federal 

Agency Use of Voluntary Consensus 

Standards and Conformity Assessment 

Mary F. Donaldson 

Standards Coordination and Conformity Group 

Standards Services Division 

Technology Services 

May 2008 

U.S. Department of Commerce 

Carlos M Gutierrez, Secretary 

National Institute of Standards and Technology 

James M Turner, Deputy Director 
Table of Contents 

1.0 - Executive Summary ................................................................................................. 2 

2.0 - Overview and Scope................................................................................................. 3 

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.............................. 5 

4.1 - Participation Data for FY 2007 .......................................................................... 5 

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

6.0 - Evaluation of the Effectiveness of 0MB 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 - Challenges and Opportunities ................................................................................ 9 

Appendix B -- FY 2007 Federal Agency Information on Participation/Adoption of 

Appendix C -- FY 2007 Government-Unique Standards used in lieu of Voluntary 

Appendix A -- FY 2007 List of Reporting Federal Agencies ...................................... 10 

Voluntary Standards Activities Required by 0MB Circular A-119 .......................... 11 

Consensus Standards ...................................................................................................... 12 
Summary Report on Federal Agency Use of Private Sector Standards 

and Conformity Assessment Activities for FY 2007 

1.0 - Executive Summary 

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

Management and Budget (0MB) in compliance with 0MB 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 26 federal agencies during fiscal year (FY) 2007. 

Since the inception of the NTTAA, Federal agencies have continued to make progress in 

relying on voluntary consensus standards in support of their regulatory and procurement 

activities. NIST, through its Standards Incorporated by Reference database, independently 

tracks governmental use of private-sector standards in regulation and procurement. As of the 

date ofthis report, NIST has identified more than 20000 citations of standards incorporated 

by reference in procurement and regulatory documents. This online interactive database 

<http://standards.gov/sibr/query/index.cfm> demonstrates the extensive use of voluntary 

standards throughout the U.S. Government. 

For FY 2007, federal agencies reported 350 new uses ofVCSs. In contrast, federal agencies 

promulgated only two new government-unique standards in lieu ofVCSs during the fiscal 

year, bringing the total number of government-unique standards used in lieu ofVCSs to 48. 

The continued adoption of significant numbers of VCSs and the low rate of adoption of new 

government-unique standards in lieu ofVCSs illustrates the success that the NTTAA 

continues to have in encouraging agencies to look first to voluntary consensus standards to 

meet their regulatory, procurement and conformity assessment needs rather than to develop 

government-unique standards. 

Agencies reported 3370 personnel participating in a total of 497 standards-developing 

organizations, representing an all time high for organizations with federal participation. 

Reports for FY 2007 show that agencies and affected stakeholders continue to realize 

benefits from federal participation in the development and adoption of VCSs to support 

agency missions. These adoptions result in cost savings to federal agencies, to the Nation's 

businesses, and ultimately to the taxpayer through reduced injuries and deaths, increased 

transactional efficiencies, reduced administrative burdens, and lower costs of products and 

services. 

During FY 2007, several agencies reported substantial benefits from their adoption and use 

of voluntary consensus standards. The Department of the Interior's (DOI) Bureau of 

Reclamation participation with Institute of Electrical and Electronics (IEEE) standards 

development allows DOI to ensure that the hydroelectric power equipment standards 

developed will result in equipment that meets the needs of the Nation's western electric 

power grid; helps to avoid economically disruptive (billion dollar) blackouts; and enhances 

the safety ofthe hydroelectric facilities under DO I's responsibility. In addition, the Nuclear 

Regulatory Commission achieves both cost reduction and time savings through endorsement 

ofthe American Society of Mechanical Engineers boiler code, thereby avoiding the 

2 
independent development of regulatory requirements for construction, in-service inspection 

and in-service testing of nuclear power plant components. These examples illustrate a few of 

the various ways the government and the taxpayer reap benefits from the development, 

adoption and use of voluntary consensus standards. 

2.0 - Overview and Scope 

NIST formulated this report in close consultation with 0MB, based on inputs submitted to 

NIST by federal agencies in fulfillment of the requirements of0MB Circular A-119 and the 

reporting requirements of Section 12 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 2007. A list of reporting agencies may be found in 

Appendix A. 

3.0 - Federal Agency Use of Standards 

The 0MB 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 the discretion to decide whether to use existing voluntary consensus 

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

with applicable laws or otherwise impractical. The Circular also directs agencies to 

establish a process for continuing review of 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 0MB 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. 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) consistently 

report on a "categorical" basis. For all agencies, in those cases when government-unique 

standards are required because private-sector standards do not exist, use of the governmentunique standard is not subject to reporting. 

Table 3.1 illustrates the cumulative use of government-unique standards (that is, the total 

number used, by agency and the U.S. Government as a whole, by year) in lieu of privatesector standards since FY 1997, as well as the number of government-unique standards 

introduced and discontinued in each fiscal year. During FY 2007, federal agencies reported 

that they incorporated two new government-unique standards and withdrew 27 from the 

report. The Department of Labor (DOL) reported two new government-unique standards, 

while the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) removed 27 government-unique 

standards from its report after an internal review. The review concluded 27 of those that had 

been previously reported did not meet the criteria for being in lieu of existing private sector 

standards. 

3 
f -T;ble 3.1 - Governn{ent--~niq~e Standa-~ds-Used in Lieu of Private Seitor 

, Standards Statistics __ _____________ ______ -------~ , 

IAgency1 · · 1997 J998 '1999 !2000 :2001 2002 l2003 :2004 i 2005i 2006:2007 I 

rsDA- - --r---- -- ------ •····· ~:~~---------T~--==c_-----1, 

\HHS__ 3' 3 3 3 3 3\ 3 2 2' 4 4 

HUD 2 2 2i i ... 2; . . ... 2 . . .... 2 2 1 

iDOL . I 2 4 5 5i 6 1 • 8i 

!DOT Ji f------~-~-

1EPA 

[GSA -

NARA 

[cPSC

:o

:-

2 2[ 2 2 

3 28 

,., 

.) 

45 50 23 i -3; 

Appendix C lists the government-unique standards promulgated by agencies in 2007, along 

with the rationale for not using the specified relevant voluntary consensus standard. For a 

complete listing ofthe government-unique standards used in lieu of voluntary consensus 

standards and the justifications from FY 1997 through FY 2007, see NIST's Standards 

website <http://standards.gov/NTT AA/agency/index.cfm>. 

3.2 -New Uses of Voluntary Consensus Standards (VCSs) By Federal 

Agencies 

For FY 2007, federal agencies reported the adoption of 350 new Voluntary Consensus 

Standards. Three agencies, the Departments of Energy, Treasury and Defense, account for 

nearly 90 percent ofthe 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 voluntary consensus standards that 

they have substituted for government-unique standards during the year. Figure 3.3 illustrates 

the substitutions for each year since FY 1998. In FY 2007, federal agencies substituted 68 

voluntary consensus standards for government-unique standards.2 After an intense initial 

effort to substitute many government-unique standards, there has been an average of about 

133 substitutions a year since 2001. 

1 See Appendix A for list of agency acronyms. 2 Government-unique standards being substituted include the universe of GUSs, i.e., those in use prior to the 

implementation ofNTTAA reporting, those that were not 'in lieu ofVCSs', and those that were in lieu of 

VCSs. Since NIST began collecting data, there have been 2470 reported substitutions ofVCSs for GUSs across 

agencies. While we do not know the entire universe of GUSs, we know from published sources that DoD (the 

largest user ofGUSs) still uses over 20000 GUSs counting military, federal and NATO specifications and as of 

FY 2006 was using more than 9200 private-sector standards. 7400 private-sector standards were adopted by 

DoD before 1997. 

4 
Figure 3.3 -- Number of VCSs substituted for GUSs 

600 

500 

t 400 

.0 

E 300 :::l 

z 200 

100 

0 

1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 

Fiscal Year 

4.0 - Federal Participation in Private Sector Standards Activities 

0MB 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 further declares "agency support provided to a voluntary 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 2007 

In FY 2007, agencies reported participation in 497 private sector standards bodies, compared 

to 413 in FY 2006, reflecting a 20 percent increase and an all-time high. (See Figure 4.la.) 

The list of organizations includes American National Standards Institute (ANSI), accredited 

voluntary consensus standards developers, other (non-ANSI accredited) standards 

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

Figure 4.1 a - Number of Private Sector Standards Bodies 

with Federal Agency Participation 

600 

500 

400 

300 

200 

100 

0 

2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 

Federal agencies are also required by 0MB to report the number of federal employees who 

participate in private sector standards bodies. This includes not only those who serve on 

5 
technical standards development committees, subcommittees, or workgroups, but also those 

who participate in management activities, annual meetings, or seminars. In FY 2007, 

agencies reported that 3370 employees participated in private-sector standards body 

activities. Among agencies reporting this data, this statistic reflects an increase of 405 

participants over the previous year. Figure 4.1 b illustrates total federal employee 

participation in private sector standards body activities since FY 1998. Data detailing FY 

2007 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/NTT AA/agency/index.din. 

Figure 4.1b -- Federal Employee Participation in Private Sector 

Standards Body Activities* 

5000 

4000 

3000 

2000 

1000 

0 

1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 

Fiscal Year 

* The upper series includes DoD participation data prior to 2007 while the lower series 

excludes DoD participation. 

5.0 - Federal Agency Conformity Assessment Activities 

The NTTAA requires NIST to coordinate federal, state, and local standards activities and 

conformity assessment activities with private-sector standards activities and conformity 

assessment activities, 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 

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

of environmental impact assessments. NIST publishes a number of directories and reports on 

conformity assessment-related issues and maintains a Web site <http://ts.nist.gov> that 

provides a one-stop-shopping source for information on various conformity assessment 

issues. 

6 
Throughout the fiscal year, numerous agencies worked with NIST support to design and 

implement appropriate and effective conformity assessment schemes for products related to 

homeland security, health and safety, and the environment. A measurement and standards 

infrastructure for three homeland security technology areas, namely radiological and nuclear 

detectors, biometrics readers and emergency communications equipment, was developed 

through these interagency efforts. Also, four other government agencies - the Environmental 

Protection Agency (EPA), the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), the Food and 

Drug Administration (FDA), and the Department of Justice's National Institute of Justice 

(NIJ) as well as the NIST worked with standards developers, accreditation bodies, and 

industry representatives to enhance programs and initiatives in conformity assessment for 

electronics recycling, water conservation, toy safety, electrical medical devices, and body 

armor. 

The full report of FY 2007 agency conformity assessment activities may be found in the 

Addendum to the Eleventh Annual Report on Federal Use ofVoluntary Consensus Standards 

and Conformity Assessment <http://standards.gov/NTT AA/agency/index.cfm>. 

6.0 - Evaluation of the Effectiveness of 0MB Circular A-119 

During FY 2007, the majority ofreporting agencies either had no comment on the 

effectiveness of 0MB Circular A-119 or indicated that they found the Circular effective in 

helping them manage their standards development programs. However, several agencies did 

provide substantive comments concerning recommended changes to the Circular and these 

are summarized below. 3 

• Department of Defense (DoD) questions the benefit of collecting report data and 

recommends reviewing and modifying the A-119 reporting requirements to include 

more meaningful information, such as examples of positive outcomes from 

participation in non-government standards activities and reliance on non-government 

standards. 

• Department ofTransportation (DOT) recommends that the "OMB Circular A-119 be 

revised to require NTTAA reporting only on instances of government-unique 

standards being used in lieu of voluntary consensus standards. The Circular should 

continue the policy that there is no requirement to report on government-unique 

standards developed where a voluntary consensus standard is unavailable, per 

sections 6g and 9a ofthe Circular." 

• Health and Human Services (HHS) Centers for Disease Control expressed concern 

over the limitation of constraining the reporting to just Standards Developing 

Organizations. This results in the "under-reporting of our activity with ( other) 

outside partners ... " 

• The Department of Homeland Security proposes the reporting move away from 

providing data that is both difficult to obtain and of questionable accuracy, and 

instead focus more on reporting standards development activities across agency 

programs and components. 

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

7 
• The Department of Veterans Affairs suggested the Circular include a method to 

encourage agencies to be more involved in identifying useful standards and be 

responsible for enforcing compliance. 

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

Report on Federal Use ofVoluntary Consensus Standards and Conformity Assessment 

located at <http://standards.gov/NTTAA/agency/index.cfrn>. 

7.0-The Interagency Committee on Standards Policy (ICSP) 

During FY 2007, 60 individuals served on the ICSP including agency Standards Executives, 

their alternates, NIST support staff, and representatives from 0MB and the Executive Office 

of the President. The ICSP met four times in FY 2007, including one joint meeting with the 

American National Standards Institute's Government Member Forum. Information 

concerning the ICSP including membership, charter and meeting minutes may be found at 

the following link: <http://standards.gov/icsp/query/index.cfm>. 

8.0 - Success Stories: Examples from Federal Agencies 

Leveraging the private-sector standards development process for government purposes has 

led to significant resource savings for agencies and stakeholders throughout the Federal 

Government. Some examples of successes from fiscal year 2007 are: 

• Department ofthe Interior (DOI) 

The Department ofthe Interior's Bureau ofReclamation is the second largest producer of 

hydroelectric power in the western United States. The agency's Hydropower Technical 

Services Group is responsible for developmental research, computer model analysis, 

operational testing, and specification review for stability enhancement of Reclamation's 

interconnection to the bulk power system. This group's participation in IEEE standards 

development allows DOI to ensure that the hydroelectric power equipment standards which 

are developed will result in equipment that meets the needs of the Nation's western electric 

power grid; helps to avoid economically disruptive (billion dollar) blackouts; and enhances 

the safety ofthe hydroelectric facilities under DO I's responsibility. 

• Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) 

An example of a standards success for NRC involves the endorsement of Sections III 

(Construction ofNuclear Facility Components) and XI (In-service Inspection ofNuclear 

Power Plant Components) ofthe American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Boiler 

and Pressure Vessel Code and the ASME Code for Operation and Maintenance ofNuclear 

Power Plants (In-service Testing ofNuclear Facility Pumps and Valves) in NRC's 

regulations and regulatory guidance. These ASME Codes are developed through the 

consensus process, and endorsement ofthe ASME Code by the NRC provides a method of 

incorporating rules into the regulatory process that are acceptable to the NRC and have 

received industry participation in their development. Ifthe NRC did not take action to 

endorse the ASME Code, the NRC would either have had to develop independently the 

regulatory requirements for construction, in-service inspection (ISI), and in-service testing 

8 
(IST) ofNuclear Power Plant Components, or to establish the acceptable criteria and 

methods for construction, ISI, and IST on a case-by-case basis. Additional agency success 

stories may be found in the responses to Question 1 in the Addendum to the Eleventh Annual 

Report on Federal Use ofVoluntary Consensus Standards and Conformity Assessment 

located at: <http://standards.gov/NTT AA/agency/index.cfm>. 

9.0 - Challenges and Opportunities 

As of FY 2007, eleven years since the start of the NTT AA reporting requirement, federal 

agencies indicate they use 48 government-unique standards in lieu of voluntary consensus 

standards. This small number of government-unique standards reflects a real and continuing 

reliance on voluntary consensus standards. The Act has successfully encouraged agencies to 

look first to use voluntary consensus standards to meet their needs rather than to develop 

unnecessary government-unique standards. 

NIST continues to assist federal agencies and their stakeholders involved in standards 

management. NIST hosts the internet portal <http://standards.gov>, providing a one-stop 

e-government location for information related to the use of voluntary consensus standards. 

The website offers background, materials, useful links, and search tools for locating 

information about the use of standards in government including a searchable database, 

"Standards Incorporated by Reference" <http://standards.gov/sibr/query/index.cfin>. 

The website also serves as a forum for providing ongoing, practical guidance, tools, and 

information needed by agencies to successfully implement the NTT AA, as well as a means to 

electronically report standards activities required by the NTT AA and 0MB Circular. 

Building on the success of the NTTAA in reducing reliance on government-unique standards 

along with the trend towards e-government, NIST is working with agencies to continue 

shifting towards reporting more timely and accurate information to the standards community 

while refining the information to better reflect the intent of the NTT AA and direction from 

0MB. In addition, NIST is working with agency standards executives and 0MB to integrate 

standards participation and use more directly into the missions, decision making processes, 

and strategic goals of the federal agencies. 

In addition to preparing and transmitting the required annual reports to 0MB, NIST will 

continue to provide resources on <standards.gov> to facilitate federal agency participation in 

the development and use of private sector standards. NIST will also work with agencies as 

they establish websites that reflect required NTTAA and 0MB Circular A-119 data and 

up-to-date information on agency standards activities. The annual report fulfills the reporting 

requirements of both the NTTAA and 0MB Circular. Expanded use of <standards.gov> and 

agency websites will consolidate information gathering and support efficient communication 

between agencies and stakeholders. 

9 
Appendix A -- FY 2007 List of Reporting Federal Agencies 

I Agency II Acronym 11 Standards Program Website I 

I Department ofAgriculture Ii USDA Iri * I 

I Department ofCommerce II DOC 11 http://ts.nist.gov/commerce/ I 

I Department of Defense Ii DoD 11 http://www.dsp.dla.mil I 

i Department ofEnergy II DOE 11 http://www.hss.energy.gov/NuclearSafety /techstds/index.html I 

I Department ofEducation II ED Ii * I 

I Dep~rtment of Health and Human 

Services 

j l HHS 

i II* I 

/ Department of Homeland 

! Security I! OHS 11 http://www.dhs.gov/xfrstresp/standards/ I 

I Department of Housing and 

I Urban Development II HUD 11 http://www.hud.gov/offices/hsg/sfu/mps/mpshome.cfm I 

I Department ofthe Interior II DOI I1 * I 

/ Department ofJustice 

1 

I! DOJ / 1 http://www.ojp.gov/nij/topics/technology/standardsl development.htm I 

i Department ofLabor II DOL I! * I 

) Department of State Ii DOS II * I 

! Department ofTransportation 

i Ii DOT j I Various- see DOT's report on 

: I htto://standards.gov/NTT AA/agency/index.cfm I 

I Department of the Treasury II TRES 11 http://www.treas.gov/offices/intemational-affairs/standards/ I 

I Department of Veterans Affairs Ii VA 11 http://wwwl.va.gov/oamm/ I 

i Environmental Protection Agency 

I General Services Administration 

I 

11 EPA 

Ii GSA 

11 http://www.epa.gov/oppt/p2home/pubs/programs/voluntary.htm 

I / http://www.gsa.gov Home>About GSA>Reference>Supply 

i Standards 

I 

I 

I National Archives and Records 

i Administration Ii NARA II* I 

I National Aeronautics and Space 

I Administration 

ll NASA 11 http://standards.nasa.gov 

I 

I National Science Foundation II NSF 11 * I 

I Consumer Product Safety 

Commission 

II CPSC Ii http://www.cpsc.gov/volstd/standards.html I 

\ Federal Communications 

Commission II FCC Ii * I 

I Federal Trade Commission Ii FTC II * I 

I Nuclear Regulatory Commission Ii NRC 11 http://www.nrc.gov/about-nrc/regulatory/standards-dev.html I 

I Government Printing Office II GPO II * I 

I Access Board Ii ACCESS 11 http://www.access-board.gov/gs.htm I 

*Not available or not reported 
Appendix B -- FY 2007 Federal Agency Information on Participation/Adoption of 

Voluntary Standards Activities Required by 0MB Circular A-119 

I 

i 

I 

i 

i 

I 

I 

' 

I 

I 

I 

I 

' ' i 

! 

! 

I 

I 

I 

I 

Government Voluntary Voluntary Employee I Voluntary unique standards consensus 

used in lieu of standards consensus participation in consensus 

Agency voluntary substituted for standards used voluntary standards bodies 

this year consensus with agency consensus government (new uses) standards bodies participation standards l unique standards 

USDA II l II 0 II 0 II 98 II 34 

DOC II 0 11 0 II 0 It 464 II 108 

DoD I * i 67 II I 57 11 NR I! 123 

DOE Ii 0 II 0 II 150 Ii 895 II 81 

II II II --- --·-

ED 0 0 0 II 4 II 5 

II Ii -

HHS II 11 II 4 0 0 793 170 

II II Ir -

DHS II II 0 0 14 125 49 

HUD 11 2 II 0 II 0 II 4 II 5 

DOI II 0 II 0 ]I 4 II 300 II 63 

DOJ II 0 II 0 11i 0 Ii 0 II 0 

DOL Ii 8 II 0 II 0 II 60 II 18 

II II II -

DOS 0 0 0 1 8 11 1 

DOT II 3 II 0 Ii 4 II 198 II 48 

TRES 11 0 II 0 11 104 7r 3 II 2 r-· II Ii II 11 

-·----

! VA 71 i 

I EPA i 

I GSA ! 

I NARA 

l NASA 

i NSF ! 

! 

! CPSC

I FCC I 

I 

i FTC

I NRC 

I 

! GPO

I 

I ACCESS

I Totals 

0 0 0 4 20 

11 23 Ji 0 II 3 11 44 II 25 

II 3 II 0 ]I 8 II 23 II 26 

II ----

] I II 11 I! I 0 0 16 13 

11 * Ii 1 7' _! 0 II 105 II 22 

11 0 II 0 II 0 II 4 II 3 

11 2 II 0 II 1 II 26 II 13 

II 0 II 0 I! 1 II 28 Ii 13 

II 0 Ii 0 II 0 II 0 II 0 

II 11 

-------··---

0 0 II 4 Ii 163 111 16 

II 0 Ii 0 1r--· :1 0 I! 0 II 0 

11 1 II 0 II 0 II 5 11 6 

II 48 11 68 II 350 II 3370 ! II ** -·-- -- ····-··--~ 

*Agencies reporting on a categorical basis per 0MB Circular A-119, Section 12. 

** Total not provided. Total would result in multiple counting due to participation in 

standards bodies by two or more federal agencies. 

11 

I 

I 

I 

I 

I 

I 

I 

I 

I 

I 

I 

I 

I 

I 

I 

I 

I 

I 

I 

I 

I 

I 

I 

I 

I 

I 

I 
Appendix C -- FY 2007 Government-Unique Standards used in lieu of Voluntary 

Consensus Standards 

1 Agency: Department of Labor (DOL) 

';. 

Government-Unique Standard: 29 CFR 1910 Subpart S - Electrical Standard (Incorporated: 

2007) [Incorporated: 2007] 

Voluntary Standard: NFPA 70 - National Electric Code 

NFPA 70E - Electrical Safety Requirement for Employee 

Workplaces. 

ANSI/IEEE C2 - National Electrical Safety Code 

ANSI/ASME B30.4 - Portal, Tower, and Pedestal Cranes 

NFPA 33 - Spray Application Using Flammable or Combustible 

Materials 

ANSI Z133.1 Arboricultural Operations for Pruning, Repairing, 

Maintaining, and Removing Trees, and Cutting Brush 

Rationale: Several voluntary consensus standards were relied upon for the 

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

available to cover all the workplace applications that are addressed 

by OSHA. The Agency believes that it would be less burdensome 

for the regulated community to use one OSHA standard rather than 

purchase and use the 6 individual consensus standards it used to 

write the rule. 

2 Agency: Department of Labor (DOL) 

Government-Unique Standard: 30 CFR Part 75 - Sealing of Abandoned Areas - Emergency 

Temporary Standard. [Incorporated: 2007] 

Voluntary Standard: ACI 318-05 - Building Code Requirements for Structural 

Concrete and Commentary 

ACI 440.2R-02 - Design and Construction of Externally 

Bonded FRP Systems for Strengthening Concrete Structures 

ASTM El 19-07 - Standard Test Methods for Fire Tests of 

Building Construction and Materials 

ASTM El62-06 - Standard Test Method for Surface 

Flammability of Materials Using a Radiant Heat Energy 

Source 

Rationale: Four consensus standards were relied upon for various provisions in 

the emergency temporary standard, but no one consensus standard is 

available that covered all of the topics covered by MSHA's 

Emergency Temporary Standard. .. ·.· 

12