ANSI A92.6 Sub-Committee Under New Leadership

In 2006, the ANSI A92.6 sub-committee wrapped up revisions to the ANSI/SIA A92.6 Self-Propelled Elevating Work Platforms standard • the first revision in seven years • and has scheduled the new standard to be made available to the public in the near future. But amendments to the standard aren't the only changes in the sub-committee • ANSI A92.6 is now under new leadership.

Former ANSI A92.6 chairman Bud Hayden announced he was stepping down at the ANSI A92 annual committee meeting in November. He nominated Brad Boehler, P.Eng., director of product safety for Skyjack, Inc., an active ANSI A92 member, as the new sub-committee chairman. Boehler's nomination was officially appointed on November 7 by ANSI A92 Chairman Dave Merrifield and confirmed by vote by the remainder of the main committee.

While the responsibilities are vast for a sub-committee chairman, Boehler told Lift and Access, “Ultimately, my responsibility is to revise and update the standard.” ANSI is set up so the sub-committees are made up of industry individuals and the main committee is made up of company representatives. When a standard is under review, the sub-committee votes on revisions and passes the draft to the main committee, which forms a consensus on the revised standard. As chairman, Boehler will be responsible for leading the sub-committee and submitting drafts to the main committee.

As with every leadership position, Boehler will face challenges. “My main challenge will be getting the industry to unite on safety and build a common front,” he said. “There are certainly many different points of view and perspectives. The chair has to make sure every voice is heard and that the committee has a consensus on how to move forward.”

Boehler said he could see why Hayden was stepping down as chairman. “The timing was good for him because the revised standard was due to be published,” he said. But Boehler shied away from speculating why he was selected as Hayden's replacement. “To be honest, I was surprised,” he said.

However, his active involvement in the four-short years he's been in the aerial lift industry isn't something easily ignored. Boehler has been involved with the ANSI A92 committee and sub-committees in the United States, including A92.6 Self-Propelled Elevating Work Platforms, A92.3 Manually Propelled Elevating Work Platforms, and A92.5 Boom-Supported Elevating Work Platforms, and he is involved with the Canadian CSA B354 Elevating Work Platforms Technical Committee and the ISO Technical Committee 214 (TC 214) – Elevating Work Platforms.

Within the industry, he is an approved AWPT instructor, and he sits on the AWPT Advisory Council and is the chairman of the AWPT Practical Evaluation Working Group. Boehler also was selected as one of Lift and Access' People of Distinction for his continued involvement in the NIOSH scissor lift tipover study.

The first scheduled meeting in which Boehler will lead the sub-committee will be in fall 2007 when the next annual committee meeting is held. There is no set term for the position.