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American National Standards Institute

ANSI (Wikipedia)

The American National Standards Institute (ANSI /ˈænsi/ AN-see) is a private nonprofit organization that oversees the development of voluntary consensus standards for products, services, processes, systems, and personnel in the United States. The organization also coordinates U.S. standards with international standards so that American products can be used worldwide.

American National Standards Institute
AbbreviationANSI
FormationOctober 19, 1918 (105 years ago) (1918-10-19)
TypeNonprofit organization
Legal status501(c)(3) private
PurposeNational standards
HeadquartersWashington, D.C., U.S.
38°54′14″N 77°02′35″W / 38.90389°N 77.04306°W / 38.90389; -77.04306
Membership
125,000 companies and 3.5 million professionals
Official language
English
President and CEO
Joe Bhatia
Websiteansi.org Edit this at Wikidata

ANSI accredits standards that are developed by representatives of other standards organizations, government agencies, consumer groups, companies, and others. These standards ensure that the characteristics and performance of products are consistent, that people use the same definitions and terms, and that products are tested the same way. ANSI also accredits organizations that carry out product or personnel certification in accordance with requirements defined in international standards.

The organization's headquarters are in Washington, D.C. ANSI's operations office is located in New York City. The ANSI annual operating budget is funded by the sale of publications, membership dues and fees, accreditation services, fee-based programs, and international standards programs.

Many ANSI regulations are incorporated by reference into United States federal statutes (i.e. by OSHA regulations referring to individual ANSI specifications). ANSI does not make these standards publicly available, and charges money for access to these documents; it further claims that it is copyright infringement for them to be provided to the public by others free of charge. These assertions have been the subject of criticism and litigation.

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