Z490 TRAINING STANDARD NOVEMBER 2006 UPDATE

Dear ASSE Members and Safety, Health and Environmental (SH&E) Professionals:

During the last five years, the ANSI Z490.1 standard, “Accepted Practices in Safety, Health and Environmental (SH&E) Training,” has done much to improve SH&E training development, delivery, evaluation and management. The Z490.1 standard is currently under revision, and employers and training providers nationwide expect the revised version to even further enhance their SH&E training programs.

A national voluntary consensus standard, Z490.1 specifies criteria for best practices in the following aspects of SH&E training:

  • Awarding of credit
  • Competency methodologies
  • Core competencies
  • Instruction
  • Instructor credentials
  • Learning assessments
  • Learning support resources
  • Maintenance of records
  • Measurement of training progress and results
  • Model curriculums
  • Organizational responsibilities and controls
  • Training facilities

The Z490 Committee believes that quality training is an integral part of any effective SH&E program. If SH&E professionals are equipped with the proper knowledge, skills and abilities, then they will be better able to protect themselves and others in the workplace.

Prior to the development and approval of the Z490.1 standard, only a few government regulations addressed SH&E training, and they did so within a limited scope. In response to this, the Z490 Committee designed the Z490.1 standard so that it applies to a broad range of training and training programs and can be used consistently in both the public and private sectors.

The Z490.1 standard is intended to supplement government regulations and organizational policies by providing employers, training providers and state and federal public policy leasers with a benchmark against which they can evaluate and improve their training programs. Employers, employees, SH&E compliance officers and SH&E professionals can also refer to this standard when selecting training materials, instructors and other training program components. Corporations and government entities that seek third-party review of their employee training activities can use the standard as well.

The revised version of the Z490.1 standard should be available in 2007.

Thanks and Regards, Tim Fisher with the ASSE Council on Practices and Standards.

Thirteen Practice Specialties and the Standards Development Committee dedicated to the ASSE Mission of Protecting People, Property and the Environment since 1911.

Timothy R. Fisher, CSP, ARM, CPEA
Director, Practices and Standards
American Society of Safety Engineers
1800 E. Oakton St.
Des Plaines, IL 60018
T: (847) 768-3411
F: (847) 296-9221
tfisher@asse.org