Define Consensus standard?

• A. A federal regulation mandatory for all workplaces
• B. A company policy set by a single employer
• C. An established norm used by OSHA to determine accepted work practices
• D. A voluntary industry guideline

Answer: (C)

Consensus standards are established norms created through broad agreement among manufacturers, workers, safety professionals, and regulators, and they serve as the yardstick OSHA uses to decide what is considered accepted work practice. These standards are developed by recognized bodies (like ANSI, ASTM, NFPA) through committees that incorporate input from multiple stakeholders, so they reflect generally accepted safe methods rather than a single employer’s policy. They are typically voluntary, but OSHA may reference or adopt them into regulations, making compliance with the standard relevant for enforcement. This description captures why the standard is used as the benchmark for accepted work practices. The other statements miss that broader, enforceable-by-reference nature or mischaracterize consensus standards as mere federal mandates or lone-company policies.