NPES The Association for Suppliers of Printing, Publishing
and Converting
Technologies supports and administers the activities of
the ANSI-accredited B65 Committee. For more information
contact standards@npes.org.
The B65 Committee is a standards-developing committee accredited
by the American National
Standards Institute (ANSI). It has been in existence
since the early 1950's, administered at that time by the
National Safety Council and Printing Industries of America.
However, in the early 1970's the committee became inactive
for some time. The committee was re-activated and re-accredited
by ANSI in 1983, under the administration of NPES The Association
for Suppliers of Printing, Publishing and Converting Technologies.
The purpose of the B65 Committee is to develop ANSI safety
standards for printing presses, bindery machines and other
printing equipment. Work relates to the design, arrangement,
designation, and color scheme of controls and signaling
devices, as well as to guarding and interlocking of guards.
Also addressed are other mechanical safety devices, symbology
and safe practices as they apply to printing equipment.
As the printing machinery industry becomes more globally
oriented, it becomes increasingly important to have uniform
international safety standards for the machinery. This allows
manufacturers to design and build equipment to a single
set of safety standards, regardless of the country of import/export.
Thus, the B65 Committee is attempting to coordinate with
similar activities in the European community and with other
countries through participation in related work in the International
Organization for Standardization (ISO).
The B65 Committee provides input to the international
activities on issues relating to safety. ISO TC 130, the
technical committee for the graphic arts within ISO, has
a working group (WG5) that deals with ergonomics and safety.
The United States, in the form of NPES, is the convener
of this international working group and is responsible for
the management of work done by that committee. The B65 Committee
provides technical experts to attend the meetings of ISO
TC 130 WG 5, and reviews and comments on the international
work. The B65 subcommittee members also serve as advisors
to the US TAG to ISO TC 130, advising on the U.S. position
on international safety standards. Much of the B65 work
is now being incorporated into safety standards being developed
by ISO TC 130, and the international work is being incorporated
into the revisions of the B65 standards.
In 1983, NPES became the Secretariat and reorganized the
committee in order to revise a safety standard for printing
press drive controls (B65.1). This work has been followed
by the development of other safety standards for printing,
bindery and ink-making equipment.
Participation on B65 committees and at meetings is open
to anyone having an interest. Minutes and other committee
documents are available online (see links above), or from
the NPES Standards Department, standards@npes.org.
U.S.
& International Standards
