Why Get Involved?

A voluntary consensus standards program, like the one at ANS, stands on the strength and diversity of its volunteers. ANS Standards only come into existence due to the hard work, loyalty, and dedication of its volunteer network of hundreds of qualified individuals in the industry. Because of this, ANS always looks for and welcomes new volunteers to its development process.

But more than just helping ANS, participation in a standards development process helps the industry. Active participation in our committees ensures that industry standards stay current and generates ideas for new standards that are needed in the field. Your participation in standards also means that no longer do you silently wish a standard would do something for your field, now you can actually work to make sure a standard accomplishes just that.

There's someone else who also benefits from participation in our standards program: you, the volunteer. The consensus process offers an excellent network of industry experts. You not only have the opportunity to meet and work with people from a variety of backgrounds, but you have a chance to learn from their experiences. The standards development process is all about shared knowledge. Check out the Standards Committee Member Survey Summary for an estimate on time commitment, benefits of participating, and other feedback from current Standards Committee members.

ANS Standards Committee members must subscribe to the Terms of Membership/Usage.

Standards Committees

The best way to get involved is to find a current or proposed standard in which you have an interest and expertise. ANS working groups are the actual writing committees that create the text of a standard. Alternatively, you can get connected with a subcommittee that deals with your area of expertise, and investigate if there is a need for volunteers or even propose to create a standard that's of importance to your field.

In any case, your first step is the volunteer form. Procedures of the ANS Standards Committee require that a volunteer form be kept on file at ANS headquarters.