Belron Technical Petitions ANSI to Take Over ROLAGS Standard, According to ANSI Application
February 18, 2010

The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) process is a very open one and a review of Belron Technical's application for accreditation as a standards developer provides some insight into the company's objectives (CLICK HERE for related story.) According to the application, Belron Technical is seeking to become the secretariat and standards developer for the Repair of Laminated Auto Glass (ROLAGS) Standard. The standard was originally developed jointly by the National Windshield Repair Association (NWRA) and the National Glass Association (NGA), which serves as the secretariat for the document. (CLICK HERE for full text of application.)

"The [NGA] has recently withdrawn from the auto glass industry and has offered Belron Technical the opportunity to take over and continue its standards work," writes Belron Technical in its application. "[Belron Technical] welcomes the opportunity to develop and maintain standards in the automotive glass industry that are needed for information and uniformity in the auto glass industry."

The application continues, "Belron Technical wants to become the Secretariat and standards developer for 'Repair of Laminated Auto Glass Standard®' (ANSI/NGA R1.1-2007). NGA has left the auto glass industry and does not want to continue to be a standards developer. [Belron Technical] has been a member of the standard developing committee (SDC) under Glass Medic and Safelite since the beginning of the development of the standard. BT will serve as secretariat as the SDC continues to work and revisions on the Repair of Laminated Auto Glass Standard."

Belron Technical says it also may "assume responsibility of [the] Automotive Glass Replacement Uniform Labeling of Adhesives (AGRULA) developed under NGA but not yet submitted to ANSI," according to the application.

Though Peg Stroka McKim was listed previously as Belron Technical's standards consultant in the ANSI newsletter announcing that Belron Technical had applied, Paul Syfko, general manager of Glass Medic, a part of Belron Technical, is listed as the official contact on the application. Syfko also serves on the ROLAGS standards development committee. McKim is a former employee of the NGA and had worked on the ROLAGS standard during her time with the association. Neither McKim nor Syfko had responded to calls for comment at press time.

NGA officials deny the accuracy of Belron Technical's statements regarding its work.

"We learned about this application and the context of it last night," said David Walker, NGA's vice president of association services, in an interview with glassBYTEs.com™/AGRR magazine this afternoon. "We're absorbing it. All I can say at this point is it's inaccurate."

He continued, "The Belron statement is perhaps an inadvertent misrepresentation of the fact that NGA is at the moment not involved with standard-setting. That's not to presume that we won't be involved in standard-setting in the future."

When asked whether NGA had approached Belron about taking over the ROLAGS standard, Walker declined to comment, but said, "I would need to verify that."

Walker said that Leo Cyr, who retired from the NGA in December, had been the one handling the ROLAGS standard. Cyr also was unavailable for comment at press time.

National Windshield Repair Association president Mike Boyle, who also is president of Glass Mechanix, told glassBYTEs.com™/AGRR magazine he was surprised to learn that Belron Technical had petitioned ANSI to take over as secretariat of the ROLAGS standard, as NWRA has worked to develop the standard with the NGA since it originated.

"It's a joint standard," he said. "Speaking for the NWRA, our board is extremely disappointed in the fact that we initially funded the standard and are co-developers. We believe that the NGA should have contacted us directly concerning the future of the standard. We received no notification that the standard was being offered to an organization outside the NWRA and NGA, and we'll seek the right solution to this problem."

Boyle says that the NWRA board is having an emergency meeting "to decide on our direction and are currently considering all possible actions to maintain the standard it co-developed."

"We will be releasing a full statement in the next day or so," he adds.

Glass Technology president Kerry Wanstrath, who serves as vice president of the NWRA, concurred.

"I always assumed that if the NGA no longer was in the auto glass business that the co-developer and co-sponsor would take it over, which was the NWRA," says Wanstrath.

He also has some concerns about any private company taking over such an industry standard.

"Well, the temptation to use the Standard for any company's personal benefit would be overwhelming and I think that's why in the past ANSI has disallowed any one company from writing a standard," he says. "It's supposed to be an industry standard, not a company standard."

"I find it incredible that it could be given to a company rather than as an industry as a whole."

Belron's application for accreditation as a standards developer has not yet been accepted by ANSI. The public comment period is open through March 8. Those who are interested in reviewing Belron Technical's proposed operating procedures or in offering comments on their application for accreditation may do so by contacting McKim, Belron Technical's standards consultant, at 176 Red Haven Road, New Cumberland, PA 17070, or by e-mail to pegm@ptd.net, with a copy to the Recording Secretary, ExSC, in ANSI's New York Office (available by fax at 212/840-2298 or e-mail to jthompso@ansi.org).

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