 
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"The [NGA] has recently withdrawn from the auto glass industry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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