Updates to NASA Standard (NASA-STD) 8719.9, Lifting Standard (formerly Standard For Lifting Devices and Equipment) went into effect on Aug. 13.

  Policy News

NASA-STD-8719.9 provides NASA-specific requirements for use of Lifting Devices and Equipment (LDE). The NASA-specific requirements should be followed in addition to any Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulations and applicable National Consensus Standards (NCS).

The resulting standard is significantly reduced in size, with a reduction of approximately 75% in the number of “shall” statements.

What Remained the Same

The NASA Alternate Standard for Suspended Load Operations (found in Appendix A) has not changed. In addition, while various technical changes were made and the total number of “shalls” decreased significantly, most requirements did not change. That is, the decision to refrain from repeating regulatory requirements and NCS made mandatory by regulatory requirements does not change their mandatory nature.

What’s New

The following changes were made to the revised standard:

1. Regulatory or mandatory NCS requirements believed to be most commonly applied were removed. The new standard makes clear the requirement to follow those standards without repeating them.

IMPACT

Previously some, but not all, OSHA and applicable NCS requirements were repeated in their respective sections, leading to confusion as to whether any requirements not listed were still mandatory. This confusion is removed (Those requirements always were, and continue to be, mandatory).

2. A general LDE requirements chapter was added. (See Chapter 4.)

IMPACT

Rather than repeating general NASA-specific requirements for each type of LDE, those common requirements are now placed ahead of the series of chapters that address the specific categories of equipment.

3. Detailed appendices were added on critical lift requirements and LDE manager roles, approvals and special permissions appendices. (See Appendices B and C).

IMPACT

The critical lift requirements were brought together into Appendix B to make it easier to identify those applicable to a particular lift and type of equipment.

Similarly, to make it easier for both the LDE manager and user organizations to recognize LDE manager responsibilities and items subject to LDE manager approval, these requirements were gathered into Appendix C.

TAKE ACTION

LDE managers, Safety and Mission Assurance technical authorities, and safety officers should review the changes to this standard and share it with project managers and LDE users.