GENERAL OVERVIEW Committee F08 on Sports Equipment and Facilities was organized in 1969. F08 meets twice a year, in May and November, with approximately 100 members attending various subcommittee meetings over four days. The committee has a membership of 600 who participate on one or more of its 25 technical subcommittees. F08 has developed 125 standards that are published in November in the Annual Book of ASTM Standards, Volume 15.07. Information on subcommittee structure and F08’s portfolio of approved standards and Work Items under development is available from the List of Subcommittees, Standards, and Work Items below. F08’s focus continues to be the development and review of standards for sports equipment, surfaces, and facilities to reduce inherent risk of injuries and promote knowledge as it relates to these standards. ACTIVITIES, PRODUCTS, AND SERVICES Current areas of activity in F08 include sports helmets and protective equipment, bats and balls, bicycles, camping and climbing equipment, sports surfacing and shoes, sports and fitness equipment, ice rinks, skate parks, and other facilities. Committee F08 subcommittees respond to consumer and industry needs in their areas of specialization. The first standard developed by the Committee was F 355, Test Method for Shock-Absorbing Properties of Playing Surface Systems and Materials. Today, standards for surfacing, both artificial and natural, continue to be priorities for the Committee. At the same time, the Committee continues to embrace new activities and new stakeholders in an effort to promote safety in sports and recreation. F08 conducts either a workshop or a symposium at nearly every meeting. These programs provide an opportunity for members and others to present their research findings and exchange information. Often the discussion identifies critical areas facing today’s emerging technologies and forms the technical basis for the development of new and revised ASTM International standards. PARTICIPATING AS A MEMBER ON THE COMMITTEE ASTM International opens its doors to all technical experts with an interest in the standardization process. As a member of ASTM Committee F08, you will be exposed to the robust resources and member benefits included below that have helped make ASTM a worldwide standards development leader for more than a century: Network with industry professionals worldwide Receive one free volume of the Annual Book of ASTM Standards (in print or CD) Use Internet-based Standards Development Forums and E-Balloting Receive discounts on all ASTM publications Keep up to date through a free subscription to ASTM’s monthly magazine - Standardization News Benefit from reduced fees for attendance at ASTM symposia and technical workshops And more Members can participate from anywhere because of ASTM’s customized web-based systems. The best way to contribute as a member is to (1) participate in task group activities that are of interest (both virtually and in person), and (2) vote on ballots and provide feedback and recommendations. To participate in standards activities, start by identifying Work Items of interest by reviewing the List of Subcommittees, Standards, and Work Items on the F08 home page. Contact task group leaders for those areas of interest by reviewing the Work Item summary pages and securing contact information available through the on-line roster in the member area. To make the most of your voting and participation overall, be sure to stipulate which specific subcommittees you wish to participate in when you join so that you will receive notices of ballots that open within these groups. ASTM Committee F08 regularly holds new member orientation meetings at its biannual meetings. The new member orientation provides new members with a brief overview of the Committee and creates an opportunity to meet some of the F08 officers. More information on the ASTM process is available at the ASTM website under Member and Officer Training. STAKEHOLDERS Participation by a diverse group of international stakeholders helps to create consensus standards that advance the entire industry and speed the market adoption of new technologies. F08 represents more than 600 participants from 11 countries worldwide. Committee members who are employed by companies or organizations that produce or sell materials, products, systems, or services are classified as producers. Academics and consultants make up the general interest classification and users may include laboratories, associations, and other government agencies. RELATIONSHIP WITH INDUSTRY, GOVERNMENT, AND REGULATION Committee F08 continues to make significant changes to its specifications and test methods to encompass new materials and to minimize injuries. The standards developed and maintained by the Committee contribute by providing recognized safety and reliability measurements, protecting against liability through their use in contracts, providing a means of quality control, contributing to the proficiency of laboratories, and providing a basis for training and certification of qualified personnel. The Committee works closely with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to make products safer for consumers. CPSC is an independent federal regulatory agency established in 1972 and charged with addressing unreasonable risks of death and injury associated with more than 15,000 types of consumer products. The Consumer Product Safety Act was amended in 1981 to encourage the CPSC to take full account of voluntary standards in its consumer product safety efforts. Since 1990, CPSC staff has worked cooperatively with industry and other interested parties to complete seven times more voluntary standards than mandatory rules. Staff members from the U.S. Access Board, an independent federal agency devoted to accessibility for people with disabilities, serve on the Committee to provide their expertise in the requirements of accessible design and to promote accessibility in F08 facility standards. Committee F08 also works closely with third-party certifiers who are in the business of certifying products that meet ASTM or other standards. It is important for the certifying bodies to be involved in ASTM to understand the intent of the test methods and specifications so they can better implement testing practices in their facilities. Many rules from the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and National Federation of State High School Associations reference ASTM Committee F08 standards. The NCAA serves as a governance and administrative structure through which its members maintain committees to write and interpret playing rules in 13 sports. Likewise, the high school federation publishes playing rules, available in 16 sports for boys and girls, which govern virtually all high school competition in the United States. LIAISON F08 has working relationships with many associations interested in the improvement of safety in sports. Standards developers work together to avoid overlap, and they often share resources. The list of affiliated organizations continues to grow as the scope of the Committee’s activities expands. Committee F08 holds the U.S. Technical Advisory Groups (TAGs) for the following International Organization for Standardization (ISO) Technical Committees (TCs) and Subcommittees (SCs). ISO TC 94 on Personal safety – Protective clothing and equipment and ISO TC 94/SC 6 on Eye protection. This activity is closely related to Subcommittee F08.57 on Eye Safety for Sports. ISO TC 149 on Cycles and ISO TC 149/SC 1 on Cycles and major sub-assemblies. This activity meets as Subcommittee F08.96 and is closely related to Subcommittee F08.10 on Bicycles. ISO TC 83/SC 5 on Ice hockey equipment and facilities. This activity meets as Subcommittee F08.97 and is closely related to F08.15 on Ice Hockey. LINKS AND INFORMATION The following websites have been identified by Committee F08 to contain information of interest. Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute: www.bhsi.org The Hockey Equipment Certification Council (HECC): www.hecc.net International Play Equipment Manufacturers Association (IPEMA): www.ipema.org Protective Eyewear Certification Council (PECC): www.protecteyes.org Protective Headgear Manufacturers' Association (PHMA): www.phma.org U.S. Access Board: www.access-board.gov

Back to Main Committee Page