The American National Standard for Arboricultural Operations—Safety Requirements (commonly referred to as the Z133 standard) is a United States safety standard for use across the arboriculture industry. The current edition of the Z133 was published in 2017. Since that year, the Z133 Committee has drafted revisions to refine the standard, ensure better safety outcomes, and keep pace with developments in the industry. The new standard is expected to be published in 2025 after completion of an audit and approval by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). More about this new publication and its role in arboricultural safety in the United States can be found in the April Issue of Arborist News, available to ISA members.

As ISA prepares for publication of the new edition, the Z133 Committee has also seen a transition. The chair, vice chair, and committee members involved in developing the forthcoming 2025 edition have stepped down to make way for a newly selected committee that will continue to review the standard to ensure it stays up to date and relevant over the next five-year (2030) committee cycle.

ISA received many qualified applicants to serve on the Z133 Committee for the 2030 cycle. There are a limited number of seats available. The Z133 Committee’s Nomination Task Group made selections to ensure a balance of interest categories were represented on the 2030 committee. We are pleased to announce the members and leadership of the 2030 Z133 Committee on the Z133 website’s membership page.

While there are limited seats on the Z133 Committee, participation in the Z133 standards process is open to all parties who are directly and materially interested in the standard. Participation is available through voting membership on the consensus committee, through membership on task groups, through service as chair or vice chair, by meeting participation as an interested party, or by public review and comment.

The first meeting of the 2030 Z133 Committee will be taking place on 23 April 2025 and is open to anyone who would like to be involved, though registration is required. The focus of this meeting is onboarding and training for the new cycle. More information about meeting registration and other news and updates related to the Z133 can be found on the Z133 website.