Value is delivered when state-of-the-art engineering and best practices are delivered in a cost paradigm that is “as low as reasonably practicable.” Cost ultimately drives decisions to invest in technology. Early in my career, our customers repeatedly told us that we may have the best air quality device ever invented, but if the price is too high, it would not be adopted on a wide scale.
This was not lost on the working group that developed ISO 23875, which had years of experience in the real world. Many of the working group's decisions were made knowing that the standard would only be used if it met the "as low as reasonably practicable” test.
To achieve this objective, the following decisions were made. First, the engineering controls were designed to allow for competition in the marketplace; the standard requires a specific outcome, leaving the cab engineers to figure out how to achieve the performance needed by utilizing sound engineering and purchasing practices. Secondly, the testing was designed to be performed in field conditions and does not require a laboratory. Lastly, machine maintenance utilizes standardized replacement parts, reducing part numbers and providing economies of scale when buying replacement parts.
In a previous post, we discussed the rationale for the development of Amendment 1, which was published in June 2022. The amendment removed costly testing requirements that did not add value
In summary, ISO 23875 provides acceptable operator enclosure air quality while reducing operational costs to "as low as reasonably practicable".
Check out the ISEEE online course on implementing ISO 23875 with Amendment 1. This course will accelerate your understanding of the standard and provide time-saving templates for the required maintenance manual and performance tests.