Mike Tomlin, the former head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers, was known for many things in his coaching career. At age 36, he led the Steelers to a Super Bowl victory over the Arizona Cardinals.
In 19 seasons as a head coach, the Steelers never finished a season with a losing record. He’s also known for his “Tomlinisms” – words of wisdom that shaped the football culture in Pittsburgh. Arguably, his most famous Tomlinism is, “The standard is the standard.” In the sports world, this mantra speaks to the need to focus on the team’s goals day in and day out, regardless of circumstances or personnel. The standard sets the tone for how a team prepares for its season. In the world of safety, a standard sets the tone for how an industry can operate safely and productively.
The National Board Inspection Code (NBIC), published every two years, is an internationally recognized standard for the installation, inspection, and repair/alteration of inservice pressure equipment. Its status as a standard is bolstered by its accreditation as an American National Standard.
This accreditation is given by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), an organization that develops and accredits methods for creating and maintaining standards. The National Board (NBBI) was accredited by ANSI as a standards developer in 1983 and has maintained that accreditation ever since. To maintain this accreditation, NBBI must adhere to ANSI’s rules for openness, balance of interest, and consensus. This article will focus on a key part of openness: Public Review and Comment.
Public Review is a way for any interested party to assess revisions to a standard before those revisions are published in a new edition of that standard. It is an essential ANSI requirement that NBBI, as an accredited standards developer, must follow. The NBIC Committee works over a two-year period to review and approve a set of revisions for the next NBIC edition.
Once this set of revisions has been compiled, the revisions must be made available for public review. NBBI submits a public review request to ANSI and, once approved, posts the list of revisions online for a 45-day review period. Notifications of the public review period are posted in ANSI’s Standards Action and on NBBI’s website and social media pages.
During the 45-day period, interested parties may review the revisions and submit comments. At the conclusion of the 45-day review period, the NBIC Committee meets to discuss any comments and provide responses. These responses are then sent back to the commenters, who have the right to appeal any response that does not adequately address their comment. Once all comments have been addressed, the Committee holds a final online vote to approve the list of revisions for publication.
Public Review is a great way for professionals in the boiler and pressure vessel industry to get involved in the NBIC process. More eyes mean more opportunities to catch and address potential shortcomings/inaccuracies in code revisions, ensuring that each NBIC edition is the best it can be for industry and the public.
Revisions for the 2027 NBIC will be available for public review from late August 2026 through early October 2026. If you would like to participate in this essential part of NBIC development, be sure to monitor NBBI’s website and social media pages for notifications. If you have any questions about the NBIC and its development, please contact the NBIC Secretary at NBICSecretary@nbbi.org.