Why does it have to be a conspiracy? How about decision by committee. LIke adopting a new tool, new ideas take time to permeate and be accepted by an organization. There are the innovators, early adopters, early majority, late majority and the curmudgeonly laggards. In a committee the makeup too often leans in favor of those that fit the latter categories. Do they more often represent large companies, of course. These are the ones that have the greatest expenses in having to comply and are most under the gun to do so. Small companies tending to fly under the radar can just ignore or if headed by a shrewd innovator or early adopter, use new ideas to their advantage competitively.
In many ways, it's agreeing on the wording to be used vs. the idea itself that can be the stumbling block - just look at the haggling over "shall" and "should". Consider the expense of updating all the printed and electronic media. The dissemination of the new materials and the collection and disposal of the old.
Get on the ANSI committees, get involved to champion these changes. Otherwise take note and be sure to educate your crews on the variations on the theme. It is not written in stone.
