International standard

Last updated

Aninternational standard is a technical standard developed by one or more international standards organizations. International standards are available for consideration and use worldwide. The most prominent such organization is the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). Other prominent international standards organizations including the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC). Together, these three organizations have formed the World Standards Cooperation alliance.

Contents

Purpose

International standards may be used either by direct application or by a process of modifying an international standard to suit local conditions. Adopting international standards results in creating national standards that are equivalent, or substantially the same as international standards in technical content, but may have (i) editorial differences as to appearance, use of symbols and measurement units, substitution of a point for a comma as the decimal marker, and (ii) differences resulting from conflicts in government regulations or industry-specific requirements caused by fundamental climatic, geographic, technologic, or infrastructure factors, or the stringency of safety requirements that a given standard authority considers appropriate.[ citation needed ]

International standards are one way to overcome technical barriers in international commerce caused by differences among technical regulations and standards developed independently and separately by each nation, national standards organization, or business. Technical barriers arise when different groups come together, each with a large user base, doing some well established thing that between them is mutually incompatible. Establishing international standards is one way of preventing or overcoming this problem. To support this, the World Trade Organization (WTO) Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee published the "Six Principles" guiding members in the development of international standards. [1]

History

Standardization

Graphic representation of formulae for the pitches of threads of screw bolts JFIScrewThread300.png
Graphic representation of formulae for the pitches of threads of screw bolts

The implementation of standards in industry and commerce became highly important with the onset of the Industrial Revolution and the need for high-precision machine tools and interchangeable parts. Henry Maudslay developed the first industrially practical screw-cutting lathe in 1800, which allowed for the standardisation of screw thread sizes for the first time. [2]

Maudslay's work, as well as the contributions of other engineers, accomplished a modest amount of industry standardization; some companies' in-house standards spread a bit within their industries. Joseph Whitworth's screw thread measurements were adopted as the first (unofficial) national standard by companies around the country in . It came to be known as the British Standard Whitworth, and was widely adopted in other countries. [3]

By differences in standards between companies were making trade increasingly difficult and strained. The Engineering Standards Committee was established in London in as the world's first national standards body. [4] [5] After the First World War, similar national bodies were established in other countries. The Deutsches Institut für Normung was set up in Germany in , followed by its counterparts, the American National Standard Institute and the French Commission Permanente de Standardisation, both in . [2]

There are not many books that cover standards in general, but a book written in by Nicholas Rich and Tegwen Malik gives a very comprehensive overview of the history of standards, how ISO standards are drafted along with key ISO standards such as ISO 9001 and ISO 14001. [6] A paper has been published explaining the differences between international standards and private standards. [7]

International organizations

R. E. B. Crompton founded one of the first international standards bodies, the International Electrotechnical Commission, in 1906. Colonel R. E. B. Crompton.webp
R. E. B. Crompton founded one of the first international standards bodies, the International Electrotechnical Commission, in 1906.

One of the most well established international standardization organizations is the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), a specialized agency of the United Nations which was founded on 17 May 1865 as the International Telegraph Union. The ITU was initially focused on the standardization of telegraph signals, and later evolved to include telephony, radio and satellite communications, and other information and communication technology. [8]

By , efforts were being made to standardize electrical measurement. An important figure was R. E. B. Crompton, who became concerned by the large range of different standards and systems used by electrical engineering companies and scientists in . Many companies had entered the market in and all chose their own settings for voltage, frequency, current and even the symbols used on circuit diagrams. Adjacent buildings would have totally incompatible electrical systems simply because they had been fitted out by different companies. Crompton could see the lack of efficiency in this system and began to consider proposals for an international standard for electric engineering. [9]

In , Crompton represented Britain at the Louisiana Purchase Exposition in St. Louis as part of a delegation by the Institute of Electrical Engineers. He presented a paper on standardisation, which was so well received that he was asked to look into the formation of a commission to oversee the process. [10] By , his work was complete and he drew up a permanent constitution for the first international standards organization, the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC). [11] The body held its first meeting that year in London, with representatives from 14 countries. In honour of his contribution to electrical standardisation, Lord Kelvin was elected as the body's first President. [12]

Memorial plaque of founding ISA in Prague. Memory plaque of founding ISA in Prague cropped.jpg
Memorial plaque of founding ISA in Prague.

The International Federation of the National Standardizing Associations (ISA) was founded in with a broader remit to enhance international cooperation for all technical standards and specifications. The body was suspended in during World War II.[ citation needed ]

After the war, ISA was approached by the recently formed United Nations Standards Coordinating Committee (UNSCC) with a proposal to form a new global standards body. In , ISA and UNSCC delegates from 25 countries met in London and agreed to join forces to create the International Organization for Standardization (ISO); the organization officially began operations in . [13]

Global standards

Global standards are also referred to as industry or private standards, which are designed and developed with the entire world in mind. Unlike international standards, these standards are not developed in international organizations or standards setting organizations (SSO) which follow a consensus process. Instead, these standards are developed by private sector entities, like NGOs and for-profit organizations, often without transparency, openness, or consensus considerations. [14]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">American National Standards Institute</span> American non-profit organization that develops standards

The American National Standards Institute is a private nonprofit organization that oversees the development of voluntary consensus standards for products, services, processes, systems, and personnel in the United States. The organization also coordinates U.S. standards with international standards so that American products can be used worldwide.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">British Standards</span> Standards produced by BSI Group

British Standards (BS) are the standards produced by the BSI Group which is incorporated under a royal charter and which is formally designated as the national standards body (NSB) for the UK. The BSI Group produces British Standards under the authority of the charter, which lays down as one of the BSI's objectives to:

Set up standards of quality for goods and services, and prepare and promote the general adoption of British Standards and schedules in connection therewith and from time to time to revise, alter and amend such standards and schedules as experience and circumstances require.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">International Organization for Standardization</span> International standards development organization

The International Organization for Standardization is an independent, non-governmental, international standard development organization composed of representatives from the national standards organizations of member countries. Membership requirements are given in Article 3 of the ISO Statutes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">International Electrotechnical Commission</span> International standards organization

The International Electrotechnical Commission is an international standards organization that prepares and publishes international standards for all electrical, electronic and related technologies – collectively known as "electrotechnology". IEC standards cover a vast range of technologies from power generation, transmission and distribution to home appliances and office equipment, semiconductors, fibre optics, batteries, solar energy, nanotechnology and marine energy as well as many others. The IEC also manages four global conformity assessment systems that certify whether equipment, system or components conform to its international standards.

Standardization or standardisation is the process of implementing and developing technical standards based on the consensus of different parties that include firms, users, interest groups, standards organizations and governments. Standardization can help maximize compatibility, interoperability, safety, repeatability, or quality. It can also facilitate a normalization of formerly custom processes.

A standards organization, standards body, standards developing organization (SDO), or standards setting organization (SSO) is an organization whose primary function is developing, coordinating, promulgating, revising, amending, reissuing, interpreting, or otherwise contributing to the usefulness of technical standards to those who employ them. Such an organization works to create uniformity across producers, consumers, government agencies, and other relevant parties regarding terminology, product specifications, protocols, and more. Its goals could include ensuring that Company A's external hard drive works on Company B's computer, an individual's blood pressure measures the same with Company C's sphygmomanometer as it does with Company D's, or that all shirts that should not be ironed have the same icon on the label.

Information security standards or cyber security standards are techniques generally outlined in published materials that attempt to protect the cyber environment of a user or organization. This environment includes users themselves, networks, devices, all software, processes, information in storage or transit, applications, services, and systems that can be connected directly or indirectly to networks.

The Spanish Association for Standardization and Certification is an entity dedicated to the development of Standardization and Certification in all Spanish industrial and service sectors.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">BSI Group</span> National standards body of the UK

The British Standards Institution (BSI) is the national standards body of the United Kingdom. BSI produces technical standards on a wide range of products and services and also supplies certification and standards-related services to businesses.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ISO/TC 37</span> Technical committee within the International Organization for Standardization

ISO/TC 37 is a technical committee within the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) that prepares standards and other documents concerning methodology and principles for terminology and language resources.

ISO/IEC JTC 1, entitled "Information technology", is a joint technical committee (JTC) of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC). Its purpose is to develop, maintain and promote standards in the fields of information and communications technology (ICT).

A Publicly Available Specification or PAS is a standardization document that closely resembles a formal standard in structure and format but which has a different development model. The objective of a Publicly Available Specification is to speed up standardization. PASs are often produced in response to an urgent market need.

Transport standards organisations is an article transport Standards organisations, consortia and groups that are involved in producing and maintaining standards that are relevant to the global transport technology, transport journey planning and transport ticket/retailing industry. Transport systems are inherently distributed systems with complex information requirements. Robust modern standards for transport data are important for the safe and efficient operation of transport systems. These include:

ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC 27 Information security, cybersecurity and privacy protection is a standardization subcommittee of the Joint Technical Committee ISO/IEC JTC 1 of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC). ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC 27 develops International Standards, Technical Reports, and Technical Specifications within the field of information security. Standardization activity by this subcommittee includes general methods, management system requirements, techniques and guidelines to address information security, cybersecurity and privacy. Drafts of International Standards by ISO/IEC JTC 1 or any of its subcommittees are sent out to participating national standardization bodies for ballot, comments and contributions. Publication as an ISO/IEC International Standard requires approval by a minimum of 75% of the national bodies casting a vote. The international secretariat of ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC 27 is the Deutsches Institut für Normung (DIN) located in Germany.

ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC 39 Sustainability for and by Information Technology is a standardization subcommittee of the Joint Technical Committee ISO/IEC JTC 1 of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), that develops and facilitates standards within the field of sustainability and resource efficiency through Information Technology. The international secretariat of ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC 39 is the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), located in the United States.

ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC 7 Software and systems engineering is a standardization subcommittee of the Joint Technical Committee ISO/IEC JTC 1 of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), that develops and facilitates standards within the field of engineering of software products and systems. The international secretariat of ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC 7 is the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) located in India.

Note: This special working group has been disbanded.

ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC 25 Interconnection of information technology equipment is a standardization subcommittee of the Joint Technical Committee ISO/IEC JTC 1, of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), which develops and facilitates standards within the field of interconnection of information technology equipment. The international secretariat of ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC 25 is the Deutsches Institut für Normung (DIN) located in Germany.

ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC 6 Telecommunications and information exchange between systems is a standardization subcommittee of the Joint Technical Committee ISO/IEC JTC 1. It is part of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), which develops and facilitates standards within the field of telecommunications and information exchange between systems.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cyprus Organisation for Standardisation</span>

The Cyprus Organisation for Standardisation, or CYS, is the national standardisation body of Cyprus, whose principal activity is the production of standards and the supply of standards-related services.

References

  1. "Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations". wto.org. World Trade Organization. Retrieved 20 September 2021.
  2. 1 2 Wang Ping (April 2011), A Brief History of Standards and Standardization Organizations: A Chinese Perspective (PDF), EAST-WEST CENTER WORKING PAPERS, archived from the original (PDF) on 2019-06-12, retrieved 2014-01-13
  3. Gilbert, K. R., & Galloway, D. F., 1978, "Machine Tools". In C. Singer, et al., (Eds.), A history of technology. Oxford, Clarendon Press & Lee, S. (Ed.), 1900, Dictionary of national biography, Vol LXI. Smith Elder, London
  4. "BSI Group Annual Report and Financial Statements 2010, page 2" (PDF). Retrieved 2012-04-03.
  5. Robert C McWilliam. BSI: The first hundred years. 2001. Thanet Press. London
  6. Page, Kogan. "International Standards for Design and Manufacturing". Kogan Page. Retrieved 2021-08-22.
  7. International standards and private standards. International Organization for Standardization. 2010. ISBN   978-92-67-10518-5 . Retrieved 26 September 2021.
  8. "Discover ITU's History".
  9. Colonel Crompton, IEC Website Archived 2010-09-03 at the Wayback Machine
  10. Johnson, J & Randell, W (1948) Colonel Crompton and the Evolution of the Electrical Industry, Longman Green.
  11. Chris K. Dyer; Patrick T. Moseley; Zempachi Ogumi; David A. J. Rand; Bruno Scrosati Newnes (2010). Encyclopedia of Electrochemical Power Sources. p. 540. ISBN   9780444527455.
  12. IEC. "1906 Preliminary Meeting Report" (PDF). The minutes from our first meeting. pp. 46–48. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 May 2019. Retrieved 21 October 2012.
  13. Friendship among equals: Recollections from ISO's first fifty years (PDF). International Organization for Standardization. 1997. pp. 15–18. ISBN   92-67-10260-5 . Retrieved 26 December 2013.
  14. Kellermann, Martin (2019). "3.3 Private Standards". Ensuring Quality to Gain Access to Global Markets: A Reform Toolkit (PDF). Washington, DC: International Bank for Reconstruction and Development / The World Bank and Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB). pp. 45–68. ISBN   978-1-4648-1372-6.