British standards..info......

[Dave]

Just a quick sumary of what a bsi is!!......dave...
What is a standard?


Put at its simplest, a standard is an agreed, repeatable way of doing something. It is a published document that contains a technical specification or other precise criteria designed to be used consistently as a rule, guideline, or definition. Standards help to make life simpler and to increase the reliability and the effectiveness of many goods and services we use. They are intended to be aspirational - a summary of good and best practice rather than general practice. Standards are created by bringing together the experience and expertise of all interested parties such as the producers, sellers, buyers, users and regulators of a particular material, product, process or service.
Standards are designed for voluntary use and do not impose any regulations. However, laws and regulations may refer to certain standards and make compliance with them compulsory. For example, the physical characteristics and format of credit cards is set out in standard number BS EN ISO/IEC 7810:1996. Adhering to this standard means that the cards can be used worldwide.
Any standard is a collective work. Committees of manufacturers, users, research organizations, government departments and consumers work together to draw up standards that evolve to meet the demands of society and technology. British Standards' staff act as secretaries to these committees and project manage the production of standards. As the world’s oldest National Standards Body, BSI British Standards has over 100 years’ experience of bringing together these often very varied viewpoints and of facilitating consensus.
Electrotechnical standards are harmonized internationally by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC). The British Electrotechnical Committee (BEC), working closely with BSI, ensures that the views of British industry are represented in Europe and worldwide.
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What are the benefits of standards?


Standards are a powerful tool for organizations of all sizes, supporting innovation and increasing productivity. Effective standardization promotes forceful competition and enhances profitability, enabling a business to take a leading role in shaping the industry itself. Standards allow a company to:

• attract and assure customers
• demonstrate market leadership
• create competitive advantage
• develop and maintain best practice.

Standards are powerful marketing tools

The ability to demonstrate compliance with widely recognised and respected standards is an effective means of differentiation in a competitive marketplace. In addition, manufacturing products or supplying services to appropriate standards maximises their compatibility with those manufactured or offered by others, thereby increasing potential sales and widespread acceptance.
As consumers become increasingly informed about their choices, conformity to recognised standards becomes pivotal. An example is the international standard for environmental management (ISO 14001), increasingly used by businesses to demonstrate environmental responsibility.
Standards are a respected badge of quality

Customers look for the independent verification that technical standards provide. Certification marks earned by businesses whose products and practices consistently stand up to rigorous examination are instantly recognizable and act as respected badges of quality, safety and performance.
Standards within business

In modern business, effective communication along the supply chain and with legislative bodies, clients and customers is imperative. Standardization can deliver measurable benefits when applied within the infrastructure of a company itself. Business costs and risks can be minimised, internal processes streamlined and communication improved. Standardization promotes interoperability, providing a competitive edge necessary for the effective worldwide trading of products and services.
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What are the differences between consensus and commissioned standards?


Consensus Standards

All formal standards are developed with a period of public enquiry and full consultation. They incorporate the views and expertise of a very wide range of interests from consumers, academia, special interest groups, government, business and industry. As a result, standards represent a consensus on current best practice.
National standards (BS):

• British Standards (e.g. BS 5839-1, Fire detection and alarm systems for buildings)
• Published Documents (e.g. PD 5500, Specification for unfired fusion welded pressure vessels)

International standards (ISO):

• ISO standards (e.g. ISO 9001, Quality management systems)
• IEC standards (e.g. IEC 90003, Guidelines for the application of ISO 9001:2000 to computer software)
• Publicly Available Specification (ISO/PAS, IEC/PAS)
• Technical Specification (ISO/TS, IEC/TS)
• Technical Report (ISO/TR, IEC/TR).

European standards (EN):

• CEN
• CENELEC
• ETSI
• ECISS
• AECMA.

Commissioned standards

Publicly available specification (PAS)

PASs are developed using a similar process to that of British Standards and are commissioned by an external sponsor, subject to stakeholders consultation and do not require full consensus. These differences between a PAS and formal consensus British Standards enable PASs to be developed and published faster in order to satisfy short term business needs particularly in areas of technology, innovation or service industries. Some PASs may evolve into formal consensus standards (e.g. PAS 56 - Business Continuity, published in 2003 - was replaced by a British Standard (BS25999) in 2006), demonstrating BSI British Standards’ pioneering involvement in business continuity ahead of any other standards maker.
ISO/PAS

An international publicly available specification.
Private standards

BSI can help you design and implement internal standards that ensure consistency, consensus and cost-savings throughout your organization.
Visit the Professional Services microsite for more information on commissioned standards.
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How are standards made?


The task of drafting formal full consensus standards (BS, EN, ISO) is usually delegated by a technical committee or subcommittee to a drafting group or panel. Occasionally a committee may commission a consultant to complete the drafting.
There are specific rules for drafting standards that must be adhered to. These are designed to ensure that standards meet their aim of providing, for common and repeated use, rules guidelines or characteristics for activities. They are founded on usability, verifiability and commonality.
Lead times for standards vary from a matter of months to several years. British Standards are usually developed within 12–15 months, whilst international standards take around 3 years. Commissioned standards such as PAS and PS can be developed within months to meet customer requirements.
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How are standards used?


The use of standards is increasingly becoming a prerequisite to worldwide trade. A very large percentage of export is influenced by the European and international standards business. For instance all European Union standards are automatically adopted as British Standards.
Although standards are designed for voluntary use and do not impose any regulations, by law many industry bodies and trade associations require products (e.g. motorcycle helmets) to conform to a British Standard or a European Directive before they can be offered for sale in the UK or EU. This is to ensure that countries and companies can compete on equal terms.
Standards are also used as flexible alternative to regulation. Read more about how standards support lighter-touch regulation; download 'Enabling Lighter Touch Regulation' (pdf 3.49MB)
In fast-moving industries and sectors, standards can also offer huge savings in Research and Development costs. Where common platforms for technological advances are established, tested and shared with all interested parties this can ensure commercial viability and consumer confidence.
Standards are essential to trade in increasingly competitive markets. They ensure any business offering products, services or processes is:

• cost-effective and time efficient
• commercially viable
• credible
• safe.

They can also make significant impact on society at large. For example, as purchasers or users of products we would soon notice of they turned out to be of poor quality, do not fit, are incompatible with equipment we already have, are unreliable or dangerous. We are usually unaware of the role played by standards in raising levels of quality, safety, reliability, efficiency and interchangeability - as well as in providing such benefits at an economical cost.
A standard that illustrates this is:

• BS 8300:2001 Design of buildings and their approaches to meet the needs of disabled people - Code of practice

Above all, any business, large or small, can benefit from the conformity and integrity that standards will bring. Through the development and adoption of best practice guidelines companies and organizations can make sure they are meeting consumer concerns and keeping up with best practice.

[jamesy07]

Does anybody have a link or know of the british standards for wall and floor tiling, ie what are the numbers i should be looking for, i know these can be expensive to buy but i have sourced a libary where i can get hold of them

BS 5385 is the code of practice relating to wall and floor tiling. There are five parts to it bs5385-1, bs5385-2 etc etc.

Good place to start. I think they make reference to any other relevant standards.