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Standards Development
International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) standards are produced by
more than 200 technical committees (TCs) and their subcommittees (SCs). The
members of these committees are the national standards bodies (NSBs), e.g. BSI.
A TC covers a specific technical area, and its SCs are appointed to concentrate on
specific areas within the remit of the TC. Under an SC, or under the TC directly,
there are working groups (WGs), whose members are individual experts
nominated by the NSBs.
Documents (standards or TRs) are developed in WGs, with working drafts (WDs)
being circulated by the WG convenor to the WG members and commented on until
the WG is ready to send a draft to ISO. A draft standard from the WG is now sent
out as a CD (committee draft) to the NSBs.
The NSBs’ comments are resolved and a DIS (draft international standard) is
circulated to the NSBs. If the DIS is approved and no technical changes are
introduced in the draft, the project goes straight to publication.
However, if technical changes are introduced, an FDIS (final draft international
standard) is prepared and voted on; no technical changes can be introduced at
this stage. If a TR, rather than a standard, is being prepared, then ISO sends it out
to the NSBs for a single vote.
From the above, to participate in standards-making it is necessary to be involved
in a national standards body; then you can be put on a WG and report back to the
NSB, alternatively, you can comment on the CD, DIS and FDIS as part of the NSB.
This article is written to encourage participation in making standards. Standards
are not infallible: they include engineering judgment where is data are not available
- continuous improvement is always desirable. It is also worth noting that
participation in standards-making is an opportunity not only to share knowledge
but also to gain it
Michael Reader-Harris, Principal Consultant at TÜV SÜD National Engineering
Laboratory. Michael has over 40 years’ experience in flow measurement and is
chair of several standards committees, including BSI CPI 30/2 (British Standards
Institution: differential pressure meters) and OIML TC 8/SC 5 (International
Organisation of Legal Metrology: water meters).
TÜV SÜD National Engineering Laboratory is a world-class provider of technical
consultancy, research, testing and programme management services. Part of the
TÜV SÜD Group, the organisation is also a global centre of excellence for flow
measurement and fluid flow systems and is the UK’s Designated Institute for Flow
Measurement.
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