What is BSI?

The British Standards Institution (BSI) is a large organisation that brings together experts from across the designing and manufacturing industries to help create the Standards by which products are measured. BSI was the first Standards organisation in the world, with its history dating back to 1901. It is separate from both government and trade and industry associations and makes no profit for itself.

What is a Standard and why do we have Standards?

Imagine if light bulbs from different companies didn't fit the lamps in your home, or that computer CDs didn't fit all CD machines...

Imagine if a bike pump you purchased in one shop didn't fit your tyre from another shop...

Imagine if the wheels on trains didn't fit the tracks up and down the country, or that television plugs didn't fit wall sockets...

Standards make life easier by making products work better and ensuring quality. Without Standards for manufacturers to follow, all our products would behave slightly differently, making them hard to operate, fix or programme.

A Standard is a guide – a rule if you like – that all companies who design and make things need to follow. A Standard tells companies how their products and services can be safe and of a certain quality. The Standard may state maximum or minimum sizes, or specify thickness of certain parts of an object. It may state that certain colours must be used to make things safe and ensure they can be seen at night. A Standard could even be a specific way of making something in a factory.

Many products display a Kitemark. This means that the product meets a specific Standard, and has been successfully tested, and the company making it is entitled to display the Kitemark. This indicates to consumers (people who buy or use them) that they can feel confident about the quality of the product, as it will have undergone tests relating to the Standard before the Kitemark is awarded. When you complete your own designs, consider how the resulting product would meet specific quality and safety Standards.