Revision guide on British Standards

BSI

The British Standards Institution (BSI) is an organisation that brings together experts from across the design and manufacturing industries to help devise Standards by which products and services are measured. Consumers or users of products are also included and their views are listened to. BSI was the first Standards organisation in the world with its history dating back to 1901. It is independent from government and trade and industry associations and is a non-profit distributing organisation. This means that all the profit it makes goes back into the services it provides.

What is a Standard?

A Standard is a guide that companies who design and make things should follow. A Standard tells manufacturers how their products and services can be safe and of a certain quality. The Standard may state maximum or minimum sizes, or thickness of certain parts of an object. It may state certain colours that need to be used for things to be safe and ensure that they are seen at night, or it may state a specific way of making a product in the factory. For example, there is a Standard specifying the format which all credit card manufacturers need to follow. This tells companies that their credit cards need to be a certain size to ensure they fit in all cash machines worldwide. Imagine what it would be like if your card would not fit into a cash machine while you were abroad on holiday...

Why do we have Standards?

There are currently over 20,000 British Standards. Standards affect our daily lives in many ways, making life easier, safer and healthier. Imagine if bulbs from different companies didn't fit the lamps in your home, or that CDs didn't fit all CD players. Without Standards for people to follow, then all our products would behave slightly differently, making them hard to operate when they needed attention, fixing or programming. Standards are created for many different products and services, including pet food, furniture, bikes, televisions, toys and even fabric colours.

How can we show we have Standards?

If a product passes all of the specified independent tests that make up a particular Standard, manufacturers can indicate this by displaying a certification mark on its surface. Products that have not undergone the testing process are not allowed to do so.

What are the marks?

The most recognised marking of a product that has been made to meet a Standard is the Kitemark. When you see a product with this mark on, it means the product has met the Standard associated with that particular type of object. For example a Kitemark found on an electrical plug means that the plug's design has been tested by BSI against the safety Standard for electric plugs. This means that users can be sure that this particular plug is safe and of a high quality. Products that do not have the Kitemark simply do not have the same safety guarantees.

Another mark is CE marking. As all of the countries in Europe make products and sell them to each other, it is important that consumers and suppliers know that they are producing, selling and buying goods that are reliable and compatible. CE marking is designed to remove European Trade barriers, which are the legal regulations that sometimes slow projects down – known as 'red tape'. A product showing CE marking means it meets these European regulations. It is not a safety or quality mark. Some products show both marks.

How is a Standard produced?

As with all good designing and manufacturing solutions, group work is involved. A Standard is produced when a team of experienced experts discuss, and then decide what would make a particular product safe, reliable and of a high quality. Different experts will be used depending on the particular product or service that needs to be standardized. Consumers, or users of products, are also listened to. These experts then create a list of rules, guidelines and tests that need to be applied to that product. The first version is known as a draft Standard. The draft Standard is then released to all those who may design, make, or use, that particular product, so that they can comment on it.

The group of experts then looks at the comments and further discussions are held. When these are complete, and agreement on the wording is met, the final Standard is published. These processes are similar to the evaluation exercises or product analysis that you undertake in project work, where everyone is involved and puts in ideas and suggestions for improvements. The final Standard is identified with letters and numbers, and a date. If a Standard is used in the United Kingdom, it contains the letters BS. If it is used in Europe, it contains the letters EN, and if it is used in countries across the world, it contains the letters ISO.

Standards are updated regularly to make sure they meet the needs of manufacturers, sellers and users, as these may change.

Who pays for them?

BSI sells published Standards and offers companies advice and training on how to use them. The government also makes a contribution. This money is then used to help produce new Standards and to update existing ones.