Term: British Standards
**British Standards Overview:**
– BSI Group founded in 1901 to standardize steel sections.
– Evolution to cover engineering, quality, safety, and security aspects.
– Decentralized creation of standards within BSI.
– Technical committees approve British Standards.
– Over 27,000 active standards.
– Some British Standards replaced by European Standards (EN).
– Standards encourage common specifications adherence.
**Status and Development of British Standards:**
– Various standard statuses: Confirmed, Current, Obsolescent, Superseded.
– Continuous review and development of standards.
– Withdrawn standards are no longer current.
– Ongoing standard development with work in hand.
– Keywords indicate the state of the standard for use or revision.
**Examples of British Standards:**
– Examples like BS 0, BS 1, BS 4 for structural purposes.
– Standards for fire resistance, welding, and sound insulation.
– Specifications for weighing instruments, cricket balls, and electric cables.
– Quality management standards and software testing.
– PAS for flexible standards development and accessible websites.
**Availability and Importance of British Standards:**
– Copies sold at BSI Online Shop, accessible via BSOL subscription.
– Available in libraries and BSI Knowledge Centre in London.
– Importance in ensuring quality, safety, and regulatory compliance.
– Enhancing interoperability, boosting consumer confidence, and facilitating trade.
– Development process involving industry experts, consensus-based approach, and global impact through ISO adoption.
**Benefits and International Recognition of British Standards:**
– Compliance benefits: Access to new markets, competitive advantage, risk reduction.
– Alignment with best practices, improved efficiency, and access to global trade.
– Widely adopted in over 150 countries, harmonization with European and ISO standards.
– Promotes consistency in quality and safety, supports sustainable development.
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.
— BSI Royal Charter, Faller and Graham
Formally, as stated in a 2002 memorandum of understanding between the BSI and the United Kingdom Government, British Standards are defined as:
"British Standards" means formal consensus standards as set out in BS 0-1 paragraph 3.2 and based upon the principles of standardisation recognised inter alia in European standardisation policy.
— Memorandum of Understanding Between the United Kingdom Government and the British Standards Institution in Respect of its Activities as the United Kingdom's National Standards Body, United Kingdom Department for Business, Innovation, and Skills
Products and services which BSI certifies as having met the requirements of specific standards within designated schemes are awarded the Kitemark.