Types of standards

STANDARDIZATION — An activity of establishing, with regard to actual or potential problems, provisions for common and repeated use, aimed at the achievement of the optimum degree of order in a given context.

NOTE 1   In particular, the activity consists of the processes of formulating, issuing and implementing standards.

NOTE 2   Important benefits of standardization are improvement of the suitability of products, processes and services for their intended purposes, prevention of barriers to trade and facilitation of technological cooperation.

STANDARD — Document established by consensus and approved by a recognized body, that provides for common and repeated use, rules, guidelines or characteristics for activities or their results, aimed at the achievement of the optimum degree of order in a given context.

NOTE      Standards should be based on the consolidated results of science, technology and experience, and aimed at promotion of the optimum community benefits.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATION — Document that prescribes technical requirements to be fulfilled by a product, process or service.

NOTE 1   A Technical specification should indicate whenever appropriate, the procedures by means of which it may be determined whether the requirements given are fulfilled.

NOTE 2   A technical specification may be a standard, a part of a standard or independent of a standard.

REGULATION — Document providing binding legislative rules that is adopted by an authority.

TECHNICAL REGULATION — Regulation that provides technical requirements, either directly or by referring to or incorporating the contents of standard, technical specification or a code of practice.

NOTE   A technical regulation may be supplemented by technical guidance that outlines some means of compliance with the requirements of the regulation, i.e. deemed–to–satisfy provision.

CODE OF PRACTICE — Document that recommends practices or procedures for the design, manufacture, installation, maintenance or utilization of equipment, structures or products.

NOTE      A code of practice may be a standard, a part of a standard or independent of a standard.

CONSENSUS — general agreement, characterized by the absence of sustained opposition to substantial issues by any important part of the concerned interests and by a process that involves seeking to take into account the views of all parties concerned and to reconcile any conflicting arguments

NOTE      Consensus need not imply unanimity.

ORGANIZATION — A group of people and facilities with an arrangement of responsibilities, authorities and relationships. It can be a company, corporation, firm, enterprise, institution, charity, sole trader, association, or parts or combination thereof.