Standards News

The focus of the issue is standards for sports and leisure. The issue contains articles which describe how international standards offer practical tools for dealing with the many issues and challenges facing the organisers of a global event like the Olympics; and the application and development of international standards in different aspects of sports and leisure, such as supplying artificial turf, safety requirements for stationary training equipment during use, provision of services by golf courses, and safety in sailing, skiing and diving.
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Copies of ISO Focus are available at Product Standards Library, ITC for perusal.

The issue focuses on environmental labelling and contains a special report on ISO 14020 series of standards which provides businesses with a globally recognised and credible set of international benchmarks against which they can prepare the environmental labelling they increasingly provide on products and in advertising, in response to consumer demand. The issue also contains an article showing how ISO's management system standards – ISO 9001 (quality management) and ISO 14001 (environmental management) are emerging as powerful tools for churches and religious organisations seeking to improve accountability, increase donations, reduce negative environmental impacts and demonstrate social responsibility.
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Copies of ISO Management Systems are available at Product Standards Library, ITC for perusal.

The July issue is a special Olympics issue which contains a number of articles on relationship between standards and the Olympic Games. The developments of standards and sports are closely related and they promote and develop each other. Standards touch nearly every aspect of our daily lives and bring connections between the Olympics and the environment, quality management, building, infrastructure, transport and information.
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Copies of China Standardisation are available at Product Standards Library, ITC for perusal.

The newly published ISO/IEC 10779:2008, Information technology – Office equipment accessibility guidelines for elderly persons and persons with disability, provides guidelines for the design and evaluation of office equipment to facilitate their operation by persons with the widest range of capabilities, including persons with disabilities or with temporary disabilities. It provides guidelines to be used when planning, developing and designing office equipment such as copying machines, page printers and multi-function devices. It outlines specifications for operation, display (e.g. auditory), mechanical operable controls (e.g. position, shapes), terms (e.g. commonly used expressions), and maintenance (e.g. care of equipment and parts replacement by users). It also includes provisions for evaluation, feedback and user support requirements.
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World Standards Day this year will be on 14 October 2008. The theme this year is “Intelligent and sustainable buildings”. International standards provide the means by which desirable principles such as quality life, safety and security, interoperability making possible the use of diverse products, services and sources, information and communication technology connectivity are translated into practical application and implemented efficiently and effectively on a global scale.
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2. 2008 World Standards Day Message >>

A new Kitemark scheme has been launched to improve child safety online. Launched by the UK Home Secretary in April 2008, the Kitemark for Child Safety Online and its supporting guidance set the standard for internet filtering software for internet browsing packages used on home computers. Only products that pass a series of rigorous independent tests - including the ability to restrict access to websites featuring pornography, racism and violence - will be awarded the Kitemark to demonstrate conformity. The Kitemark not only looks at the effectiveness of the software, but also the ease with which it can be installed, the completeness of the user information, the ability to provide online support and the ability for a parent to be able to put a security password in to prevent things being changed.
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3. more about Kitemark >>

The US Department of Energy published the final rule on standards that are applicable to residential furnaces and boilers taking effect as from 27 August 2008.
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The recently released standard ISO 15270:2008, Plastics – Guidelines for the recovery and recycling of plastics waste establishes the different options for the recovery of plastics waste arising from pre-consumer and post-consumer sources. The standard will assist in the selection of methodologies and processes for the management of post-use plastics that may be approached using various strategies.
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The Portable Document Format (PDF), a widely used digital form for electronic documents, is now accessible as an ISO International Standard - ISO 32000-1, Document management – Portable document format – Part 1: PDF 1.7. This move follows a decision by Adobe Systems Incorporated, original developer and copyright owner of the format, to relinquish control to the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO). ISO is now in charge of publishing the specifications for the current version (1.7) and for updating and developing future versions.
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ISO 15743 : 2008, Ergonomics of the thermal environment – Cold workplaces – Risk assessment and management, has been developed to describe the methods and practices for assessing and managing occupational health and performance risks in cold workplaces. The standard gives practical instructions for risk analysis and management in cold working conditions.
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The issue contains articles which give a technical overview of the different standards in the ISO 22000, Food safety management systems series and how they can be put to use, market feedback and keys to its successful implementation. ISO 22000 series was launched in September 2005 as a global option for ensuring safe food supply chains. Survey reveals that it is implemented in 72 countries.
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Copies of ISO Management Systems are available at Product Standards Library, ITC for perusal.

The issue explores the field of mechanical innovations and international standardisation, including interesting articles on innovations in welding, cutting tools, springs, high level safety devices against excessive pressure, testing methods for reliable mechanical property data and gas turbines for power generation – areas, which cut across all sectors and spheres of activity.
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Copies of ISO Focus are available at Product Standards Library, ITC for perusal.

ISO/IEC 27005 : 2008, Information technology – Security techniques – Information security risk management, which provides guidelines for information security risk management is recently published. The new standard is designed to assist the implementation of ISO/IEC 27001, the information security management system standard, which is based on a risk management approach. The new standard does not provide any specific methodology for information security risk management. It is up to the organisation to define its approach to risk management.
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A new edition of ISO 9001, the world's most widely used quality management system standard, is at its final stage of development. Publication of the revised version is expected to be in the October-November 2008 time frame. The proposed ISO 9001 : 2008 does not introduce additional requirements compared to the last edition in 2000. It represents fine-tuning, introducing clarifications to the requirements existing in ISO 9001 : 2000, based on user experience and changes that are intended to improve further compatibility with the ISO 14001 : 2004 standard for environmental management systems. The new edition will not require any specific reassessment for certification. ISO 9001, first published in 1987, provides the requirements for a quality management system, which is a framework for an organisation to control its processes in order to achieve objectives including customer satisfaction, regulatory compliance and continual improvement. It is estimated that over one million ISO 9001 certificates have been issued to organisations in private and public sectors, in manufacturing and services, and in 170 countries.
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Four national standards body members of ISO and IEC – Brazil, India, South Africa and Venezuela – have submitted appeals against the recent approval of ISO/IEC DIS 29500, Information technology – Office Open XML formats, as an ISO/IEC International Standard. The appeals are currently being considered by the ISO Secretary-General and the IEC General Secretary and to be further considered by the ISO Technical Management Board and the IEC Standardisation Management Board to come to a decision as to whether the appeals should be further processed or not. The decision to publish ISO/IEC DIS 29500 as an ISO/IEC International Standard cannot be taken until the outcome of the appeals is known.
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A new standard, ISO/IEC 38500 : 2008, Corporate governance of information technology has recently been released. It provides broad guidance on the role of top management in relation to the corporate governance of IT and provides a framework for effective governance of IT to assist those at the highest level of organisations to understand and fulfill their legal, regulatory, and ethical obligations in respect of their organizations' use of IT.
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The new standard, ISO 22307 : 2008, Financial services – Privacy impact assessment, defines a methodology to help organisations in private and public sectors identify privacy issues and mitigate risks associated with processing the financial data of customers and consumers, business partners and citizens. The standard describes the privacy impact assessment which should be carried out at an early stage in the development of a proposed financial system. It provides a way to help ensure that the system complies with applicable laws and regulations governing customer and consumer privacy and helps identify optimal privacy options and solutions.
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The International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) has recently released the ISO 15392 : 2008 Sustainability in building construction – General principles, which establishes internationally recognised principles for sustainability in building construction. The standard is based on the concept of sustainable development as it applies to buildings and other construction works over their life cycle. Construction works absorb considerable resources and contribute to the transformation of the environment. As a result, they can have considerable economic consequences and impacts on both the environment and human health.
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Product safety regulations for children's nightwear labelling will be amended and significant changes to the labels of some types of nightwear will be made. The new requirements aim to provide a clearer message to consumers so that they can make safer choices when they purchase children's nightwear. Certain categories of nightwear currently labelled “LOW FIRE DANGER” are proposed to carry a warning that will explain that the material is not heat or flame resistant and will indicate that the garment should be worn snug fitting to reduce risk. The new labelling is proposed to be used from 1 July 2008 and enter into force by 1 April 2009.
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[Under the section "Notifications submitted by Members on technical regulations and conformity assessment procedures", choose "2008" for year and "New Zealand" for member economy and Notification "G/TBT/N/NZL/44" issued on 23 May 2008.]
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The issue looks at how ISO is engaging in new standardisation paths to address pressing needs in the area of services. It provides an overview of the latest developments on standardisation for personal services (e.g. financial planning), public services (e.g. supply of drinking water), and marketing services (e.g. market, opinion and social research) and looks at consumer requirements, and at service standards for the business community, particularly in relation to information security management and service management.
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Copies of ISO Focus are available at Product Standards Library, ITC for perusal.

The International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) has recently published an advice of the above title. It states "You will obtain the greatest value by using the entire family of standards in an integrated manner. It is highly recommended that you use ISO 9000 to become familiar with the basic concepts and the language used before you adopt ISO 9001 to achieve a first level of performance. The practices described in ISO 9004 may then be implemented to make your quality management system more effective and efficient in achieving your business goals and objectives." The ISO 9000 family, which currently consists of 17 international quality management standards and guidelines has earned a global reputation as a basis for establishing effective and efficient quality management systems. The best known standard is ISO 9001, which specifies the basic requirements for a quality management system (QMS). The next edition of ISO 9001 is expected to be published before the end of 2008.
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ISO/IEC 10995 : 2008 Information technology — Digitally recorded media for information interchange and storage — Test method for the estimation of the archival lifetime of optical media has recently been published. It specifies an accelerated aging test method for estimating the life expectancy for the retrievability of information stored on recordable or rewritable optical disks. The standard provides a methodology that includes the testing of newer, currently available products. The methodology covers the effects of temperature and relative humidity.
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The US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is seeking public comment on the "Draft Executive Summary : Import Safety Strategy". The document outlines the CPSC's four key strategies for responding to the safety issues posed by consumer products, including imports, as well as the specific activities it has undertaken or plans to take with respect to each strategy. The activities include : the CPSC concluded an MOU with China's General Administration for Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ) and established working groups focusing on fireworks, toys, lighters and electrical products; conducted industry-specific seminars, retail and vendor training seminars and training for Chinese government officials, and a third biennial US-Sino Product Safety Summit will be held in 2009.
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The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has issued a press release announcing that effective November 1, 2008, televisions that carry the Energy Star label will be up to 30% more efficient than conventional models and will save energy while they are on, and when they are off. Energy Star was introduced by EPA in 1992 as a voluntary, market-based partnership to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through energy efficiency. Currently, the Energy Star label can be found on more than 50 different kinds of products as well as new homes and buildings. Products that have earned the Energy Star designation prevent greenhouse gas emissions by meeting strict energy-efficiency specifications set by the U.S. government.
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The International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) has recently published the ISO 19712-1:2008, Plastics – Decorative solid surfacing materials – Part 1: Classification and specifications, which will help to ensure consistent communication about plastics. It will ensure that manufacturers, fabricators, installers and specifiers around the world use the same terminology, performance indicators and requirements when working with solid surfacing materials made from plastic.
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The International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) has recently published a new version of the SI Guide, a small manual for the use of the SI. The seven base units are: length, mass, time, electric current, thermodynamic temperature, amount of substance, and luminous intensity. The SI is built in such a way that only one unit is used for each kind of quantity, which makes the system very simple. It is used everywhere in all contexts: in daily life, just as in the technical and scientific fields. The 32-page SI Guide will be useful for many people including engineers, scientists, technical writers, teachers and students.
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The Standards Council of Canada (SCC) has undertaken a study to examine the impact of standardisation on the Canadian economy. The study involved a review of the standards-oriented economics literature, an empirical analysis of the impact of the collection of standards on Canadian labour productivity, a series of interviews with Canadian leaders, and two case studies on the benefits of selected aspects of standardisation. A review of economic literature identifies the many benefits of standards including improved compatibility, the identification of minimum admissible attributes, provision of information and product descriptions, the enabling of economies of scale, the facilitation of international trade, and the promotion of innovation. The empirical work clearly showed that standards play an important role in enhancing labour productivity. Over the study period of 1981- 2004, standardisation accounted for 17 per cent of the growth rate in labour productivity which translates into approximately 9 per cent of the growth rate in output (real GDP).
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The issue concentrates on how international standards facilitate information and document management in all areas – from presentation to classification, contextualization, management and preservation of information. Standards promote records management, as a means to establish control and accountability in business environments. They facilitate the portability, retrievability, compatibility and interchangeability between document management systems across global operations, ensuring the best policies and practices to protect information. In an exclusive interview with Mr Sergio Giacoletto, Executive Vice President of Oracle Corporation, he said “Our success depends on hundreds of standards allowing our products to function in today’s complex technological ecosystem.”
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The US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) will hold a roundtable in May 2008 to provide stakeholders with an understanding of the use of lead in consumer products and related congressional proposals. At the meeting CPSC staff will discuss pending lead legislation and enforcement issues, current events abroad and laboratory testing procedures for lead. Industry representatives will discuss the use of lead in consumer products (e.g. paints and coatings, toys, plastics, jewelry, electronics, batteries and textiles), potential substitutes for lead in their products, best practices that can be implemented to eliminate or reduce the use of lead, and differences between domestic manufacturing plants and their practices and those outside the U.S.
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ISO/IEC DIS 29500, Information technology – Office Open XML file formats has received the necessary number of votes for approval as an ISO/IEC International Standard. ISO/IEC DIS 29500 was originally disapproved in the "fast-track vote" which ended in September 2007, when 3,500 comments were received. Further to the ballot resolution meeting held in Geneva during the week 25-29 February 2008, the issues addressed and revised have resulted in sufficient national bodies withdrawing their earlier disapproval votes, or transforming them into positive votes, so that the criteria for approval of the document as an international standard have now been met.
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The issue contains the special report about the ISO/TS 29001 – the quality management requirements for the oil and gas sector, and the viewpoints about the challenges of succession planning of small business on sustainability. It also discloses that as increasing number of organisations is applying a range of management system standards, a book to help these organisations integrate the use of the management systems is being prepared for publish in the first quarter of 2008.
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Copies of ISO Management Systems are available at Product Standards Library, ITC for perusal.

The issue takes a close look at conformity assessment – the process of verifying compliance with international standards and explores the different facets of conformity including testing, surveillance, inspection, auditing, certification, registration and accreditation.
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Copies of ISO Focus are available at Product Standards Library, ITC for perusal.

The issue contains feature articles on how China ensures product quality and food safety in the face of the particularly cold weather, improvements in China’s food additive laws, national standards for urban rail transit and its launch of standardisation of risk management.
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Copies of China Standardisation are available at Product Standards Library, ITC for perusal.

The US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is amending its flammability standard for general wearing apparel, the Standard for the Flammability of Clothing Textiles, 16 CFR part 1610. The Standard, originally issued in 1953, has become outdated and the revisions better reflect current consumer practices and technologies and clarify several aspects of the Standard. The amended Standard will become effective on 22 September 2008.
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The International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) has recently established three new project committees, namely ISO/PC 240 : Product recall, ISO/PC 239 : Network services billing and ISO/PC 242 : Energy management. The product recall standard will provide a code of good practice for establishing, implementing and managing an effective, flexible and responsive consumer product recall programme with corrective actions. The billing standard will provide guidance on dealing with consumer concerns about billing practices so that consumers will find it easier to read and understand their bills, and verify their accuracy. The energy management standard will provide all types of organisations and companies a practical and widely recognised approach to increase energy efficiency, reduce costs and improve their environmental performance by addressing both the technical and management aspects of rational energy use.
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The US Department of Energy (DOE) is considering amendment of existing energy conservation standards for general service fluorescent lamps and incandescent reflector lamps, and it is also considering whether standards should apply to additional general service fluorescent lamps. The DOE accepts comments until 14 April 2008.
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A bill to reform the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to provide greater protection for children's products, to improve the screening of non-compliant consumer products, to improve the effectiveness of consumer product recall programs among other purposes was passed by the US Senate on 6 March 2008 The measure will have to be reconciled with a House bill passed in December 2007 before it can be sent to the President for approval/ enactment.
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(search for HR 4040)

The draft standard ISO/IEC DIS 29500, Information technology – Office Open XML file formats had its ballot resolution meeting (BRM) in Geneva, Switzerland on 25 – 29 February 2008. The last voting which ended on 2 September 2007 did not result in the proposed standard meeting the acceptance criteria to be published as an ISO/IEC international standard. No decision or vote on publication was taken at the BRM. Following the BRM, the 87 national member bodies that voted in the 2 September ballot will have 30 days – until 29 March 2008 – to examine the actions taken in response to the comments and to reconsider their vote if they wish. If the modifications proposed are such that national bodies then wish to withdraw their negative votes, or turn abstentions into positive votes, and the acceptance criteria are then met, the standard may proceed to publication. Otherwise, the proposal will have failed and this fast-track procedure will be terminated. This would not preclude subsequent re-submission under the normal IEC and ISO standards development rules.
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The US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) created the new Import Surveillance Division, which in coordination with the Customs and Border Protection, is tasked with inspecting, detecting and stopping hazardous products from entering into the US.
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The US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is proposing flammability standards for residential upholstered furniture and seeking public comments by 19 May 2008. The proposal would establish performance requirements and certification and labelling requirements for upholstered furniture. Manufacturers would be required to certify compliance with the standard and to comply with certain recordkeeping requirements as specified in the proposal.
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ISO 17090:2008, Health informatics – Public Key Infrastructure was published recently. It contributes to defining how digital certificates can be used to provide security services in the health industry. The standard describes the technical, operational and policy requirements that need to be addressed to enable digital certificates to be used in protecting the exchange of healthcare information within a single healthcare organisation, between organisations and across jurisdictional boundaries. Its purpose is to create a platform for global interoperability.
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The issue contains special reports introducing ISO/PAS 22399:2007 which was published in November 2007 to address the global awareness that both the public and private sector must proactively prepare for unexpected, disruptive incidents and how ISO management system standards can be important tools in a company-wide risk management programme. Another article of the issue explores the possibilities of the latest mobile phones as tools for accessing ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 documentation, filling in report forms, performing audits and for fulfilling other quality management system and environmental management system implementation requirements.
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Copies of ISO Management Systems are available at Product Standards Library, ITC for perusal.

The International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) will have a new project committee to develop an international standard for road traffic safety management systems. There are already more than 200 ISO standards relating to road safety. The new standard to be developed will provide a structured, holistic approach to road safety with the intention to help organisations improve their performance in relation to road safety, contribute to reducing accidents and better meet regulatory requirements and societal expectations regarding road safety. The standard may also provide an internationally harmonized tool useful for organisations involved in auditing the effectiveness of road safety programmes or analysing accident black spots.
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ISO 23600:2007, Assistive products for persons with vision impairments and persons with vision and hearing impairments - Acoustic and tactile signals for pedestrian traffic lights will help persons with vision and hearing impairments to cross the street safely. The standard sets out the requirements, technical specifications and performance criteria for acoustic and tactile signals for pedestrian traffic lights and will help to ensure harmonized criteria for manufacturers and designers; safe, reliable and functional products; enhanced compatibility between products; and common testing methods leading to comparable, reliable test results.
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The issue on Climate Change concentrates on ISO's publication of the ISO 14064 and ISO 14065 standards on the verification and accounting of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and their importance in delivering credible and reliable information in voluntary and regulatory carbon markets. The issue also looks at the collaboration between ISO and some major private sector initiatives in this area. In an exclusive interview, Mr. Achim Steiner, the Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), underlines the value and role of standards in addressing climate change. Mr Steiner also said “I applaud the role of standardisation as a means to communicate basic expectations and facilitate greater performance innovation and free trade in the global economy.”
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Copies of ISO Focus are available at Product Standards Library, ITC for perusal.

The director of BSI British Standards, Mr Mike Low, has been appointed to the China Standardisation Expert Committee (CSEC) as the first foreign advisor to the committee. CSEC advises the Standardisation Administration of China (SAC) on national standards strategy and policy; major reform and innovative measures for standardisation; key projects in science and technology; and publication and implementation of standards. BSI has been working closely with SAC for several years in developing strategy and addressing key topics such as energy, sustainability, IT security and standards associated with major events such as the Olympic Games.
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The US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has made corrections to its flammability standard for mattress sets. The corrections rectify typographical errors, clarify technical aspects of running the flammability test required by the standard, and clarify that the certification statement on the mattress set label may appear in another language in addition to English. The corrections become effective on 6 February 2008. According to the CPSC, the corrections are technical and do not change the substantive obligations of the mattress manufacturers and importers.
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The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced that as of 1 November 2008 televisions will have to comply with stricter requirements in order to carry the “Energy Star” label. Additional criteria will have to be met as of 1 September 2010. The EPA states that TVs complying with the revised Energy Star specification will be up to 30 percent more efficient than conventional models and will save energy whether they are on or off.
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ISO 19092:2008, Financial services – Biometrics – Security framework has been published. The new standard establishes the security requirements for the implementation and management of biometric identification technology (which includes finger image, voice identification, eye scan and facial image) within the financial industry.
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The International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) and Universal Postal Union (UPU) signed a memorandum of understanding to increase their cooperation in the development of international standards for postal services. International standards help ensure effective interoperability, processing and distribution of data, objects and services.
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ISO/IEC 24762:2008 : Information technology -- Security techniques -- Guidelines for information and communications technology disaster recovery services has been published. It provides guidelines on the provision of information and communications technology disaster recovery (ICT DR) services, applicable to both “in-house” and “outsourced” ICT DR service providers of physical facilities and services. It is a best practice documentation on DR services and covers facilities, services capability, fallback and recovery support to an organisation's ICT system(s). It also includes the implementation, testing and execution aspects of DR. The standard is developed by Subcommittee 27 : IT Security techniques, of the International Organisation for Standardisation/ International Electrotechnical Commission Joint Technical Committee 1 (ISO/IEC JTC1) where two experts from Hong Kong are observers.
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The issue contains articles which discuss how international standards set human-friendly requirements to facilitate our daily lives, making sure our equipment and buildings are functioning safely and reliably. Not only do these standards contribute to our comfort and health, but also disseminate good practices and fuel international trade.
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Copies of ISO Focus are available at Product Standards Library, ITC for perusal.

ISO 18192-1:2008, Implants for surgery – wear of total intervertebral spinal disc prostheses, Part 1: Loading and displacement parameters for wear testing and corresponding environmental conditions for test has been published. The standard provides requirements for comparing the wear performance of different spinal disc prostheses. It helps promote the development of safe and resistant prostheses for patients and constitute a useful tool for the medical industry.
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At the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) held on 23-27 January in Davos, Switzerland, the Secretary-General of the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO), an institutional member of the WEF, outlined how voluntary international standards can pave the way for the dissemination of technology through the creation of world markets and through good management and organisational practices.
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ISO/IEC Guide 99:2007, International vocabulary of metrology – Basic and general concepts and associated terms (VIM), has been published to give guidance on the concepts and terms used in various approaches to measurement. The guide covers measurements in chemistry and laboratory medicine for the first time, as well as incorporates concepts such as those that relate to metrological traceability, measurement uncertainty, and nominal properties.
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Two sessions of introductory standards information seminar were held on 25 January 2008. The seminars were organised by the PSIB, ITC as part of its efforts to promote general awareness of the benefits and importance of standards. The seminars introduced to the over 50 participants the benefits of standards and standardisation, how standards are closely related to us – as traders, producers, innovators and consumers, how to ensure standards are met, where to obtain further information on standards and how to play a part in the development of international standards.
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The US Department of Energy (DOE) is initiating the rulemaking and data collection process to consider establishing amended energy conservation standards for certain fluorescent lamp ballasts and to consider whether energy conservation standards should apply to additional fluorescent lamp ballasts. Accordingly, DOE welcomes written comments from the public on the rulemaking and will hold an informal public meeting to discuss and receive comments.
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ISO/IEC Guide 76:2008, Development of service standards – Recommendations for addressing consumer issues, provides a series of questions related to all stages of service delivery, from first thinking about the service, through engagement or purchase, service delivery to after sales or post engagement. It will be of value to service providers in reducing customer complaints and cutting the business costs of poor service.
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ISO 30000, Ship recycling management systems has recently been launched. The series of standards will increase transparency, facilitate trade, provide a clear reference for industry and constitute a valuable risk assessment tool. These standards can be used by any organisation and for ships of all types and sizes, everywhere, employed in international and domestic trades alike.
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ISO 21809-2:2007, Petroleum and natural gas industries – External coatings for buried or submerged pipelines used in pipeline transportation systems - Part 2: Fusion-bonded epoxy coatings has recently been published. The standard specifies the requirements for the qualification, application, testing and handling of materials for plant application of single-layer fusion-bonded epoxy (FBE) coatings applied externally for the corrosion protection of bare steel pipe for use in pipeline transportation systems in the petroleum and natural gas industries. The standard will facilitate the purchasing, manufacturing and application of FBE coatings in the international market.
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A US new Energy Act phases out the use of inefficient incandescent lights and imposes improved energy efficiency standards on a wide variety of products. The Alliance to Save Energy (ASE) calls the act "the most significant energy-efficiency legislation in three decades" and notes that the lighting standards alone will cut electric bills by US$13 billion per year, eliminating the need for 60 mid-sized power plants. The energy act also sets new minimum efficiency standards for external power supplies, dishwashers, dehumidifiers, residential boilers, electric motors, and walk-in coolers and freezers.
To know more :
1. >> Press release
2. >> The Act

The International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) and International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) have recently published a free brochure (available for downloading) which gives an overview and concise descriptions of joint ISO/IEC guides. The information would provide a rich source of advice for standards writers, consumer representatives, designers, product manufacturers, service providers, retail chains, testing laboratories, regulators environmentalists, academics and students.
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Three new standards, namely, ISO 24510, Activities relating to drinking water and wastewater services – Guidelines for the assessment and for the improvement of the service to users; ISO 24511,Activities relating to drinking water and wastewater services – Guidelines for the management of wastewater utilities and for the assessment of wastewater services, and ISO 24512, Activities relating to drinking water and wastewater services – Guidelines for the management of drinking water utilities and for the assessment of drinking water services have recently been published. These standards are designed to help water authorities and their operators to achieve a level of quality that best meets the expectations of users and the principles of sustainable development. They provide methods and tools to define, at local level, objectives and specifications, and assess and monitor performance for possible benchmarking among water utilities.
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The issue looks at how standards are helping industrial automation redefine the way of manufacturing products and reshape the global economy. The issue contains an exclusive interview with Katarina Lindstrom, Senior Vice President of the Volvo Group, who gave the view “international standards are vital for promoting global requirements in order to minimise the time and costs of developing and testing new products”. Readers will learn how this leading transport solutions provider uses international standards to support its business. The issue also contains an article introducing the work of Technical Committee 114 : Horology, of the International Organisation for Standardisation, which is working, among other areas, at the revision and development of crucial standards in water-resistance of watches.
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Copies of ISO Focus are available at Product Standards Library, ITC for perusal.

The issue contains an article highlighting that because ISO 14001 is already globally implemented, the environmental management system standard is potentially a powerful tool to mitigate climate change. According to the ISO Survey 2006, up to the end of 2006, at least 129,199 ISO 14001:2004 certificates had been issued in 140 countries and economies. The issue also contains an article on a UK example on how ISO 9001:2000 helps self-employed of small contracting and consulting businesses compete on a level playing field with bigger businesses players.
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Copies of ISO Management Systems are available at Product Standards Library, ITC for perusal.

At the meeting of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) held in Bali, Indonesia from 3 – 14 December 2007, the ISO process was promoted as an effective mechanism for developing international consensus amongst countries and stakeholders in contributing to mitigating climate change and achieving a sustainable world. ISO standards offer practical tools for addressing climate change at four levels:
- Monitoring climate change through technical, basic equipment and measurement standards
- Quantifying greenhouse gas emissions and communicating on environmental impacts
- Promoting good practice in environmental management and design
- Opening markets for energy efficient technologies and renewable sources.
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ISO 7001:2007 Graphical symbols – Public information symbols (which replaces ISO 7001:1990) has been published recently. It provides a method of communicating public information through a collection of symbols designed for use in buildings and other places, and for services used by the public, regardless of country or culture. The standard will be developed further to take into account the increasing demands for a clear and concise way of presenting information readily to the widest possible public.
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The issue contains special feature articles on "China's food quality report" and "Establishing a system for food recalls to protect food quality and safety in China". In recent years, efforts have been made by concerned authorities to tighten industry regulations, step-up legislation and law enforcement and improve the supervision of food quality.
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Copies of China Standardisation are available at Product Standards Library, ITC for perusal.

The issue looks into the value of higher education in standardisation. The inaugural ISO Award for Higher Education in Standardisation was presented to the China Jiliang University during the ISO General Assembly in September 2007. The award aims to raise awareness of the importance of standards worldwide, as tools to access world markets, transfer technology and promote good business practice and sustainable development. The issue contains an exclusive interview with Professor Song Mingshun, from the Jiliang University, winner of the ISO Award, together with contributions from the other five ISO Award finalists – universities in Egypt, France, Japan, Republic of Korea and the Netherlands.
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Copies of ISO Focus are available at Product Standards Library, ITC for perusal.

The publicly available specification ISO/PAS 22399:2007, Societal security – Guideline for incident preparedness and operational continuity management was recently published. It is the first internationally ratified benchmark document addressing incident preparedness and continuity management for organisation in both public and private sectors. It is based on best practice from five national standards from Australia, Israel, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States.
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The International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) has begun the development of ISO 21500, an international standard on project management. The standard is intended to provide generic guidance, explaining the core principles and what constitutes good practice in project management.
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The latest survey results show that ISO's management system standard formula continues to win over new converts. Certification to ISO 9001 (for quality management, launched for 20 years) and to ISO 14001 (for environmental management, launched for 11 years) both increased by 16% in 2006. Certification to more recent ISO management system standards for the automotive sector (ISO/TS 16949) and the medical device sector (ISO 13485) increased by more than 60%. For the new ISO/IEC 27001 standard for information security management systems, nearly 5,800 certificates of conformity had been issued in 64 countries.
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ISO 26000, being developed, will contain guidance, not requirements on social responsibility. It is not a management system standard and will not be for use as a certification standard. The recent plenary meeting of the ISO Working Group on Social Responsibility held in Vienna, Austria on 5 – 9 November 2007 had a record participation of 400 experts representing the stakeholder groups : industry, government, labour, consumers, non- governmental organisations and service, support and research and others. This is an indication of the importance of the work to society.
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The US Department of Energy (DOE) has determined that revised energy conservation standards for residential furnaces and boilers will result in significant conservation of energy, are technologically feasible and economically justified. Accordingly, DOE issued a final rule for amending the energy conservation standards for these products.
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Mr Richard O'Brien, Director of the Office of International Programs and Intergovernmental Affairs of the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), visited Hong Kong after his visit to the Mainland. In the Mainland, he had a meeting with Mr Li Changjiang, minister of the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ). In Hong Kong on 16 November 2007, his programme included a meeting with the Hong Kong Accreditation Service and a forum for accredited laboratories and certification bodies to discuss the latest US product safety requirements.
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It is estimated that the building industry is responsible for approximately 40% of the waste in European countries. ISO 21930:2007, Sustainability in building construction – Environmental declaration of building products published recently will be a tool for designers of buildings, manufacturers of building products, users and owners of buildings and others active in the building and construction sector to address environmental impacts of buildings and other construction works. The standard describes the principles and framework for environmental declarations of building products, taking into consideration the complete life cycle of a building.
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The World Energy Congress held on 11- 15 November 2007 in Rome, Italy, had a special session on “International Standards to Develop and Promote Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Sources”. International standards were recognised as part of the solution to today's energy issues. Not only can they help avoid unnecessary technical barriers to trade but they are also essential for creating global markets for efficient energy technologies and for disseminating good energy management practices.
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The ISO 28000 series of standards on supply chain security management systems have recently been upgraded from their status of publicly available specifications to that of international standards. The standards address potential security issues at all stages of the supply process and can be applied by organisations of all sizes involved in manufacturing, service, storage or transportation.
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A bill was introduced in the US House recently to establish consumer product safety standards and other safety requirements for children's products and to reauthorize and modernize the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). Highlights of the bill include banning any children's product containing trace amounts of lead and requiring mandatory independent third party testing and certification for all products, domestic or imported, intended for children six years of age or younger.
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The issue contains a portfolio of articles which examines how international standards benefit all modes of transport, while contributing to a safe and seamless flow of goods for the benefit of governments, traders, transport service providers and other stakeholders. In an exclusive interview, Secretary-General of the World Customs Organisation (WCO), Michel Danet remarked “These ISO standards contribute directly to the security of containers and therefore to the security of world trade when seen against the fact that at least 80 percent of goods being transported internationally are done so as containerized cargo.”
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Copies of ISO Focus are available at Product Standards Library, ITC for perusal.

The Standards Administration of China (SAC) organised the above seminar in conjunction with the plenary meeting of the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) Technical Committee 207 – Environmental management in Beijing, China in June 2007. The forum explored sustainable development and environmental management themes for the next Olympics Games in Beijing. Officials, experts, representatives of industries and non-governmental organisations from across the world shared experiences on green Olympics, as well as strategies, policies, technologies and actions for sustainable development at national, regional and global levels. The presentations are now available for viewing and downloading.
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The US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has amended the flammability standards for carpets and rugs to remove the reference to a product of Eli Lilly Company as the standard ignition source and provide a technical specification defining the ignition source. The amendment is effective 26 October 2007.
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California will ban goods designed for young children containing more than 0.1 percent of any of six specific types of phthalates, a family of chemicals used to soften plastics. The law will go into effect on 1 January 2009. California is the first state in the US to enact such a ban. Other states may consider similar measures in the coming months. Phthalates are already prohibited in the European Union and some other places due to concerns of possible links to developmental and health problems.
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ISO 16850:2007, Road vehicles – Pedestrian protection – Child head impact test method, has recently been released. It is expected to facilitate the development of more pedestrian-friendly cars, reduce serious head injuries – and fatalities – of children and enhance safety in real world crashes. The new standard provides a crash test method for simulating the front impact of a vehicle to a child pedestrian's head. It will contribute towards international harmonisation in this area and help avoid excessive testing for different markets and acts to remove barriers to trade.
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International standards developed by the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) provide practical tools to implement the objectives of World Food Day, 16 October. The theme of the World Food Day, organised by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) this year is The Right to Food. Mr Alan Bryden, Secretary-General of ISO commented "ISO international standards provide internationally recognised solutions to ensure quality, health, safety and economical production in the food sector, as well as simplifying business-to-business relationships in export trade. They also provide tools to implement regulatory requirements." More and more international standards are referenced by regulators to provide a means of compliance with their technical regulations without creating unnecessary technical barriers to trade.
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The US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has recently issued a final rule on safety standards for automatic residential garage door operators. The new requirements provide that the door cannot be moved downward until operator reverses the door, state the testing requirements and insert a new instruction to the required instruction manual. The final rule is effective 21 February 2008 while the provision requiring new information in the user instructions is effective 27 September 2007.
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A bill was read at the US Senate recently proposing to reform the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to provide greater protection for children's products, including among other measures, to require every manufacturer of a children's product subject to a consumer product safety standard to have the product tested by a non-governmental independent third party and to issue a certification of conformance, and to provide tracking labels for the products.
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2007 is the 20th anniversary of ISO 9001 on quality management systems. The issue sets out the views of ISO 9001 users over the past years and looks into quality management in the past, present and future.
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Copies of ISO Management Systems are available at Product Standards Library, ITC for perusal.

The theme of the World Standards Day 2007 on 14 October is "Standards and the Citizen: Contributing to Society". In line with the celebration of the World Standards Day, the Products Standards Information Bureau of the Innovation and Technology Commission issued an electronic message to industrial and trade organisations in Hong Kong to refresh public awareness of the importance and benefits of standards
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1. >> [ Press release issued by the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) ]
2. >> [ Message issued to industrial and trade organisations in Hong Kong ]
3. >> [ Press release issued by ITC ]

The International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) is committed to developing standards as practical tools to achieve international sustainability goals, through working in partnership with other international organisations, such as the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) and the International Energy Agency (IEA) and selecting priority areas that could gain maximum benefit from the development and use of international standards.
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The issue contains feature articles on China's high technology standards development and overview of China's national standards for solar water heating and standards and sustainable development.
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Copies of China Standardisation are available at Product Standards Library, ITC for perusal

Two bills – one to improve the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC)'s recall authority requiring independent third party testing of children's products (under 12 years of age) and another to increase CPSC's inspection capabil