Typical questions

• • I need the latest fire safety standards for residential buildings.

• • How can I get hold of BS EN ISO/IEC 7810:1996?

Starting points

• • A standard is a published specification/technical criteria to ensure consistency and reliability. They are applied to many products, materials and services.

• • In the UK, they are made available as British Standards and the published documents are prefixed with the letters BS.

• • ES means the standard is a European Standard and is used throughout Europe. ISO means the standard is an International Standard and may be used throughout the world.

Recommended resources

American National Standards Institute (ANSI)

www.ansi.org

Oversees the creation and use of standards in the US. Its website has news, information and educational materials. Full access for subscribers only.

British Standards Institution (BSI) (Subscription) [Specialist]

www.bsigroup.com

Website contains news and listings of standards for sectors. Online access to

British Standards Online is for subscribers only.

International Organization for Standardization (ISO)

www.iso.org/iso/home.html

Network of the national standards institutes of over 150 nations. Its website offers a catalogue, plus detailed information on the nature and development process of standards. It also includes a useful directory of national organisations.