On October 14, we celebrate World Standards Day and acknowledge the intrinsic link between accreditation, national and international standards.
As with accredited products and services, Standards play a key role in nearly every part of our daily lives – keeping the product and services we use reliable and safe.
So why are Standards important?
At the highest level, they protect the health of the planet and people! More specifically, they simplify product development and speed up time-to-market. They allow technology to work seamlessly and establish trust for smooth markets and provide a common language to measure and evaluate performance. Globally, they help overcome technical barriers in international commerce caused by differences in technical regulations and Standards and make it easier to understand and compare competing products.
From gadgets and Wi-Fi networks, to everyday products and services that help our economies survive and thrive, Standards play a significant role in ensuring safety, dependability, and reliability.
How did Standards come into our daily lives?
The Standards we have today are the result of the hard work of many people over many decades. In the first instance, they helped standardise obvious things, such as weights and measures, and then went to a wide variety of voluntary technical agreements that covered everything from shoe sizes and toy safety to road markings and medical packaging.
So, World Standards Day is not only a celebration of the power of standardisation, but also the people who made it possible. Whether it be those who contributed to the development of Standards or those who work with them, the entire Standards system is made possible by the contributions of experts worldwide.
How do accreditation and Standards come together?
Standards provide the detailed frameworks and guidelines for best practices in various fields. They outline the requirements for processes, products, and services to ensure consistency, safety, and quality.
Accreditation on the other hand is the process by which Accreditation Bodies like NATA evaluate and verify that an organization or laboratory meets the specific requirements set out in these Standards. This dual process ensures that the organization is competent and capable of performing its tasks to the required Standards.
This relationship helps build trust and confidence among consumers, regulators, and other stakeholders.
So, as we celebrate World Standards Day, we acknowledge the importance Standards play in our daily lives.