International Standards: What It Means & How It Applies To Engineering
An international standard is a document that has been authorized and published by an internationally recognized entity after it has been prepared by experts from several countries working together. It consists of policies, procedures, features, or guidelines that enable users to consistently produce the same results.
The dimensional and material specifications of European continental products have been harmonized with numerous British Standards, and vice versa. For instance, BS 4550: Part 2: 1970: Methods of testing cement; chemical tests has been superseded by BS EN 196-2: 1995: Chemical analysis of cement.
The British Standards Institution (BSI) and other organizations from member nations are part of the Comité Européen de Normalisation (CEN), which is responsible for overseeing European standards.
British Standard-compliant publications are also produced by the International Standards Organization. For instance, BS EN ISO 9004: Quality management systems enhances BS 5750-8: Quality systems. These are prefixed with ISO.
