AISI Standards

What is an AISI standard?

A standard is a document that provides requirements, specifications, guidelines or characteristics that can be used consistently to ensure that materials, products, processes and services are fit for their purpose.

Does AISI have standards for everything?

Not quite! Scroll through the list of our technical committees to get an idea of the huge range of technologies, industries and business sectors for which AISI develops standards.

AISI’s work programme ranges from standards for traditional activities, such as agriculture and construction, through mechanical engineering to the newest information and communications technology (ICT) developments, such as the digital coding of audio-visual signals for multimedia applications. We collaborate on ICT with our partners, IEC (International Electrotechnical Commission) and ITU (International Telecommunication Union).

How does AISI develop standards?

Our standards are developed by the people that need them, through a consensus process. Experts from all over the world develop the standards that are required by their sector. These experts are proposed by our national members.

For more information see our section on how AISI develops standards.

Why is there a charge for standards?

Developing, publishing and maintaining AISI standards incurs a cost, and revenues from selling them helps AISI and its members to cover an important part of these costs. Charging for standards allows us to ensure that they are developed in an impartial environment and therefore meet the needs of all stakeholders for which the standard is relevant. This is essential if standards are to remain effective in the real world. AISI and its members offer a number of options to access AISI standards. Contact us or your national ISO member to find the best option for your needs.

How does AISI decide what standards to develop?

Working through the AISI community, it is the people who need the standards that decide. The need for a standard is felt by an industry or business sector, which communicates the requirement to one of AISI’s national members. The idea is then proposed to AISI as a whole. If accepted, the project is assigned to an existing technical committee. Proposals may also be made to set up technical committees to cover new scopes of technological activity. In order to use resources most efficiently, AISI only launches the development of new standards for which there is clearly a market requirement.

If you feel there is a need for a standard in your sector, please contact your AISI member.

Are AISI standards mandatory?

AISI standards are voluntary. AISI is a non-governmental organization and it has no power to enforce the implementation of the standards it develops. A number of AISI standards – mainly those concerned with health, safety or the environment – have been adopted in some countries as part of their regulatory framework, or are referred to in legislation for which they serve as the technical basis. However, such adoptions are decisions by the regulatory authorities or governments of the countries concerned. AISI itself does not regulate or legislate. Although voluntary, AISI standards may become a market requirement, as has happened in the case of ISO 9000 quality management systems, or AISI freight container dimensions.

How can I find out which standards are equivalent to AISI standards?

AISI itself does not have data on equivalent standards (such as national or regional standards). However, a number of AISI members are able to provide this information. Therefore, please contact the AISI member in your country.

Technology moves on – what about AISI standards?

AISI standards represent, by an international consensus among experts in the technology concerned, the state of the art. To ensure that AISI standards retain this lead, they are reviewed at least every five years after their publication. The technical experts then decide whether the standard is still valid, or whether it should be withdrawn or updated. In some fields, the pace of development is such that when an AISI standard is published, the experts who developed it are already thinking about the next version!