With already a wide-ranging portfolio of over 18 500 International Standards covering almost everything from screw sizes to social responsibility, ISO’s scope continues to diversify with the recent addition of four new work areas for the development of standards. These are:
ISO was originally established to develop industrial standards in technical fields ranging from boiler and pressure vessels to road vehicles and paper sizes. Over time, as industry, business, government and society call for more and more International Standards, ISO’s coverage has grown exponentially to include managerial and best practice issues, and services, for example, for quality, risk and environmental management and tourism services.
ISO Vice President (technical) Jacob Holmblad says, “In 2010 alone ISO has expanded into six very diverse new areas of work. This growth is proof of its increasing relevance in today’s globalized world and of the ability of ISO standards to provide global solutions beyond ISO’s core technical area. More than ever global problems require global solutions. And ISO has weathered the test of time as a provider of internationally harmonized tools for addressing global challenges. Its ability to tackle new and very different topics is testament to its flexibility and success as a consensus-building platform, and to the growing confidence in its process and name.”
The latest additions to ISO’s scope include:
Severe water shortages, contamination, densely populated urban areas, intensive irrigated agriculture and a growing population with higher standards of living makes it essential to reuse treated wastewater in order to increase water potential and alleviate water scarcity. ISO has therefore established a new project committee, ISO/PC 253, to develop a standard on the use of treated wastewater for irrigation.
The standard aims to provide best practice and prevent adverse impacts on public health, the environment, soils and crops, as a result of treated wastewater irrigation.
The project was originally proposed by SII (ISO member for Israel), who holds the ISO/PC 253 Secretariat. The first meeting took place in October 2010, with publication of ISO 16075 expected in 2013.
Biogas, the subject of new ISO technical committee ISO/TC 255, refers to the combustible mixture of gases produced as a result of manure and biological waste fermentation. It has the potential to become an important source of fuel, as it is globally available and a cheap source of renewable energy. The lack of International Standards in this field is slowing its development and economic use.
ISO standards for biogas will promote its use and contribute to environmental protection, sanitary improvement, nuisance-free agriculture, recycling economy development and poverty alleviation (in particular for rural women who are often in charge of gathering fuel). The Secretariat is currently held by SAC (ISO member for China), and some 24 participating and observer member countries are already involved.
Amusement park attractions should be fun, not dangerous. ISO has created a new technical committee, ISO/TC 254, to develop standards to reduce the number of preventable accidents from such attractions. The first meeting will take place in January 2011 in Moscow, Russia. Already some 27 participating and observer member countries are involved. The Secretariat is currently held by the ISO member for the Russia Federation, GOST R.
A new ISO technical committee, ISO/TC 256, Pigments and extenders, will develop standards in the field of colorants on terminology, test methods, specifications, nanoscale pigments and extenders. ISO standards are expected to help reduce costs for the industry and facilitate unambiguous testing results.
Specification standards for raw materials will contribute to the development of international trade in this field, and terminology standards will promote communication in the industry and increase efficiency.
The Secretariat is held by DIN, ISO member for Germany, and some 30 participating and observer member countries are involved in its work. The work to be done by this committee was originally carried out under a subcommittee of ISO/TC 35 (paints and varnishes).