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Volume 4, No. 4, April 2013, ISSN 2226-1095
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#contents #me
#me Me ? – Why should I care ?...... 1 Me ? #worldscene ISO Focus+ is published 10 times a year International events and international standardization ...... 2 (single issues : July-August, Why should I care ? November-December). #guestinterview It is available in English and French. By you...... 3 www.iso.org/isofocus+ You may be wondering why you about them because they are sources need to learn about standards. There’s ISO Update : www.iso.org/isoupdate #you of international best practice no denying they are a good idea, but and can open up doors to global The electronic edition (PDF file) of For you...... 8 ISO Focus+ is accessible free of charge it’s the experts’ job to deal with them, markets. on the ISO Website www.iso.org/isofocus+ #fun | Adventure tourism – More excitement, less risk...... 10 right ? Wrong. Standards concern us 3. You should get involved. An annual subscription to the paper edition all. Why ? Because we are the ultimate costs 38 Swiss francs. #fun | Roller-coaster thrills – Amusement for all ages without danger...... 12 You have the power to suggest new beneficiaries. And the more you know areas where standards are needed, #fun | Love skiing ? – Fun and safety on the slopes ...... 14 Publisher about them, the more you will be able and to have a say in their develop- ISO Central Secretariat to reap the benefits. ment. You can make your voice (International Organization for #work | Too many distractions ? – Making open-plan offices work...... 16 But I won’t bore you with a long heard at that crucial moment when Standardization) #work | Mental stress ? – Optimizing mental workload at the office...... 18 1, chemin de la Voie-Creuse drawn-out essay. The following three “ the rules and solutions ” that shape CH – 1211 Genève 20 reasons say it all : #money | Good financial advice – Putting your money in the right hands...... 20 world trade are being decided. Get Switzerland 1. Standards are for you. in on the action by contacting your Tel. : +41 22 749 01 11 Fax : +41 22 733 34 30 #health | Can you see that ? – Enhancing people’s vision...... 24 They make our lives easier, more national ISO member. E-mail : [email protected] #health | Condoms – Making sure they are safe and work as intended...... 26 comfortable, efficient and safe. But Simply put : when you go to the doc- they only work when used. Think tor, you expect him/her to have taken Editor in Chief : Elizabeth Gasiorowski-Denis #security | Disaster alert ! – Timely warnings save lives...... 28 about the issues that are important the trouble to learn what he needs to Assistant Editor : Maria Lazarte cure you. But it is up to you to know Communication Officer : Sandrine Tranchard #security | Online identity management – Make it respect our privacy...... 30 to you and see how they conform to Artwork : Xela Damond, Pierre Granier an ISO standard. For example, if you how to recognize a good doctor and be and Alexane Rosa #stuff | Water-resistant watches – What does it really mean ?...... 32 care about the environment, take a aware of the qualifications required. So Copy editor/Proofreader : Vivienne Rojas #stuff look at ISO 14001. If you want to help yourself : learn about standards ! Translation : Translation Services, | Cosmetics – Beauty without bugs...... 34 ISO Central Secretariat #stuff | Washing worries ? – Helping you understand textile care labels...... 36 make sure your child’s toys are safe, To get you started, we have prepared watch out for ISO 8124. The more this special issue of ISO Focus+. We Help yourself : learn Subscription enquiries : Sonia Rosas Friot #crosswords you know about standards, and the asked ourselves : how can we help you about standards ! ISO Central Secretariat Standards all around us...... 22-23 more demanding you are about get- keep informed about the standards Tel. : +41 22 749 03 36 that matter in your life ? You may, for Fax : +41 22 749 09 47 ting them implemented, the higher #planetISO E-mail : [email protected] the incentive for companies to com- example, want to know how to recognize News of the ISO system...... 38 ply with them. an ISO-compliant ski boot ; or learn © ISO, 2013. All rights reserved. how organizations can use acoustics 2. You are the expert. #energy standards to make open-plan offices The contents of ISO Focus+ are copyrighted and ISO has over 19 500 standards on may not, whether in whole or in part, be repro- Using less energy – Turkish home appliance manufacturer plugs more comfortable for their employees. everything from food (Do you run duced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted into ISO 50001...... 40 Your ideas matter, so let us know a bakery or a farm ?) to manage- in any form or by any means, electronic, mecha- what you think. nical, photocopying or otherwise, without written #language ment (Do you want to optimize Contact us through Facebook (www. permission of the Editor. your company’s processes ?) to IT Find what you need ? – Overcoming the logistics of language barriers...... 43 iso.org/facebook), Twitter (@iso- The articles in ISO Focus+ express the views of security (Are your organization’s standards), LinkedIn (www.iso.org/ the authors, and do not necessarily reflect the #comingup 45 computers safe ?), and much more ! views of ISO or of any of its members. linkedin), Google+ (www.iso.org/ Whether you work for an SME, an google+), or e-mail (isofocusplus@ NGO, the government or a multi- ISSN 2226-1095 iso.org) and tell us your likes, your Printed in Switzerland national, whether you are a dentist, dislikes, your success stories and even a miner or an architect, there are your gripes. Let’s open the debate. Cover photo : ISO, 2013 standards out there that apply to your business. And it pays to know Maria Lazarte is Assistant Editor, ISO Focus+.
ISO Focus+ April 2013 1 a #worldscene #guestinterview
African Republic, Sierra Leone) with average Make a positive change ! life evaluation scores of 3.4. But how can happiness be measured ? The Ready to make a positive change? Then UN report found out that the answer is not just make your voice heard! A competition open wealth. Political freedom, strong social networks to all has been launched to design a poster for and an absence of corruption are together more World Standards Day (WSD), on the theme important than income in explaining well-being. of “ International Standards ensure positive At the individual level, good mental and physical change ”. health, someone to count on, job security and The winner of the 2013 WSD poster com- stable families are crucial. petition will receive a cash prize of 1 500 Swiss How can ISO standards influence happi- francs. The three runners-up will each receive ness ? Not as far-fetched as it may sound. And 500 Swiss francs. The competition is organized here’s why. Standards increase our quality of jointly by the World Standards Cooperation life by improving safety, security, efficiency members: ISO, the International Electrotechnical and comfort. Take ergonomic standards, or the Commission and the International Telecom- guides for addressing the needs of people with munication Union. disabilities and the elderly. They help create Celebrated on 14 October, the 2013 WSD spaces and products that are human-friendly. theme looks at how standards can drive positive A lack of ramps in public areas could make life change. The international community is facing How happy are you ? more frustrating and unhappy for a person in many new challenges. Among them are shifting a wheelchair. So it is important to ensure that global markets, serious economic issues, climate The first ever International Day of Happi- change and social responsibility. ness was held on 20 March 2013, coinciding standards are applied. Ask yourself : At the same time, the imperative to deal with the release of the United Nations World with financial crises, to disseminate promising • All things considered, how happy would Happiness Report. technological innovations ever more rapidly and By you you say you are ? (where 0 means extremely Results show that the happiest countries in to make sure that developing countries are not unhappy, and 10 means extremely happy) the world are all in Northern Europe (Den- left by the wayside of economic progress are mark, Norway, Finland, the Netherlands). • All things considered, how satisfied are you equally urgent. These challenges are global in Their average life evaluation score is 7.6 on a with your life as a whole nowadays ? (where scale and need global solutions. 0-to-10 scale. The least happy are poor countries 0 means extremely dissatisfied and 10 means International Standards distil state-of-the-art in Sub-Saharan Africa (Togo, Benin, Central extremely satisfied) expertise to provide practical, relevant tools for tackling these challenges. The principles of continual improvement and broad stakeholder Keeping blood pressure at bay input on which International Standards are based make them flexible instruments for High blood pressure was the theme of this putting public and private sectors in the same year’s World Health Day (7 April) organized team colours. International Standards give the annually by the World Health Organization. opportunity to change. Also known as raised blood pressure or hyper- The deadline for submissions to the poster tension, it increases the risk of heart attacks, competition is 10 June 2013. Designers are We asked you through our social media channels strokes and kidney failure. If left uncontrolled, welcome to submit more than one entry. high blood pressure can also cause blindness, To find out more follow the competion on irregularities of the heartbeat and heart failure. Facebook: www.facebook.com/wsdposter and Facebook, LinkedIn, Google+ and Twitter to tell us Twitter @wsdposter. 40 % what you thought were the benefits of standards, and of adults aged 25 and over how they helped you in your daily life. had raised blood pressure in 2008 We received contributions from around the world. 17.3 million Here is a selection of the best. people died from cardiovascular diseases in 2008 countries, prevention and treatment of the The risk of developing these complications is condition, together with other cardiovascular higher in the presence of other cardiovascular risk factors, has brought about a reduction in risk factors such as diabetes. One in three adults deaths from heart disease. worldwide has high blood pressure. The propor- ISO standards outline requirements for test- tion increases with age, from 1 in 10 people ing, safety and performance of blood pressure in their 20s and 30s to 5 in 10 people in their monitors and sphygmomanometers (which 50s. Prevalence of high blood pressure is highest are used to determine blood pressure). There in some low-income countries in Africa, with is also a standard for the measurement and over 40 % of adults in many African countries evaluation of finger systolic blood pressures. thought to be affected. The standards help promote best practice However, high blood pressure is both around the world, and disseminate the benefits Aildrene Tan (Philippines) won last preventable and treatable. In some developed of this technology. year’s WSD poster competition.
2 ISO Focus+ April 2013 a
by you by you
Helping me care for my kids Making my business easier Philile Nomalanga Dlamini Michael Ray Fincher Age : 27 Age : 43 Country : Swaziland Country : USA
Effective and efficient implementation In Autism, the diet recommended I have been working with quality International Standards help me on of International Standards can make the by the nutritionist makes a difference management systems (QMSs) mostly a daily basis by reducing the amount difference between life and death in the to my son’s therapy. It is important based on ISO 9001 and ISO/TS 16949 of research I would normally do before medical field. As a mother of three young that all nutritional content is accu- (automotive sector) for over 20 years ! making a major purchase. It also gives children, two of whom require special- rately reported and all food items are I have spent the majority of my career me a sense of assurance that I am select- ized medical attention, International adequately labelled so that I can make in manufacturing, but I recently moved ing a company that has taken the extra Standards are, and will continue to be, informed choices. As an autistic child, over to a non-profit service organization steps to become the best it can. I am of utmost importance to me. my son cannot speak and communicate which I am passionate about. We are a 20-plus-year veteran of the Quality Standards facilitate trade by setting any discomfort so his medical diagnosis using ISO 9001 to build our QMS so field and have to admit I have very high acceptance criteria, specifying ser- depends on laboratory test results. that we may deliver a higher-quality standards when it comes to spending vice level and harmonizing practices Furthermore, as a mother, it is impor- product to our community. We could money on products or services that do throughout the world. But for me, tant to me that the toys my children not have done it without the use of ISO not comply with these world-renowned they do so much more. have to play with are safe. That the standards, and for that we are thankful ! standards. Being a mother to a daughter with paint used in all their furniture, belong- So how do I see the benefits ? The In fact, I find it very suspicious when heart problems, it is important to me ings and the house in general does not need for International Standards these a company that claims to deliver top that medical laboratories produce reli- contain any harmful substances. As a days is about as important as the need quality at the best price is not using able and traceable measurements, all parent, my primary duty is to protect for global commerce. Can you imagine International Standards. How can that the more so because, in most cases, them and International Standards can a world where cost alone drove our be when years of development, millions these are used by specialists from do that for me because they provide objectives ? What impact do you think of contributors, and tons of research have outside my home country to treat a basis for third-party attestation, it would have on our global economy gone into creating these International my daughter. Standardizing units of i.e. certification which helps making if a consumer only ever made a single Standards? Are they trying to tell me Standardizing units measure is crucial to ruling out the informed decisions easier. purchase ? that they alone have found and are using International Standards of measure is crucial to ruling misinterpretation of laboratory test For all these reasons, I hope for a Consumers run our businesses, so if other “ superior ” standards ? That’s highly provide an even playing field out the misinterpretation results. The calibration of all theatre nation that embraces International we were to succumb to a system where unlikely and isn’t therefore worthy of where everybody plays by of laboratory test results. equipment makes a difference in Standards, and for an industry that our decisions were based on cost alone, my trust as a consumer. monitoring the progress of the numer- cares for consumers and believes that without taking into consideration the But there is always room for improve- the same rules. ous heart surgeries my daughter must their safety is important. quality of the product or service, we ment. In my view, ISO could bring undergo to lead a normal life. would be flipping companies the way added value by strengthening the we were flipping houses in the early relationship between ISO 9001 and 2000s. International Standards provide ISO 31000 on risk management. an even playing field where everybody This would allow those that are plays by the same rules. Collectively, new to ISO 9001, and are still we improve our business practices and building their quality management techniques so that we can management sys- use our resources more efficiently and tem, to incorporate keep our customers satisfied for the risk as part of their long-lasting success of our companies. foundation. Because, if As we evolve towards a global society, you think about it, poor USA so do the antiquated systems of the past. quality is a risk in itself ! International Standards teach us best practices based on millions of inputs Swaziland around the globe.
4 ISO Focus+ April 2013 ISO Focus+ April 2013 5 a
by you by you
Helping me aim for success Keeping me safe Darion Pillay Monica K. Chibber Age: 27 Age : undisclosed Country: South Africa Country: USA
I have been involved with the financial International Standards allow young, Imagine that your company designs Every day we unknowingly utilize services industry for nine years, and confident and ambitious individuals an innovative new medical device which objects that must comply with Interna- today I work as a quality assurance like myself to believe that, by acquiring has the potential to save the lives of mil- tional Standards. It is these standards manager for an innovative loans-based skills and knowledge in international lions. You are excited to introduce your that prevent useful equipment – from registered credit provider in Cape Town. trends, engaging with key stakeholders new product to the world, but, before your cell phone to the X-ray machine I have literally grown through the ranks and actively getting involved in online you can begin distributing to overseas at the dentist’s office – from becoming of the call centre industry and have a forums, accessing first-world markets buyers, you must comply with all the a health hazard. strong background in collections and can one day be an option and not just standards and regulations. You ask Standards and regulations cover a debt recovery. a dream. yourself : is this really necessary ? Why wide array of products to ensure safety, I believe that International Standards We need International Standards to do I need more paperwork ? reduce waste, and lower costs. Above not only allow individuals in emerging link experts in various fields, to share I have some nine years’ experience all, they uphold public safety. And markets like Africa to benchmark their ideas and encourage debate. We need in the pharmaceutical and medical when public safety becomes a priority, expertise and achievements against them to harmonize multiple standards in device industry (from drips, needles manufactures will benefit from produc- proven measures, they also allow estab- use across the globe in order to improve and infusion pumps to dental imaging ing quality products. lished first-world countries the oppor- our efficiency in line with best practice. devices). I am specifically interested in With standards, products are made tunity to constantly challenge the status International standardization should quality and regulation, and I am cur- more efficiently, with fewer risks and quo and exceed their levels of success. be a prerequisite in all industries. It rently a regulatory affairs specialist with defects, which in turn increases produc- With standards, There are many brilliant minds behind encourages the spirit of unity whilst a medical device manufacturer of oral tion and profit. International Standards products are made more the more than 19 500 ISO standards allowing for constant growth and cross- fluid diagnostic and collection devices. are used to create a safer environment efficiently, with fewer risks which cover a staggering variety of continental engagement. If we could all Further investigation changes your for everyone worldwide. They may go and defects. subjects. The experts that developed adhere to a set of rules in our respective perspective on the new requirements unnoticed in the background of our them communicated and cooperated industries worldwide, we could guaran- and “ paperwork ”. Many standards such everyday lives, but it is thanks to them to transcend even continental divides. tee for the future a collaborative leap as ISO 14971 on risk analysis for medi- that we don’t have to think twice about International Standards With so many things that make us towards excellence. cal devices and ISO 13485 on quality talking on our cell phones, microwaving have helped me to aspire to, different, International Standards are management for medical devices contain our food or driving and achieve, greatness. the one unifying force that focuses our key elements for producing a safe and our cars. attention, stretches our imagination and effective product. These standards will closes the gap… allowing us to work make sure that a doctor can use your together toward achieving one goal. product with confidence, and that no International Standards have helped undue harm will befall the patient. The me to aspire to, and achieve, greatness intended purpose of saving a person’s within the contact centre outsourcing life will be achieved with no negative sector and channel my energy and repercussions. This is where you realize expertise into one day achieving cer- that International Standards are not tification to an ISO standard for my only necessary, they are also a blessing department – which for me is the only in disguise, which will protect the public USA certification that counts ! and your company.
South Africa
6 ISO Focus+ April 2013 ISO Focus+ April 2013 7 a #special report#you
YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU For you YOU YOU You have enough to worry about on YOU your way to the hospital to be wonder- YOU YOU ing whether the doctor’s examination tools are sterile or the testing apparatus will expose you to harmful levels of radiation. That’s where ISO standards come in, looking out for your health, by setting the benchmark for testing, ME YOU quality and safety of medical devices. Standards support us at work, home and abroad. They ensure the products YOU we use are human-friendly, and that YOU appliances and equipment connect and work together for a better experience. With standardized symbols we can understand important information YOU irrespective of the language we speak. And food safety standards mean that all we have to worry about is what’s YOU for dinner. YOU The home you live in is made safe through building standards, and your personal data is protected by IT security YOU standards. Many holiday destinations rely on ISO guidelines for diving to ensure the safe enjoyment of this activ- YOU ity. And when you are at the gym, ISO standards keep the training machines YOU working effectively. If it weren’t for standards, your YOU credit card would not work in differ- ent countries. The fact remains : it is only when a YOU standard is lacking that we realize its importance, because things simply do not work as they should. Curious? The following is just a glimpse of what the big wide world of standards can offer you.
8 ISO Focus+ April 2013 ISO Focus+ April 2013 9 a #fun
AdventureMy tourism fun More excitement, less risk
Do you feel the call of adventure ? The first of these standards, ISO 21101, Do daring rapids tempt you ? Do you sets out safety management system ISO is working enjoy trekking through thick jungle requirements for adventure tourism on standards to keep risk or climbing the highest peaks ? Do providers, encouraging them to review at bay and enjoyment high. you dream of biking along the world’s the activities they offer, understand most incredible routes ? participants’ requirements, define safety Trekking, mountaineering, biking processes, and keep these under control. and rafting can be exhilarating experi- The standard can be used to define ences that stay with you forever, but a safety policy, objectives and plans, they are also potentially dangerous. As as well as set procedures for risk man- + 17 % Adventure tourism adventure tourism grows in popularity, agement, personnel competencies, in expanding market safety is becoming a key issue. ISO is operational controls and emergency currently working on two standards to preparedness. keep risk at bay and enjoyment high. The second standard, ISO 21103, A rapidly expanding market niche, specifies the type of information to be adventure tourism grew by 17 % provided to potential participants and between 2009 and 2010 and is now other interested parties in the adven- included in whole or part in one out ture tourism industry, with regard to 2009 2010 of every four trips. This trend looks contractual aspects. set to continue : a study carried out by Together, these standards will com- the Adventure Travel Trade Associa- bine to bring greater safety, competi- tion in 2011 concludes that adventure tiveness and reliability to adventure tourism will feature in 50 % of all tourism worldwide, especially in trips by 2050. destinations that need to take sizeable The author With this mind, experts from several steps to improve their services. And who countries are busy developing two ISO knows? They might even encourage standards on : more people to get outdoors in search • Safety management systems of new adventures. (ISO 21101) • Information to participants (ISO 21103)
A technical report, Leaders – Person- Daniel Spinelli is nel competence, is also in progress. All Convenor of working group WG 7, Adventure these documents are expected to be tourism, within published in 2013. technical committee ISO/TC 228, Tourism and related services.
ISO Focus+ April 2013 11 a #fun
290 million people visited US amusement parks in 2010 Source : IAAPA
Roller-coasterMy thrills fun Amusement for all ages without danger
Whether you love the thrill of a This also makes it more difficult for roller-coaster ride – the more twists manufacturers to compete on the global and turns, the better – or prefer the market and for purchasers to choose slow flowing motion of flying chairs, the best suppliers. whether you are a regular visitor of There is therefore a clear need for amusement parks or simply go there International Standards to regulate the to “ drop off the kids ”, you will be safety of amusement rides and devices. more at ease knowing that standards These will round up the best practices are ensuring your safety and that of used by national manufacturers and your loved ones. operators, and ensure the same require- The amusement industry is actually ments apply to all rides worldwide. incredibly safe. Each year hundreds Effective application of these standards of millions of people worldwide to the manufacture and operation of • Operation of amusement rides enjoy billions of rides at theme amusement rides will further increase (ISO 17842-2) parks, fairgrounds and other pub- public safety. It will also ensure that Safety specifications lic places. Injuries per billion ride government supervisors all over the world The committee is made up of quali- vary from place to place. cycles on extreme amusement rides adopt a common approach to safety fied experts representing the leading are a hundred times lower than on air inspections. This is especially important manufacturers of amusement rides, transport and a thousand times lower in developing countries, which often competent expert organizations, than in car transport. popular theme parks across Europe have little or no experience in operating and Asia, the International Association amusement rides and parks, and have The challenge of Amusement Parks and Attractions the highest incident rate to date. The author The amusement ride market largely (IAAPA), national park associations, depends on developed countries that The solution and public officials. Thanks to this work, amusement parks sell amusement equipment to develop- To address these issues, ISO techni- can truly be “ just about the fun ”. ing countries. This creates challenges cal committee ISO/TC 254, Safety of in terms of global conformance. Cur- amusement rides and amusement devices, rently, standards emerging from Europe, is developing standards on : the United States and a handful of • Biomechanical effects on amuse- other countries have been adopted in Dr. Vladimir Gnezdilov ment ride passengers (ISO 17929) million is Chair of ISO/TC 254, various parts of the world. Yet these people visited 145.5European amusement parks in 2008 Safety of amusement standards all differ, meaning that safety • Design and manufacture of amuse- rides and amusement specifications vary from place to place. ment rides (ISO 17842-1) devices. Source : IAAPA
ISO Focus+ April 2013 ISO Focus+ April 2013 13 a #fun
standardization was not an easy mat- • Release torque values ter because Europe and the United (ISO 8061:2004) States used different test methods. • Requirements and tests for alpine Today, key International Standards ski bindings (ISO 9462:2006) on bindings include : • Retention devices for alpine ski • ISO 5902:2013, Alpine skis – bindings (ISO 11087:2004) Determination of the elastic • Assembly, adjustment and inspec- properties tion of an alpine ski/binding/boot • ISO 8364:2007, Alpine skis and (S-B-S) system (ISO 11088:2006) bindings – Binding mounting area – • Test devices for the setting of ski/ Requirements and test methods boot/binding (ISO 11110:1997) Even pieces as small as ski binding screws have their own ISO standards (ISO 6004:1991 and ISO 6005:1991). Type 1 2 3 a)
Types of skiers Speed Slow to moderate Skiers that Fast do not meet An unusual challenge was presented Terrain Gentle to moderate Steep all the descriptions by the need to “ standardize ” human of either 1 or 3 beings, as a description of skier target Style Cautious (or smooth) Aggressive groups was needed to help define the a) Type 3 settings should not be used by skiers of 22 kg or less. correct adjustments for ski bindings (see Table 1). Table 1 : Determination of skier type. Type 1 refers to cautious skiers on smooth slopes of gentle to moderate pitch. It also applies to beginners who When these standards were first are uncertain what category they fall published, all the European countries ISO has been into. Type 1 skiers are given lower- that participated in their development An unusual challenge than-average release/retention settings. agreed to adopt them without modifica- developing standards for ski was presented by the need to This means that there is a higher chance tion. Efforts are being made to achieve and snowboard equipment “ standardize ” human beings. that the bindings will come undone a similar adoption in the USA. During for over 40 years. inadvertently, but a greater capacity the latest revision of ISO 9462 and the Love skiing ? of the boot being released from the corresponding ISO 13992 on alpine My funski in the event of a fall. touring ski bindings, European and Fun and safety on the slopes Type 2 refers to skiers who do not American members participating in the work of the ISO technical com- The authors Do you eagerly await the cold weather half of the 19th century in Norway, fit into types 1 and 3. mittee were able to agree on two test so you can slip on a pair of skis and from where it spread fairly quickly Type 3 skiers are fast and aggressive methods – a success for an international slide down slippery slopes with the soft across the world. on slopes of moderate to steep pitch. group of experts who just want to make powdery snow flying by ? As fun and It has since become a popular and far These skiers are given higher-than- skiing safer ! rewarding as the sport may be, skiing more accessible sport. The considerable average release/retention settings. This also carries risks. The right equipment advances in ski equipment make early means that there is a lower capacity for can help keep some of these risks at bay, boots and skis look primitive. Today’s the ski to be released in the event of a but it must take into consideration the skiers have a wide choice of sophisticated fall, but less chance of it coming apart skiers’ different skills and styles. ISO equipment, designed to the highest inadvertently. Otto Harsányi is Chair Dagmar Schermann is of ISO technical Secretary of has developed a series of standards for standards of performance and safety. Progress made committee ISO/TC 83, subcommittee ski and snowboard equipment to help ISO has been developing standards Sports and recreational ISO/TC 83/SC 4, equipment, and Snowsports equipment, Reported skiing injuries have spread state-of-the-art best practice for ski and snowboard equipment for ISO has also published standards for: declined by subcommittee and working groups and make the sport more enjoyable over 40 years. The impetus for the • Alpine ski boots (ISO 5355:2005) ISO/TC 83/SC 4, ISO/TC 83/SC 4/WG 1, and safer for all. ISO standards on ski bindings came Snowsports equipment. Boots for ski and since the 1970s50 % • Ski poles for alpine skiing snowboard, and Skiing as a sport, and particularly from the International Association ISO/TC 83/SC 4/WG 3, Source : National Ski Areas Association (ISO 7331:2011) alpine skiing, dates back to the second for Safety in Skiing. At the time, Skis and snowboards.
14 ISO Focus+ April 2013 ISO Focus+ April 2013 15 a #work
Too many distractionsMy ? work Making open-plan offices work
Do you work in an open-plan office? Blah blah blah Chances are that you do, as this office layout has become more and more The foremost source of noise in open- popular in recent years. While some plan offices comes from telephone calls people are happy with the arrangement, and discussions between co-workers. many experience problems in the work Conversations are particularly dis- environment, mainly due to the ensuing turbing because of the information noise. To promote wider understand- content. Speech recognition notoriously ing of acoustic problems in open-plan distracts much more than other noises offices and improve their design, ISO of a similar level. has published ISO 3382-3:2012, However, if numerous people are Acoustics – Measurement of room acoustic speaking at the same time at a suf- parameters – Open-plan offices. ficient distance, we are no longer able
to recognize what they are saying, and These, in turn, help calculate two the noise generated has a beneficial important measurements : privacy and The most important masking effect on speech nearer to us. distraction distances. source of noise in open-plan Privacy refers to the distance from Privacy and distraction offices is speech. a source at which speech is no longer The author The most important acoustic param- intelligible due to attenuation and eters in open-plan offices are the amount background noise. In some offices, of sound absorption material (usually however, this is longer than the total in the ceiling), the use of screens and length of the office, which means privacy background noise. is not possible. Whereas room acoustics are usually Distraction refers to the distance characterized by the reverberation time where speech is only partly intelli- (that is, the persistence of sound in an gible, but mostly contributes to the Dr. Jens Holger Rindel Before the 1950s enclosed space after the original sound background noise. is a Senior Consultant open-plan offices consisted of classroom- The ideal solution is to bring together in Multiconsult A/S style rows of desks is produced), ISO 3382-3 introduces Norway and Senior different acoustic parameters. These people who want to share information, Researcher in Odeon are the spatial decay rate of noise for preferably within the distraction dis- A/S Denmark. He was involved in the a typical speech spectrum, and speech tance, and to keep further away those development of intelligibility as a function of distance. belonging to other groups. the ISO 3382 series.
16 ISO Focus+ April 2013 ISO Focus+ April 2013 17 a #work
MentalMy stress ? work Optimizing mental workload at the office
Mental load at work ? Does your job to facilitate understanding of the demand continued attention like, for subject. The standard is based on a About instance, air traffic controllers and bus simple “ stimulus-organism-response ” drivers ? Are light conditions essential model and discriminates between the 442 000people for your work, such as when check- mental-stress impacts from outside in Britain believed work-related stress ing coated surfaces in the automobile the individual (stimuli), and the was making them ill in 2007/2008 industry or the quality of glass bottles mental-strain response from within in the soft drink industry ? Or do wider (individual). Source : UK labour force survey societal concerns like an economic crisis This document is relevant to employ- impact your performance ? ers and trade unions when negotiat- Any activity can generate mental ing agreements on mental workload, stress. The resulting strain and fatigue whether they are looking at working can affect individuals and in turn conditions or their impact on the Part 3, Principles and requirements guidance for developers of measurement indirectly have a wider impact on the individual. concerning methods for measuring and procedures. The author organization. As a result, ISO has devel- Part 2, Design principles, describes assessing mental workload, focuses on This part of ISO 10075 is intended for oped a three-part standard, ISO 10075, the basic design precepts necessary to assessment tools. use mainly by ergonomic experts, such Ergonomic principles related to mental avoid impairing effects and to improve Since there is no single best way of as psychologists, occupational health workload, to help employees, employers, working conditions. It focuses on tasks, assessing mental stress or strain, the specialists and/or physiologists, with ISO 10075 helps their representatives, system supervi- equipment, environment and organiza- standard does not recommend specific appropriate theoretical and practical address the issues of mental sors, designers, authorities and other tion, with a view to optimizing, rather measurement instruments, but instead training in the use and interpretation workload in the design of work practitioners address issues of mental than minimizing, mental workload, i.e. outlines requirements for their objectiv- of such methods. systems. workload in the design of work systems. avoiding the extremes of a workload ity, reliability, validity, sensitivity and But it also provides non-experts, Martin Schütte was that is either too heavy or too light. involved in the Mighty trio diagnosticity. e.g. employers, employees and their This part of the standard is particularly development of the There are a large number of meas- representatives, system managers and ISO 10075 series. The standard proposes a three- relevant for designers of work systems urement instruments available, each designers, and public authorities, with He is also active in the pronged approach : and equipment, managers, workers’ designed for different situations and useful information to orient their German Ergonomics Society GfA, and the Part 1, General terms and defini- representatives, and health and safety purposes. Part 3 will help practitioners assessment and measurement of mental Federation of European tions, defines a common terminology authorities. choose adequate instruments and give workload. Ergonomics Societies.
18 ISO Focus+ April 2013 ISO Focus+ April 2013 19 a #money
My Good financial money advice Putting your money in the right hands
The global economic crisis, of which interdependencies between all assets we still feel the effects, has had an and is the basis for good investment A good financial adviser impact on many of us. While insti- decisions. tutions and even countries are bailed The plan should demonstrate the knows the importance out, consumers are left on their own potential of a single investment, and of planning ahead. to cope with challenges such as invest- its place within the client’s overall ment risk, inflation, redundancy and wealth. It should take into account eviction. In this difficult environment, legal necessities, tax considerations, many wish they had planned their individual risk scenarios and estate finances better. planning opportunities. And it should But sometimes, the problem is not include all assets, such as securities, that we did not take responsibility for property and even artwork. our finances, but that our advisers failed But how can a consumer pick a us. A recent university study estimates good, reliable adviser who will take that German consumers lost around all this into account ? Qualification is EUR 100 billion over the last couple key. You would not put your health in of years because of poor advice and the hands of a doctor without a title – buying opaque products, particularly the same applies to finance. Which is 1financial 500 planners are using in terms of their legal construction why a team of international experts ISO 22222 in Germany and costs. developed ISO 22222:2005, Personal Consumers cannot afford to neglect financial planning – Requirements for their finances. The immediate effects personal financial planners. of a financial decision are often small ISO 22222 defines the personal The author or invisible, but a good adviser knows financial planning process and specifies the importance of planning ahead. ethical behaviour as well as the need Furthermore, advice should not be for continual education to maintain limited only to one class of assets or a professional competence. This rigorous particular situation in life, but should standard will help consumers choose be more holistic. a well-qualified and capable financial advisor. Qualification is key In Germany alone, around 1 500 financial planners have already dem- Guido Küsters was a Financial planners develop a com- key driver in the devel- prehensive strategy, consisting of vari- onstrated compliance to ISO 22222. opment of ISO 22222. ous financial and personal scenarios, This is good news for consumers who He Chairs the DIN Certification Committee based on a consumer’s needs and can use the standard as a benchmark Personal Financial goals. A good financial plan uncovers when selecting a financial adviser. Planner ZA FP.
ISO Focus+ April 2013 21 #crosswords Standards all 1 3 4 2 around us 5
Can you decipher these clues that point to many products and activities that are the subject of thousands 6 of standards ?
Down Across 7 8 1 This synthetic material can 1 Developed by a large be moulded to create various software company, this 10 products. (8) popular file format is now an ISO standard. (3) 9 3 Keeps us dry and covered in 12 the wild. (4) 2 A traditional Chinese healing method. (11) 4 They light up the sky 11 at the most important 6 Important for managing celebrations. (9) personnel. (5,9) 13 5 Keeps the little ones 9 Degree of excellence that 14 entertained. (3) merits certification. (7) 15 16 7 ISO child restraint system. (6) 11 Provides the body with essential nutrients. (4) 8 Protecting us from 17 18 flames. (4, 6) 13 A recipient for this grape- based beverage. (4,5) 10 Subject of ISO 14000 20 family. (11) 14 One of two planks for 19 travelling on snow. (3) 12 An underwater activity. (6) 21 This popular brew is drank 16 A shared resource, vital for 15 22 life. (5) the world over. (3) Compression of digital images 17 Keep us on time. (7) 19 for easy sharing. (4) 18 Take us where we want to go. (4) 22 Tools that keep us smiling. (12) 20 The first sign you look for in an emergency. (4) 23 The subject of 23 ISO 50001. (6,10) 24 21 Used for recording and sharing our thoughts, or 24 According to the ISO date
covering walls and doors. (5) format, what you should
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24.Year 24.Year management 23.Energy 22.Toothbrushes 21.Paper
mention first. (4) 20.Exit
| | | | | | | | | | | 19.JPEG 19.JPEG 18.Cars 17.Watches 16.Water 15.Tea 14.Ski 13.Win-glass 12.Diving 11.Food 10.Environment 9.Quality
| | | | | | | 8.Fire safety safety 8.Fire 7.ISOFix Resources 6.Human 5.Toy 4.Fireworks 3.Tent 2.Acupuncture (across) PDF (down), 1.Plastic Answers a #health
• ISO 14889:2003, Ophthalmic Photo : Koberg+Tente GmbH + Co.KG optics – Spectacle lenses – Fun- damental requirements for uncut finished lenses • ISO 21987:2009, Ophthalmic optics – Mounted spectacle lenses
Contact lenses
Contact lenses are small, almost invisible, and fairly complex medical devices. Eyes differ in size, shape and refractive performance. The onus is on the contact lens Spectacles practitioner to determine the If the refractive power and axial most comfortable and efficient length of an eye do not match, the lenses. There is a broad range of image formed by the optical system will standard geometries and dioptric Fit-for-purpose spectacle frames must not be in focus. Fitting spectacles will powers on the market, together with comply with a host of requirements, compensate for this. Optimum lenses individually manufactured lenses for including dimensional stability, require well-established procedures and special-needs customers. endurance, lens retention characteristics and physiological compatibility. precision instruments. To provide all Whether mass-produced or tailor- My Can health you see that ? dioptric powers, spectacle lenses are made, contact lenses have to be delivered offered in 25 dioptre steps and should and maintained in conditions that do Enhancing people’s vision remain within specified tolerances. not compromise health or performance. • ISO 11980:2012, Ophthalmic The correct mounting into the Once again, International Standards lay Around 285 million people are visu- International Standards for oph- optics – Contact lenses and contact spectacle frame is equally important down the requirements for eye health ally impaired worldwide, of which 90 % thalmic products and equipment lens care products – Guidance for and ISO lays down the ground rules and economically viable production. are in developing countries. Accord- make their work easier by outlining clinical investigations in this and other relevant areas with Key examples include : ISO standards lay ing to the International Agency for terminology, requirements and test standards such as : • ISO 14534:2011, Ophthalmic down the requirements for eye the Prevention of Blindness, 80 % of methods. For example, they specify Supported by straightforward, glob- • ISO 12870:2012, Ophthalmic optics – Contact lenses and contact ally recognized standards, spectacle and health and economically viable these cases could be prevented or cor- that the lens planes of a trial frame optics – Spectacle frames – Require- lens care products – Fundamental contact lens wearers can enjoy clear production. rected. When eye abnormalities cause should be parallel to each other and ments and test methods requirements vision in confidence. deficiencies, there are many solutions that lens holders can be rotated freely. Trial case lenses are marked according available. ISO standards for spectacle Photo : Imre Kovats lenses, spectacle frames, contact lenses, to a standardized system. The accuracy ophthalmic implants, instruments and of their lenses and prisms should be equipment, and procedures for visual within tight tolerances. The author acuity testing, are a means of sharing ISO standards also describe the range best practice globally to ensure quality of trial case lenses needed in a complete and safety while opening up markets set to carry out all typical tests and for industry and lowering costs for the prescriptions. consumer. Examples of standards include : • ISO 8596:2009, Ophthal- Blurry? mic optics – Visual acuity test- ing – Standard optotype and its To reliably assess an individual’s Elisabeth Leitner is eyesight and determine the dioptric presentation the long-term • Secretary of technical power (level of adjustment) of correc- ISO 9801:2009, Ophthalmic committee ISO/TC 172, tive lenses, opticians, optometrists and instruments – Trial case lenses Optics and photonics, “ Landoltring ”, the standard optotype subcommittee SC 7, (test symbol on an eyechart) according to ophthalmologists use trial frames, case • ISO 12867:2010, Ophthalmic Ophthalmic optics and ISO 8596. lenses and visual acuity charts. instruments – Trial frames The fit of a contact lens on the eye is typically evaluated under Fluorescein. instruments.
24 ISO Focus+ April 2013 ISO Focus+ April 2013 25 a #health
ISO standards dominate the world market for mechanical contraceptives.
My Condoms health Making sure they are safe and work as intended
Male latex condoms and other • Copper-bearing contraceptive mechanical contraceptives are used IUDs (ISO 7439:2011) to prevent unwanted pregnancies as • Reusable natural and silicone well as sexually transmitted infections rubber contraceptive diaphragms such as the human immunodeficiency (ISO 8009:2004) or HIV virus responsible for AIDS. 98success rate% for pregancy • Prophylactic dams prevention Although male and female mechanical contraceptives are not 100 % effective, (ISO 29942:2011) Source : WHO they make a significant contribution to Products compliant with these ISO our health and have saved many from standards dominate the world market illness and even death. for mechanical contraceptives, particu- You may be wondering : How reli- Types of female condoms. able are condoms ? How should they larly condoms. be stored ? How long do they last As medical devices, mechanical con- before they expire ? How does one traceptives require regulation in terms use them safely ? Are they regulated ? of market approval, efficacy, quality and These and other questions are being suitability for their intended purpose. billion addressed by ISO technical committee This is why bodies such as the World 13condoms needed by 2015 to help halt the spread of HIV and other STDs ISO/TC 157, Non-systemic contracep- Health Organization (WHO), the worldwide tives and STI barrier prophylactics, United Nations Population Fund, the Source : UNAIDS which covers all mechanical contra- global-health-solutions NGO PATH, ceptives, including male and female Consumers International and social condoms, intra-uterine devices (IUDs) marketing agencies all participate in and rubber diaphragms. ISO/TC 157’s work. The committee’s most important In fact, the International Standards standard in terms of market size and use developed by this technical committee The author is ISO 4074:2002, Natural latex rubber are used by procurement agencies and condoms – Requirements and test methods. For those allergic or sensitive to natu- social marketers, and are referred to ral rubber latex, help is at hand in the extensively by WHO in its purchas- form of ISO 23409:2011 which defines ing specification for male and female the requirements and test methods for condoms. male condoms made from synthetic ISO will continue to develop and materials. refine standards in line with the develop- Dr. Ong Eng Long is Other key standards address such ment of the industry, as well as produce Chair of technical areas as : appropriate guidance documents on committee ISO/TC 157, Non-systemic • Female condoms clinical trials for copper IUDs, female contraceptives and STI Male condoms. (ISO 25841:2011) condoms and male synthetic condoms. barrier prophylactics.
26 ISO Focus+ April 2013 ISO Focus+ April 2013 27 a #security My security Disaster alert ! Timely warnings save lives
On 26 December 2004, a giant wave auditory and/or visual senses to attract swept over land killing more than attention, and must take into considera- All public warnings 200 000 people in South-East Asia. tion the characteristics and conditions should consist of both an alert Despite a lag of several hours between of people at risk, while the notification the earthquake and the impact of the message communicates appropriate and a notification message. Indian Ocean tsunami, nearly all the safety actions to be taken in case of victims were taken by surprise as there emergency. were no tsunami detection and warning of natural hazards are ...and making sure they of meteorological origin systems in place. 90 % understand ISO is finalizing work on two stand- 5 % 2 % ards that will improve people’s disaster The second standard, ISO 22324, 5 % 6 % preparedness and response, save lives Societal security – Emergency man- 37 % and reduce injuries. These standards will agement – Colour-coded alert, will 8 % share best practice among countries and strengthen public warning even further 9 % ensure that, no matter where we come by specifying visual alerts and the use from or what language we speak, we of various colours. can understand an emergency warning Colour-coded alerts serve to notify Floods 28 % anywhere in the world. people at risk of recent status changes Windstorms in safety or danger to ensure they can Droughts and famines Warning people... take safety actions appropriate to the type of hazard. Earthquakes The first standard, ISO 22322, Societal As things stand at the moment, security – Emergency management – Pub- Avalanches and landslides though, there are several colour systems lic warning, provides principles and in use around the world, and even within Extreme temperatures generic guidelines for developing, one country. To eliminate confusion, Forest and scrub fires managing and implementing public ISO 22324 provides a standardized warnings before, during and after Volcanic eruptions approach to danger warning procedures, incidents, giving response organizations Source : WMO regardless of hazard type, to make sure the tools to alert emergency respond- people will know what to do, no matter ers and people at risk so that safety where they are. The author measures can be taken. Effective public ISO 22322 and ISO 22324 are warning requires systems that monitor expected to be published in early 2014. identified risks in a defined area and provide evidence-based information about disasters (hazard monitoring). It must also be clear when and how to launch an appropriate message to people at risk (warning dissemination). Stefan Tangen is All public warnings should consist of Secretary of ISO technical committee both an alert and a notification mes- ISO/TC 223, Societal sage. The alert is designed to stimulate security.
28 ISO Focus+ April 2013 29 a #security
Average average of US identity fraud victims 8 571 900 Source : US Department of Justice Javelin Strategy & Research
Average financial loss per identity theft incident USD 4 930 Source : US Department of Justice Javelin Strategy & Research
ISO/IEC 24760, Information technol- clearly differentiates between “ identity ” ogy – Security techniques – A framework and “ identifier ”, makes it the most ISO/IEC 24760 is for identity management, tackles this privacy-friendly identity management the most privacy-friendly problematic issue and aims to ensure a standard published. identity management standard secure, reliable and privacy-respecting Further parts of ISO/IEC 24760 are management of identity information, in development. They will focus on a published. My security with both the needs of individuals reference architecture, requirements, Online identity management Make it respect our privacy and organizations in mind. Part 1, best practice (for example through a Terminology and concepts, published life-cycle model of identity informa- The authors in 2011, includes an in-depth discus- tion), support design, and the imple- How can we establish trust online ? As unique identification of individuals is sion of different concepts of identity mentation and operation of identity more and more transactions take place declared as a goal. and identity management, and related management systems. over the Internet – from payments to However, with more aspects of life trust issues. e-voting –, demonstrating our identity being published and processed on ISO/IEC 24760 now carries the might seem an easy way to gain trust. the Internet, such globally unique universally usable definition of iden- However, what do we mean by identity, identification of people poses issues tity as a “ set of attributes related to How can we protect and how can we protect our personal as citizens and consumers risk being an entity ”, which encompasses the Prof. Dr. Kai José Fernando our personal data online ? data online ? over-transparent, exploitable, and concept of partial identities. It does Rannenberg is Carvajal Vión works in Convenor of working the Department of A classical approach to identity deprived of their privacy. Therefore not assume that an identity will unam- group WG 5, Identity Cybersecurity at Indra, focuses on the procedural elements people should be able to maintain biguously distinguish one entity from management and Spain. He has been involved in identification. For example, differentiated (partial) identities for privacy technologies, involved with another in a given domain. Rather, this within technical information and in e-government transactions, only a specific contexts, whether chatting in property is addressed by the concept committee ISO/IEC communications specific individual should be responsible a social network, ordering medicine or of “ identifier ”. JTC 1, Information technology and security technology, for more than 20 years. for an action such as making a tax dec- other sensitive products, or advertising The fact that ISO/IEC 24760 explic- subcommittee SC 27, IT laration. Sometimes, even the globally their old household goods online. itly considers partial identities, and Security techniques.
30 ISO Focus+ April 2013 ISO Focus+ April 2013 31 a #stuff
My stuff Water-resistant watches What does it really mean ?
When buying a watch, many of activities, such as swimming, jump- Water resistance us will look out for water resistance. ing into the water and diving, never Unfortunately, buyers sometimes rely exceeds 1 bar. So a timepiece marked on unfounded technical informa- “ water-resistant 3 bars ” can safely be tion circulated on the Internet or, submerged to a maximum depth of 1 bar : metres simply, do not fully understand the 30 metres and used for surface water 10 specifications. activities, be it at the pool, at the beach, 3 bars : or when showering. 30 metres An ISO standard can help. With 5 bars: consumer protection in mind, Indeed, thanks to ISO 22810, a watch 50 metres ISO 22810:2010, Horology – Water- wearer can even indulge – worry-free – resistant watches, details the speci- in the joys of dishwashing ! fications, requirements and tests necessary for watches to be stamped “ water-resistant ”. Wearers should be able to trust their Watches by materials (in Switzerland 2011) water-resistant watch and perform all aquatic activities without risk of damage. And this applies to all 4 % 2 % 2 % watches known as water-resistant, not 52 % 5 % 39 % just diving timepieces that are built The author in accordance with ISO 6425:1996, 16 % 17 % Divers’ watches. Water resistance is the ability of a product to resist water penetration. 26 % 37 % This resistance comes under strain as Units Value the water depth and pressure increase. The pressure unit used in practice is the bar. One bar is the approximate Steel Patrick Loetscher overpressure at a depth of 10 metres, is Secretary of Precious metals Other metals technical committee 5 bars the overpressure at 50 metres, ISO/TC 114, Horology, and so on. Gold-steel Other materials and subcommittee ISO/TC 114/SC 3, Experiments have established that Source : Federation of the Swiss watch industry Water-resistant OMEGA, Seamaster, Planet Ocean, an example of a timepiece that complies with ISO 22810 for water-resistant watches. the pressure variation in surface water watches.
ISO Focus+ April 2013 33 a #stuff
Sunscreen No impurities Over the years, consumers have been The ISO technical commit- taught to choose sunscreens according tee that developed these standards, to the sun protection factor (or SPF) ISO/TC 217, Cosmetics, has developed, index indicated on the label. But until and is currently working on, many recently, national and regional regula- others including : tions around the world differed with • Microbiological standards regard to the methods used to determine • Analytical methods for testing this index, meaning that the same num- cosmetics and their ingredients ber might correspond to different levels of protection in different countries. Cosmetics can be highly complex in Imagine how many holidaymakers have terms of their formulation and require bought local products, confident that the use of high-quality ingredients they were the same as those at home. to ensure their safety. For example, Today three ISO standards – standards have been, and are being, ISO 24442:2011, ISO 24443:2012 developed to harmonize testing for SPF 15 blocks about and ISO 24444:2010 – describe in vitro avoidable impurities such as nitrosa- and in vivo test methods for the deter- mines or heavy metals, including lead 93 % mination of sunscreen SPF and UVA and mercury. Again, in the context of of UVB rays protection. Thanks to these internation- international exchange and trade, such ally accepted standards, consumers can harmonized methods are essential. SPF 30 blocks about rest assured that the index protection ISO’s standardized test methods advertised on sunscreen products is are recognized by industry, control 97of UVB rays % equivalent the world over – making authorities and consumer representa- travelling easier and hassle-free ! tives around the world. Source : www.cancer.org
Cosmetics must meet stringent requirements. CosmeticsMy stuff Beauty without bugs The authors Although some of us think that cos- normal product use do not adversely metics refer only to decorative make-up, compromise the quality or safety. they also include many vital personal Clearly, cosmetics must meet strin- care products for our hygiene and gent requirements before they are made health, such as toothpaste, shampoo, available to consumers. ISO standards soap, and even sunscreen. are the vehicle for sharing global best All these products are applied directly practice, so that users and regulators on to our skins, the largest organ of can have confidence in the quality of Mojdeh R. Tabari is Prof. Pierre-Antoine Dr. Philippe Masson is the human body. It is therefore crucial products produced in other countries. Secretary of technical Bonnet is Convenor of Convenor of working committee ISO/TC 217, working group group ISO/TC 217/WG 7, that cosmetic products are free from This international approach also ben- Cosmetics. She is ISO/TC 217/WG 3, Sun protection test dangerous micro-organisms. Further- efits industry, who will find it easier to Convenor of working Analytical methods. methods. group ISO/TC 217/WG 1, more, it is necessary to ensure that any comply with just one set of guidelines Microbiological micro-organisms introduced during instead of multiple national ones. standards and limits.
34 ISO Focus+ April 2013 ISO Focus+ April 2013 35 a #stuff
Washing worriesMy ? stuff Helping you understand textile care labels
Have you ever shrunk a sweater or manufacturers, suppliers and retailers stained a shirt ? Have you accidentally with respect to the tests they should Care symbols should burnt or torn an item by ironing at perform on materials and clothing to be simple enough to be too high a temperature ? Do you ever check for irreversible damage during understood worldwide. wish your clothes would last longer washing and drying. without losing their shape or becoming The symbols included on care labels Washing discoloured ? also inform consumers and dry cleaners Clothes are made using different of the maximum treatment possible for materials and dyes and we need to washing, bleaching, drying, ironing Bleaching know how to take care of each piece and professional textile care. in order to ensure it lasts longer in Not as easy as it sounds Drying good condition. The first care labelling symbols were designed and technically Standardizers face several challenges. defined in the late 1950s. They were Firstly, they must ensure care symbols Ironing introduced following the arrival of new are simple enough to be understood fibres, such as acetate, nylon, polyester worldwide. Secondly, they must make and viscose, to help consumers care their technical recommendations pre- Professional textile care for their beloved shirts and trousers. cise. And thirdly, they need to take into Source : ISO 3758:2012 This independent care labelling code consideration the new technologies, devices, detergents and solvents that was established by the International The author Association for Textile Care Labelling flood the market. For example, there is (GINETEX). GINETEX is an inter- an ongoing debate on how care symbols national non-profit organization that can best reflect the increasing demand cooperates with the entire textile chain for environmentally friendly cleaning. and all relevant professional care sectors. Finally, they must encourage global adoption of the standard in order to reap It also participates, together with other the full benefits. With the latest version industry experts, in the ISO technical of ISO 3758, published in 2012, we committee responsible for textile care hope that countries like Canada, Japan, Agathe Pacard is labelling symbols. General Secretary of South Korea and the USA will increase GINETEX. She has been Understood everywhere their uptake of the ISO solution and involved in ISO adapt their regulations accordingly. Our standardization since 2008 within technical For over 20 years, ISO 3758, Tex- vision is that consumers in all parts of committee ISO/TC 38, tiles – Care labelling code using symbols, the world should be able to understand Textiles, subcommittee SC 2, Cleansing, has helped large parts of the global clearly and unambiguously the same finishing and water textile and clothing industry. It guides pictogram language ! resistance tests.
ISO Focus+ April 2013 37 a #planetISO #planetISO
Higher gear for cars No more dirty stoves What’s new on www.iso.org How can International Standards provide Nearly three billion people in the developing even greater support to the global automotive world cook food and heat their homes with Focus on small industry for developing fully networked cars traditional cookstoves or open fires. Four mil- and medium-sized (FNC) integrated with intelligent transport lion premature deaths occur every year due to enterprises (SMEs). systems (ITS)? smoke exposure from these methods. Women Learn how your This was the fundamental question explored and children are the most affected. To reduce company can at the 8th Fully Networked Car Workshop, held this risk and facilitate the large-scale adoption benefit from ISO in March 2013 at the Geneva International of clean cooking solutions, a proposal for a new standards Motor Show, Switzerland. ISO technical committee on clean cookstoves We have also recently published a new page Work paths were identified, such as the need is currently being considered (ballot closing on the benefits of ISO standards for SMEs. A for further safety standards in specific areas, as on 4 June). Prof. Nigel Bruce from the University of Liverpool (representing WHO) ; video and a number of publications explain how well as enhanced standards for traffic informa- The proposal relates to the International Zacharia Lukorito from KEBS (proposed co-secretary for the new Cookstoves SMEs can get the most out of our standards. tion. Additional areas for new standards are for Workshop Agreement (IWA) published by committee) ; José Alcorta from ISO ; Joseph Tretler Jr. from ANSI (ISO member for www.iso.org/iso/iso-and-smes vehicle-to-vehicle emergency communications ISO last year. ISO/IWA 11:2012, Guidelines for and information security. the USA) ; Richard Ebong from UNBS (ISO member for Uganda) and Ranyee Chiang evaluating cookstove performance, is considered from the Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves (Facilitator). The workshop is an annual event organ- a major step towards defining criteria for safer, ized by the World Standards Cooperation, a Rob Steele, ISO Secretary-General. more efficient and cleaner cookstoves. If the strategic partnership of ISO, the International proposal is approved, the ISO technical com- Electrotechnical Committee (IEC), and the mittee on cookstoves would be run in a twinning Standards for Africa Forum participants also championed the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). One of the opening addresses was given by arrangement between ANSI (ISO member for development of a regional sustainable tourism Focusing on International Standards and the Rob Steele, ISO Secretary-General, who encour- the USA) and KEBS (ISO member for Kenya). “ Standards for Africa ”, the first international programme for Central Africa based on relevant development of vehicle connectivity, it attracted aged participants to reflect on the recent changes The importance of cookstoves was also recently forum for promoting standardization in French- International Standards. A series of actions were nearly 100 automotive experts and specialists in the global automotive industry and their highlighted at the Clean Cooking Forum 2013 speaking Africa, was held in Yaoundé, Cameroon, devised in different countries across the region from around the world. implications for International Standards needed in February 2013. Three discussion workshops to protect and promote Africa’s exceptional for the development of vehicles integrated with in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, attended by some focused on ways to develop a standardization biodiversity and culture, including a regional ITS, adding: “ For me, this workshop needs to 300 participants. A special session entitled culture throughout the region, with a focus on school for standardization in Congo based on be about people saying what they really think, “ International Standards and Next Steps for areas such as higher education, tourism and the Geneva University model. and then following that with action… Let’s come Clean Cooking ” included speakers represent- improved communication on standardization. Finally, strategies were discussed to spread up with something concrete that the industry ing ISO, ANSI (ISO member for the USA), Daniele Gerundino, Strategic Adviser to the the word about standards. The proposal for a really wants, and let’s make a commitment to UNBS (ISO member for Uganda) and the ISO Secretary-General, provided an update on French African platform for communication really deliver it.” World Health Organization. ISO-run initiatives in the field of education, on standardization was endorsed along with Through round-table panels and interac- Speakers promoted international consensus highlighting the post-graduate programme on practical ways to instill a standardization culture tive discussions, the workshop helped foster standards as a strong solution for key global standardization, social regulation and sustain- throughout the region. a better understanding of the challenges the challenges, such as cookstoves It is widely able development it helped set up with the The event was organized by ANOR (Agence automotive sector has to face in the near acknowledged that ISO standards would save University of Geneva, Switzerland. des Normes et de la Qualité du Cameroun) and future, and how International Standards lives, improve livelihoods, empower women and The proposal made by ESSTIC, the school RNF (Réseau Normalisation et Francophonie), can be an essential support, as well as combat climate change by creating a thriving of information and communication technolo- with the support of COMNOR (Association confirm and update the most important global market for clean cookstoves and fuels. gies of Cameroun’s Yaoundé II University, to of communication professionals for promot- International Standards priorities. The Forum, which was opened with a video establish a programme for higher education ing standardization in Cameroon). It drew a The Future of Vehicles The workshop was moderated by Richard message from Kofi Annan, the former UN @ Geneva International Motor Show and research on standardization in Africa – hundred participants from Burkina Faso, the Parry-Jones, a former executive with the Secretary-General, was organized by the Global which includes a master’s programme – won Central African Republic, the Democratic Ford Motor Company. Alliance for Clean Cookstoves. broad acclaim. Introducing standards in higher Republic of Congo, Ivory Coast, France, Workshop education is crucial, particularly in the field Gabon, Kenya and, of course, Cameroon. drew 6 March 2013 Geneva Palexpo of building and public works, where outdated a hundred participants from Burkina Faso, Switzerland standards cannot compete against the recent the Central African Republic, the Democratic 2013-02-19 13:01:37 European Eurocodes which are already pervad- Republic of Congo, Ivory Coast, France, Gabon,
FNC 2013 - Poster A4.indd 1 ing the industry. Kenya and, of course, Cameroon.
Participants at the first international forum for promoting standardization Participants at the 8th Fully Networked Car Workshop. in French-speaking Africa, in Yaoundé, Cameroon.
38 ISO Focus+ April 2013 ISO Focus+ April 2013 39 a #energy
for all energy management system framework of requirements that ena- improvement activities in compliance bles us to develop a policy for more with ISO 50001, including evaluating efficient use of energy, fix targets and and updating the energy policy, organ- objectives, use data to better under- izing energy coordination committee stand and make decisions concerning meetings, training, selecting suppliers energy use and consumption, measure and contractors in accordance with the the results, and continually improve energy policy, monitoring and evaluat- energy management. Consistent energy ing energy audit results, and ensuring management helps us realize untapped that Arçelik fulfils local and national energy efficiency potential. We benefit energy resource requirements. from cost savings and make a significant contribution to environmental and ISO Focus+: How do you think climate protection. ISO 50001 implementation will change or influence Arçelik’s approach ISO Focus+: Did you integrate to energy management ? ISO 50001 with other ISO-based man- agement systems such as ISO 9001and Fatih Özkadı : Before ISO 50001 cer- ISO 14001 ? tification, Arçelik A.Ş. utilized its own energy management approach composed Fatih Özkadı : As a result of its corporate of practices such as measurement, vision of “ Respects the Globe, Respected monitoring, analysis and reduction of Globally ”, Arçelik acts with a focused energy consumption values. sustainable development approach in We have conducted nearly 200 all its processes. We integrate sustain- energy efficiency projects in factories ability principles with our business in Turkey, decreasing our energy processes and objectives. Establishing a consumption by 5 % each year. This sustainable, responsible and accountable reduction results in a decrease of nearly business model is a significant part of
Photo : Arçelik A.Ş. 12 000 tons of CO2 greenhouse gas the company’s business strategy. Energy efficiency at ISO 50001-certified Arçelik A.Ş. extends not only to the production of refrigerators of the Arctic and Beko brands, (GHG) emissions per annum. We We conduct sustainability manage- but also to lower energy consumption of the eco-friendly products themselves. control our environmental impact by ment and realize performance-improving using the ISO 14001 (environmental studies structured on focal point-based management) and ISO 14064 (GHG policy and management system docu- reporting and quantification) standards. ments. These include, in particular, consumption before aligning its In 2010, an energy health check was ethical values and documents covering Using less energy energy management system with the carried out at our eight facilities in Tur- environment, energy, quality, work ISO 50001 requirements. The company key by an independent body authorized health and safety, human resources, Turkish home appliance manufacturer was awarded certification in 2012, by the Republic of Turkey General supplier working conditions and public plugs into ISO 50001 applied to the design, production and Directorate of Renewable Energy who disclosure policies, which define working marketing of consumer durables at its awarded the “ Gold Certificate ” to all principles and procedures. headquarters and eight production our plants. We broke our own record The Arçelik management system is Many organizations around the world implementing new energy-efficient manufacture of refrigerators, washing facilities in Turkey. Arçelik also expects and set the bar higher through the the sum of workforce and workflows implementing the new ISO 50001 technologies. machines, air conditioning units and to achieve certification of its factories in improvements we achieved in 2011 organized towards the corporate vision. energy management standard are Arçelik A.Ş. of Istanbul, Turkey, LCD TVs at production facilities Romania, Russia and China this year. when four of our plants in Turkey We integrate various management finding it easy integrate with other a member of the “ Fortune Global in Turkey, Romania, Russia, China obtained the “ Platinum Certificate ”. standards to increase the efficiency Realizing untapped energy Arçelik is reportedly the first company of that system, including ISO 9001 organizational management systems 500 ”-ranked Koc Group, the largest and South Africa. These are marketed efficiency such as environmental and health conglomerate in Turkey, is integrat- under the Arçelik, Altus, Beko, Arctic, in the white goods sector worldwide (quality), ISO 14001 (environment), and safety, while providing strategies ing ISO 50001 to improve its existing Blomberg, Defy, Elektrabregenz, Flavel, ISO Focus+ interviewed Fatih Özkadı, to have achieved both, in addition to OHSAS 18001 (occupational health and to increase energy efficiency, reduce energy management approach in a more Grundig and Leisure brand names in Energy and Environment Manager ISO 50001 certification. safety), ISO/IEC 17025 (competence costs and improve energy performance systematic manner. more than 100 countries worldwide. of Arçelik A.Ş., to find out more Being certified to ISO 50001, we of testing and calibration laboratories), by making better use of their exist- Founded in 1955, the company Arçelik was already making sig- about the benefits of implementing expect to proceed in a more system- and ISO 50001, plus methodologies ing energy-consuming assets, or by employs some 24 000 people in the nificant annual reductions in energy ISO 50001. Mr. Özkadı is responsible atic manner. ISO 50001 provides a such as Product Lifecycle Management
40 ISO Focus+ April 2013 ISO Focus+ April 2013 41 a #language
(PLM), Total Productive Maintenance ISO Focus+ : What energy efficiency international FAO database containing (TPM), and Six Sigma. measures and initiatives do you over four million records, the thesaurus We manage these standards and expect to put in place as a result of Find what you AGROVOC should be used, and the methodologies in an integrated way certification ? corresponding term is “ sea pollution ”. under the EFQM Excellence Model In the thesaurus of the even bigger Fatih Özkadı : ISO 50001 guides umbrella. Furthermore, new ISO man- need ? CAB Abstracts database, neither of these and encourages us to determine our agement system standards are easy and terms can be found ; instead, one has to energy needs, establish our energy straightforward to integrate into our use a combination of “ water pollution ” policy and objectives, conduct energy current system. plus “ marine areas ” to search for the reviews, determine necessary processes same topic. Try extending the search to ISO Focus+ : Did you need to adapt and responsibilities, establish methods the resources of the thousands of col- any requirements of the standard or for energy monitoring and analysis, lections worldwide that use the Dewey its interpretation to suit Arçelik’s determine energy performance indi- Decimal Classification, and you are operating practices and policies ? cators, establish means for effective directed to apply several different codes operational control, and review and Fatih Özkadı : Of course. The require- to find the topic, including 363.794 ments of ISO 50001 are defined in detail monitor continual energy efficiency (water pollution), 577.727 (marine in the standard document. By adapting improvements. ecology – pollution) and 591.7727 all topics, we believe we improved our During our compliance studies for (effect of pollution on marine animals). ISO 50001, we defined strict rules in management system and attained a more Photo : Arçelik A.Ş. concrete approach. We prepared some our system documents and we will be A one-stop-shop solution Fatih Özkadı, Arçelik A.Ş. Energy new procedures and revised several complying with all these measures. and Environment Manager. Few of us have the patience to existing procedures, forms and instruc- Via these measures, we plan annual be looking up all these specialized tions to make sure that our system met energy savings of 5 % as a result of procurement of energy-consuming vocabularies and carefully crafting a all the requirements. The ISO 50001 energy efficiency projects to reduce equipment, increase the capabilities new search statement for each data- standard influenced our whole system GHG emissions. We also plan to of our measurement systems, and, in base, network or repository. There which was adapted accordingly. upgrade software to better control the 2012-2013, generate a portion of the is a demand for automated support: electricity consumed from renewable something that will “ map ” the original energy resources. Overcoming the logistics query from one indexing language to ISO Focus+ : At this early stage, can another. Preferably, a complete set of you already comment on the benefits of of language barriers such mappings should be worked out the ISO 50001 implementation – can and stored behind the scenes, to be you quantify any energy savings yet? invoked whenever a new search is run “ I know it’s there ; why can’t I find can help greatly if well implemented. over multiple resource collections. The Fatih Özkadı : We only achieved it ? ” is a common cry heard from However, it can also add to the confu- newly published ISO 25964-2:2013 certification very recently. However, managers grappling with their firm’s sion by creating a language barrier if standard guides the preparation of in line with ISO 50001 requirements, Intranet, or with the records manage- different thesauri have been applied such mappings. we measure, analyse and track our ment system, or perhaps wondering to different collections or databases. The overall context of the guidance consumption, and record the efficiency which of the many repositories and Moreover, a classification scheme on mapping is contained in ISO 25964, of our activities. We share our energy databases to tackle first. may have been used as well, and for under the general title Information performance internally and externally. Even when a top-drawer search engine multinational corporations a variety and documentation – Thesauri and So, we believe that we will see the is installed, disillusion can set in as users of natural languages compounds the interoperability with other vocabularies. quantitative benefits of ISO 50001 in find that resource discovery in-house challenge. The standard, which consists of two the near future. does not perform in the same way as Searching over the Internet illustrates parts (and replaces the earlier stand- In addition, we have production Google on the Internet. Typically, it the problem. Let’s start with an envi- ards ISO 2788 and ISO 5964), deals facilities in different cities in Turkey. is not enough to throw money at the ronmental topic, and think first of the with all aspects of thesauri to support As a positive outcome of implementing problem ; effort also needs to be spent, European Environment Agency. To information retrieval: ISO 50001, we were able to benefit from with the help of complementary tools. search their resources you might, for the different experiences of internal One of the orthodox solutions is to example, use the term “ marine pollu- • ISO 25964-1:2011, Thesauri for Photo : Arçelik A.Ş. and external auditors during audits. apply a specialized indexing language to tion ” from their thesaurus GEMET. information retrieval Washing machines manufactured by Arçelik are claimed to be up to 40 % more energy- It helped us explore possible areas for documents as they are entered into the But if documents on the same topic are • ISO 25964-2:2013, Interoperabil- efficient than the A+++ EU energy consumption label grade. improvement in different locations. repositories. For example, a thesaurus to be sought via AGRIS, the massive ity with other vocabularies
42 ISO Focus+ April 2013 ISO Focus+ April 2013 43 a #comingup
ISO 25964 has applications in-house terms in different natural languages. To help users run a single search across as well as over the Internet, for public Finding a match across languages is not all the available collections, ISO 25964-2 sector or commercial services, and in always easy, and the standard provides provides guidance on mapping between the much vaunted “ Semantic Web ”. recommendations for handling the dif- the terms and concepts of one thesaurus What does a thesaurus compliant ficulties that commonly arise. and those of the other KOSs. Where with ISO 25964-1 look like ? Quite ISO 25964-1 explains how to build a mapping is not a sensible option, the simply, the thesaurus lists all the con- monolingual or a multilingual thesaurus, standard recommends other forms of cepts available for indexing, tagging or how to display it, and how to manage complementary vocabulary use. searching in a given context. It labels its development. There is a data model Automotive quality Wider interoperability issues each of them with a preferred term, to use when managing thesaurus data or Akebono Brake Industry Co. as well as any synonyms that apply. exchanging them between systems, and The fast-evolving world of networked Ltd., of Saitama, Japan, a leading Relationships between the concepts an XML schema for encoding the data. applications is underpinned by a jigsaw manufacturer of braking systems for and between the terms are shown, The standard also sets out the features of standards and protocols, from the the automotive, rail transportation making it easy to explore the options you should look for when choosing basics of Transmission Control Pro- and industrial machinery sectors, while building up a search query. The software to manage the thesaurus. tocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) and has enhanced its ISO 9001 qual- main types of relationship are : ity management system (QMS) by Across multiple vocabularies HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTP) • Equivalence relationship (between through to the sophistication of W3C implementing ISO/TS 16949, the synonyms and near-synonyms, What happens when organizations standards such as Web Ontology automotive industry-specific stand- e.g. motor-bikes, motor-cycles and use several different vocabularies? The Language (OWL). All the pieces need ard that defines the QMS require- motorcycles) issue of interoperability with other to interlock effectively. In this jigsaw, ments for the design, development, • Hierarchical relationship (between vocabularies is addressed in Part 2 ISO 25964 comes next to the W3C production, installation and service broader and narrower concepts, of ISO 25964. The new standard Recommendation Simple Knowledge of automotive-related products. e.g. flowers and roses) deals with the challenges of using Organization System Reference (SKOS), one thesaurus in combination with and happily there is a good fit between Product safety • Associative relationship (between another, and/or with some other type the two, despite their different scope. concepts that are closely related ISO Focus+ in some non-hierarchical way, e.g. of controlled vocabulary or knowledge Additional tools for implement- Consumers love to buy new stuff, showcase how standards keep the between a disease and the virus organization system (KOS). The types ers of these standards are still under from toys to furniture and electron- public safe. It provides an overview The electronic edition (PDF file) that causes that disease) covered include classification schemes, development. To keep in touch, tune ics to sports equipment. But how can of product safety solutions that give of ISO Focus+ is accessible free of charge on the ISO Website taxonomies, subject heading schemes, into the mailing lists at : www.niso. we make sure that the toys kids play practical guidelines to those involved In multilingual thesauri, equivalence www.iso.org/isofocus+. In addition, ontologies, name authority lists, termi- org/lists/25964info/ and http://lists. with aren’t harmful ? That the coolest in the supply chain, from designers also applies between corresponding the entire collection of previous nologies and synonym rings. Within w3.org/Archives/Public/public-esw- new high-tech device won’t overheat to retailers, and explains how their a single organization, it is common thes/. More detailed information about issues of ISO Focus+ editions, plus and catch fire ? That the latest wonder decisions can make or break a product ISO Focus (2004-2009), plus ISO to find several different KOSs used in both parts of the standard, including cleaner doesn’t give off toxic fumes ? safety record. Management Systems magazine The author contexts such as the records manage- references and links to explanatory Each year, millions of people around When safety issues are discovered, a (2001-2009) is also available free ment system, the library catalogue, the presentations, can be found at www. the world are seriously injured because product recall is often put out. Recalls of charge as electronic files. corporate Intranet, the research lab, etc. niso.org/schemas/iso25964/. of dangerous products. These devastat- are costly to a company because they ing injuries highlight the stakes when often entail replacing the recalled ISO Update it comes to product safety. product or paying for damage caused The ISO Update, a monthly sup- Herein lies the solution. International by use, not to mention the damage plement to ISO Focus+ is available Standards protect the public from caused to the brand name and reduced electronically (PDF) in both English unreasonable risks of injury or death trust in the manufacturer. www.iso.org/isoupdate and French Stella Dextre Clarke www.iso.org/fr/isoupdate. is an independent caused by thousands of types of con- The May/June 2013 issue will high- consultant specializing sumer products. They ensure the safety light the related themes in the battle to The ISO Update informs readers in the design of of consumer products – such as toys, protect consumers, from product recall, about the latest developments in thesauri and other the ISO world, including ISO member controlled vocabularies. cribs, power tools, cigarette lighters, and and counterfeit and fraud measures, She led the working household chemicals – and contribute to second-hand goods, and market bodies’ CEO and address changes, group responsible for draft standards under circulation, as significantly to the decline in the rate surveillance, to name but a few. ISO 25964. In 2006, well as newly published, confirmed Ms. Dextre Clarke won of deaths and injuries associated with The May/June issue ofISO Focus+ will or withdrawn standards. It also in- the Tony Kent Strix consumer products. tell you more on International Standards Award for outstanding cludes a list of upcoming technical achievement in The joint May/June 2013 ISO Focus+ and how they protect consumers and ONLINE committee plenary meetings. information retrieval. issue carries an array of articles that build a safer world.
44 ISO Focus+ April 2013 ISO Focus+ April 2013 45 What’s all the excitement about ?
ISO Focus+ magazine is now available free of charge !
a If your idea of stand- More than 19 000 standards. For And you can now read ISO Focus+ ards is still along the business, government and socie- available free of charge on the ISO Volume 2, No. 5, May 2011, ISSN 1729-8709 lines of making sure ty. Read ISO Focus+ and learn Website at www.iso.org/isofocus+ that screws fit, it’s how current standards can make and download it as a free PDF fi le. time to wise up. your organization more efficient You’ll soon be pink with excitement ! ISO standards and improve your products and mean business, services. Gain advance intelli- cost reduction, gence on standards now under International Organization product safety, development that will be shaping for Standardization – www.iso.org
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ISO Focus_11-05_EN.indd 1 sustainability, for governments to achieve their 1, ch. de la Voie-Creuse energy effi ciency, policy goals and helping to trans- Case postale 56 social responsibility, and so much more. form social aspirations into action. CH-1211 Genève 20