StandardsWhat is a standard?A standard is a document that provides requirements, specifications, guidelines or characteristics that can be used consistently to ensure that materials, products, processes and services are fit for their purpose. We published over 19500 International Standards that can be purchased from the ISO store or from our members.What are the benefits of ISO International Standards?ISO International Standards ensure that products and services are safe, reliable and of good quality. For business, they are strategic tools that reduce costs by minimizing waste and errors, and increasing productivity. They help companies to access new markets, level the playing field for developing countries and facilitate free and fair global trade.Our storyThe ISO story began in 1946 when delegates from 25 countries met at the Institute of Civil Engineers in London and decided to create a new international organization to facilitate the international coordination and unification of industrial standards. In February 1947 the new organization, ISO, officially began operations.Since then,we have published over 19500 International Standards covering almost all aspects of technology and manufacturing.Today we have members from 163 countries and 3368 technical bodies to take care of standard development. More than 150 people work full time for ISOs Central Secretariat in Geneva, Switzerland.It's all in the nameBecause 'International Organization for Standardization' would have different acronyms in different languages (IOS in English, OIN in French forOrganisation internationale de normalisation), our founders decided to give it the short form ISO. ISO is derived from the Greek isos, meaning equal. Whatever the country, whatever the language, we are always ISO.

ISO Standards in Action

HealthHealth matters - in all communities, all over the world. Access to health services, quality care, and safe medical practices and equipment is important to people everywhere.How do ISO standards help?We have over 1200 standards that focus on health in many sectors, ranging fromdentistrytomedical devices, andhealth informaticstotraditional medicines.Our standards help improve health in many ways, including: promoting global harmonization of medical practices so you can be sure that your medical care will be the same everywhere, protecting the health and safety of patients and healthcare providers, supporting efficient exchange of information and protection of data, and improving the quality of care.

Sustainable developmentISO standards and sustainable developmentRio de Janeiros 1992 conference put sustainable development clearly on the political agenda. More than twenty years on, the issue is more relevant than ever. From carbon footprint to community infrastructures and the many environmental challenges that businesses face, ISO has a comprehensive range of standards that can help businesses and organizations all over the world make progress in the three pillars of sustainable development the environment, economy and society.Carbon footprintThe carbon (or environmental) footprint is increasingly used by governments and societies as the core indicator of our impact on the environment. But does one size fit all? ISO has produced abriefing note by environmental standards expertsthat sheds light on the importance of consistency in standards in this field and how they can break down barriers to trade and help to build a more sustainable future.

FoodISO standards and foodToday more than ever, food products regularly cross national boundaries at every stage of the supply chain. ISO International Standards create confidence in the products we eat or drink by ensuring the world uses the same recipe when it comes to food quality, safety and efficiency. ISOs standards provide a platform for developing practical tools through common understanding and cooperation with all stakeholders on board from agricultural producers, to food manufacturers, laboratories, regulators, consumers, etc. Out of more than 19500 ISO International Standards, some 1 000 are specifically dedicated to food, and deal with subjects as diverse as agricultural machinery, logistics, transportation, manufacturing, labelling, packaging and storage.WaterISO standards and waterFew challenges are more global than water. ISO provides global tools to help us manage our shared water resources equitably and durably. ISO water standards build confidence through consensus-based global solutions for good business practice, management of resources, risk assessment, metrics and infrastructure. They facilitate sustainable water management and increase water potential, helping alleviate water scarcity and contributing to achieving the UN's Millennium Development Goals.CarsISO standards and carsISO standards for the automotive industry cover all aspects: safety, ergonomics, performance, test methods, the environment, and the roll-out of innovative technologies. Clearly, with more than a billion estimated road vehicles in use worldwide, if the automotive sector uses state-of-the-art standards for aspects such as safety, impact on the environment, and requirements for supply chain partners, this can have an enormous impact on all three dimensions of sustainable development social, environmental and economic.Climate changeClimate change is the major environmental challenge of our time. Global action is needed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions as well as adapt to the changes that cannot be avoided. ISO International Standards can help tackle climate change in a number of ways.For example, we have standards that: help organizations to quantify their greenhouse gas emissions and communicate on them, for exampleISO 14064andISO 14065, promote good practice in environmental and energy management, such asISO 14001andISO 50001, and open up world markets for energy efficient and renewable energy technologies.Energy efficiency and renewablesReducing energy consumption and the dependancy on fossil fuels is a major challenge. Governments, organizations and corporations around the world must work together in order to move towards a more sustainable future.ISO International Standards can help solve the energy challenge by: increasing energy efficiency, and promoting the development of renewable energy technologies.Over 150 of our 19500 standards are related to energy efficiency and renewables. These range from the energy management system standardISO 50001that can be used by any organization in any sector, to standards specific to certain sectors, such as building or transportation. Building Standards such asISO 23045for the energy efficiency assessment of buildings, andISO 13153for the design of energy saving family homes, can help reduce energy use in the sector. Transport ISO standards for ships, aircraft and cars can help reduce emissions and fuel consumption. Renewables- ISO standards on emerging technologies such assolar powercan help organizations share best practice and drive uptake. We are also active insolid biofuelsand standards in this field will be published soon.

ServicesServices represent more than two thirds of World Gross Domestic Product (GDP), according to theWorld Trade Organization. They are a core economic activity, contributing more to GDP than both industry and agriculture combined. The services revolution creates new commercial opportunities and underpins virtually every economic activity.ISO develops International Standards that help ensure that services are of a consistent, high quality. This has a number of benefits: Forconsumers, it means you can have more confidence in all types of services ranging from phone bills to tourism. Forbusiness, ensuring a good quality service helps differentiate your business from the competition, bringing concrete economic benefits.ISO standards deal with many types of services in different sectors. For example: ISO 10002:2014provides guidance on the process ofcomplaints handlingwithin an organization helping to enhance customer satisfaction. ISO 24510:2007focuses ondrinking water and wastewater services, giving guidance on how to satisfy users' needs and expectations. ISO/IEC Guide 76includes recommendations to service providers foraddressing a range of consumer issues, helping them to reduce customer complaints and the business costs of poor service.How to find standards on servicesMarket demand for standards to ensure the quality of service delivery is rising to match services importance in economies around the world. Currently about 700 of ISOs 19000 standards are directly related to services, and this number is growing rapidly.ISO International Standards are designed by groups of experts called technical committees, each concentrating on a specific subject. One way tofind standardson a specific topic is to search the work of a particular technical committee.

AccessibilityOver a billion people are estimated to live with some form of disability, according to the World Health Organization. This corresponds to about 15% of the world's population.But accessibility is not just about disabilities. When you add in the elderly, parents with small children and even those with minor injuries, it is clear that accessibility is an issue that can affect us all.How do ISO standards help?Organisations are increasingly required to make their premises and products non-discriminatory - and that means accessible to everyone.ISO standards are an important tool, because they give manufacturers, service providers, designers and policy makers the specifications and guidelines on how to design products and services that are accessible to all.Our wide-ranging portfolio of accessibility-related standards includes those addressing the physical environment and information technology as well as more specific aspects such as mobility devices.