Australia’s Standards and Conformance Infrastructure An Essential Foundation
Download 127.1 Kb.
|
- Navigate this page:
- Structure and governance
- Operations
- International engagement
- Regional cooperation
- Contact details
Standards AustraliaRole in the technical infrastructureStandards Australia was established in 1922 and is the nation’s peak standards organisation. It is charged by the Australian Government to meet Australia’s need for contemporary, internationally aligned standards and related services. The work of Standards Australia enhances the nation’s economic efficiency and international competitiveness and contributes to community demand for a safe and sustainable environment. Standards Australia’s processes are open, transparent and consensus based. This unbiased standards development process ensures that all competing interests are heard, their points of view considered and consensus reached. Standards Australia works with international and Specialist Regional Bodies and government on issues of conformance and assessment. Standards Australia’s roles are recognised in its Memorandum of Understanding with the Australian Government. Structure and governanceStandards Australia is a public company limited by guarantee. More than 70 of Australia’s leading industry, government and consumer organisations form the Members of the Standards Australia Council. The Council has the responsibility to elect the Board of Directors and the Chairman, the Standards Development and Accreditation Committee (SDAC) and to appoint new members to the organisation. The Standards Australia Council is responsible for the general oversight of standards development in Australia and the governance of Standards Australia. OperationsStandards Australia facilitates and manages the development, adoption and maintenance of Australian Standards and other related solutions including Handbooks, Guides, Technical Specifications and Technical Reports. Standards Australia does this by providing a neutral environment and rigorous framework in which government, industry, consumer, academic, professional, community and employee bodies can discuss and debate issues with the aim of developing standards solutions in a quick and efficient way. The processes of Standards Australia are based on a balance of interest, transparency, openness and consensus. Standards Australia looks to adopt International Standards to the maximum extent possible. Only in the absence of an appropriate existing International Standard, and after an assessment that the proposed Standard will not be anti-competitive, will a Committee proceed to prepare a draft for a new Australian Standard. The draft document is then made available for public comment. Standards Australia is also responsible for ensuring Australia’s viewpoint is heard and considered in the development of International Standards and their subsequent adoption as Australian Standards. Standards Australia is not part of government or a regulator and is not responsible for enforcing compliance or certification with Australian Standards. Standards Australia supports the accreditation of other Standards Development Organisations through the SDAC. The SDAC’s role is to ‘encourage and accredit organisations to develop Australian Standards of credibility and integrity for the net benefit of the Australian community’. Standards Australia works with industry, government and consumer interests in Australia and internationally on a range of areas from cloud computing to forensics, consumer safety to building and construction, manufacturing to quality management systems where necessary, appropriate and in the national interest.
These organisations develop International Standards on which world markets and international conventions are based. They make trade between countries easier and fairer and are a safeguard for users and consumers, resulting in many aspects of our lives being made much simpler. Regional cooperationAs part of the Closer Economic Relations agreement, Standards Australia maintains strong links with Standards New Zealand. Both are party to a formal agreement for preparing and publishing joint Australian/New Zealand Standards where appropriate. Standards Australia is a founding and leading member of the Pacific Area Standards Congress (PASC), and also cooperates closely with the government in the standards and conformance activities of Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) and Association of South East Asian Nations - Australia New Zealand Free Trade Agreement (AANZFTA). Standards Australia actively participates in the Specialist Regional Bodies Forum and works closely with government on trade related matters. The product electrical safety standards prepared by International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) TC 61 (IEC 60335 series) are extensively used by regulators worldwide as the safety criteria for electrical goods sold to consumers—a significant element of the global economy, and a major area of public safety. These IEC standards, applied in Australia and New Zealand as AS/NZS 3350 and AS/NZS 60335, form the technical basis of electrical product safety regulation, and hence comply with Australian WTO obligations in this area. Australia (and NZ) has had substantial success in IEC TC 61 via submission and representation. This makes national adoption much easier (e.g. acceptable fire tests for electrical appliances, and the acceptance by IEC TC 61 of the Australian standard for steaming appliances). Australian participation is essential to maintaining the high confidence level in IEC as the AS/NZS 3350 and AS/NZS 60335 series of standards are widely used by regulators in Australia. Contact detailsLevel 10, The Exchange Centre, 20 Bridge Street, Sydney Tel: 1800 035 822 or + 61 2 9237 6171 (overseas) Fax: +61 2 9237 6010 Email: mail@standards.org.au Postal Address: GPO BOX 476 Sydney NSW 2001 www.standards.org.au Useful LinksInternational Organization for Standardization www.iso.org International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) www.iec.ch Pacific Area Standards Congress (PASC) www.pascnet.org Directory: industry -> IndustryInitiatives industry -> Cell phone industry analysis industry -> Recommendation industry -> Paris Womens Fashion Week/Carrousel de la Mode Paris Sept 2014 industry -> Operational requirements industry -> Industry Initiatives on Mobile Devices Report industry -> Standards and guidelines for making accessible software industry -> Computer Industry Analysis industry -> Application for Classification of a computer game IndustryInitiatives -> Guide to Using standards and risk assessments in policy and regulation Download 127.1 Kb. Share with your friends:
|