Every year on October 14, Standards Australia and other like organisations around the globe celebrates World Standards Day – an opportunity to recognise the benefits of standards and their value in shaping daily life for the better.

World Standards Day also reminds us of our mission to empower communities and the importance of our valued contributors and other supporters, without whom our work would not be possible.
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This year we celebrated World Standards Day by holding a hybrid event under the theme: ‘A shared vision for a better world’.
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Guest speakers Lyria Bennett Moses (Professor & Director of the UNSW Allens Hub for Technology, Law and Innovation), Richard Dixon Hughes (Managing Director & Principal Consultant DH4, Chair of IT-014) and Frank Zeichner (CEO, IoT Alliance Australia) joined our own Soraya Selinger and George Sfinas to discuss the significance of standards in a rapidly evolving global landscape.
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If you weren’t able to participate in the event, I encourage you to watch the recording here.
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As we strive towards a better future driven by innovation, it’s good to recall the power of standards and their role in delivering safety, efficiency and quality.

Learn how Adelaide-based landscape design & construction firm LCS Landscapes is using standards to deliver better quality and improve workflow and communication.

September marked National Fire Protection Month - a timely reminder for Australians to be aware of fire prevention and safety measures. 
 Learn how Standards Australia continues to focus on community safety during warmer months.

A proposal to increase the size of parking bays across Australia could accommodate the trend of larger vehicles on Australian roads.
Learn more

Join us on Tuesday 14th November for an online event to learn about the latest updates to the AS 1684 series of standards, the key set of standards for residential timber framed construction in Australia.

Led by Boris Iskra, Committee Member of Australian Technical Committee TM-010 Timber Structures and Framing, and National Codes & Standards Manager at Forest and Wood Products Australia, this online event will provide participants with valuable insights into the changes to the 2021 edition of the standards, which are now primary referenced documents of the NCC 2022.

Register today to equip yourself with the knowledge to ensure compliance and best practices in your residential timber framed construction projects.

Date & Time: 14th November 2023, 5:30pm AEST

Register here

We are currently seeking input on the proposed withdrawal of the following aged documents:

• Inactive technical committee aged standards: Documents where no existing active committee is available to provide input.

This consultation period starts on Monday 16 October 2023 and ends on Monday 18 December 2023.

For more information, visit our website.

Standards Australia has completed the second phase of the Proposal Portal upgrade, taking on board feedback from contributors and stakeholders.

The Microsoft Word proposal forms will be retired as of 23 November 2023 and proposals are to be submitted through the new online proposal portal.

From this date, Standards Australia will no longer accept project proposals in Microsoft Word-based forms.

The online portal delivers a transparent and streamlined system that directly integrates with other Standards Australia systems, and enables an efficient stakeholder consultation process. It provides stakeholders with an easy-to-use system that moves away from outdated, manual processes.

Should you require any assistance with the Project Proposal Portal please contact SEM@standards.org.au

Honorary Professor - College of Engineering, Computing and Cybernetics, ANU

Jorge's journey to the world of hydrogel polymer research and development began as an undergraduate student, where he found a profound interest in polymer synthesis, chemistry, fabrication, and chemical testing. 

In 1995, Jorge joined the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA), initially as a medical device incident report investigator, occupying various roles over 27 years. Jorge led product investigations, assessments, policy reforms and led research on the safety of medical devices. Jorge's expertise also extended to international standards committees. Today, retired from the TGA, Jorge still actively participates in committees and serves as an Honorary Professor at the Australian National University, guiding students in medical device projects.

When did you first become involved in standards development?

I recall that it was shortly after I started at the TGA in 1995. One of the first committees I was involved with was CS-009: non-systemic contraceptives and STI (sexually transmitted infection) barrier prophylactics.
The TGA had a very active condom and medical glove standards development program, as the transmission of AIDS was one of the main public health concerns at that time.

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Why is access to standards important and how do they impact and interact with your industry?

Standards play a central role in ensuring that medical device products meet minimum standards of performance and safety. Medical device regulations in Australia, Europe and many other parts of the world are principles-based.  

The easiest and therefore most popular way to demonstrate compliance with regulatory requirements is to demonstrate that the medical device product complies with all general (manufacturing, sterility, electrical and biological safety, human factors engineering) and specific standards that apply to the product.

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What is the future of standardisation in your area of work?

Global harmonisation of medical device product standards will continue apace. Harmonisation ensures easy access to life-saving and life-enhancing medical device products. This does not diminish the role of the local scientific committees – which is to ensure that the global (ISO/IEC) requirements meet local community standards, requirements and expectations.

A good medical device standard strikes a balance between setting requirements that are not overly burdensome on manufacturers, and high levels of protection from adverse consequences of medical device failure, poor design or performance, and reasonably foreseeable misuse.

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Standards Australia represents Australia on the two major international standards development bodies, the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC). Our activities are reported on our International Updates page.

Click here to view our highlights from September (PDF):

• ISO Annual Meeting, 18-22 September 2023

• Human-centered transition pathways: New field of technical activity

• On the path to net zero with wind energy

Access the latest standards development news in your industry sector via our Sectors page.

The public comment process provides an opportunity for stakeholders and members of the public to make valuable contributions. With the launch of our new public comment platform, draft standards currently open for comment are now available via Connect.