standards matter - Malaysian Association of Standards Users

STANDARDS MATTER
July 2014
EDUCATION ON
STANDARDIZATION
credit to PixArc
STANDARDS MATTER JULY 2014
PATHING WAYS FOR EDUCATION ABOUT
STANDARDIZATION IN MALAYSIA
(DEPARTMENT OF STANDARDS MALAYSIA)
Editorial Board
FROM MALAYSIA TO KOREA (MALAYSIAN
Advisors:
Prof. Datuk Dr. Marimuthu Nadason
President
Malaysian Association of Standards Users
Datuk Fadilah Baharin
Director General
Department of Standards Malaysia
Chief Editor:
Ratna Devi Nadarajan
ASSOCIATION OF STANDARDS USERS)
3
EDUCATION ON STANDARDIZATION
HOW
EDUCATION
HAS
BEEN DONE? (JAPANESE STANDARDS
17
ASSOCIATION)
THE ROLES OF ACADEMIA IN PROMOTING
Contributors:
-Siti Mariam Mohd Din, Department of Standards
Malaysia
-Sharvin A/L Subramaniam, Malaysian Association of
Standards Users
-Anne Ferguson, British Standards Institution
-Ahmad Haziq, Department of Standards Malaysia
-Takashi NAKAKUKI, Japanese Standards Association
-Dr. Goh Choo Ta, UKM
MALAYSIAN STANDARDS
5
Published by:
Malaysian Association of Standards Users
NO.4 Jln SS1/22A
47300 Petaling Jaya, Selangor
22
(NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF MALAYSIA)
16
Young Standardizers in Action
20Poster
Printed by:
Princomas Sdn Bhd,
No.291&292, Jalan KIP 3,
Taman Perindustrian KIP,
52200 Kepong, Kuala Lumpur
©Standards Matter Magazine
2014 All Rights Reserved
ISSN 1985- 5117
SUCCESSFULLY
5
11
(BRITISH STANDARDS INSTITUTION)
Editorial:
Nur Asyikin Binti Aminuddin
Calidya Anak Idem@Inin
Sharvin A/L A. Subramaniam
Atiqah Radzali
Nah Kok Wai
Chan Kah Chi
3
11
21
Fresh Out Of The Box
24
Standards Events
Menengah Kebangsaan Aminuddin Baki, Kuala Lumpur
and Sekolah Menengah Sains Selangor.
PAVING
WAYS FOR
EDUCATION
ABOUT
Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Bandaraya, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, won first place, followed by SMK Aminuddin
Baki and SMK Mat Kilau for the second and third places
respectively.
The first and second place winners were selected to represent Malaysia at the 9th Standards Olympiad held in
Anseong, South Korea, from August 11th to 12th, 2014.
The two schools participated in the middle school category (12-15 years of age) and created history when
SMK Aminuddin Baki won the gold medal while SMK
Bandaraya won the silver medal, defeating 27 other
groups of South Korean students.
Being holistic in this approach, the ‘SPEAK UP’ video
competition on standards was organised in 2012, from
March to September. This initiative aimed to promote
the use of standards as a tool to provide solutions for
community problems identified such as energy efficiency, food safety, product safety and social responsibility.
STANDARDISATION
IN MALAYSIA
Standards are an essential part of life as it affects a vast
range of issues; anything from daily living, different sectors, technologies and expertise. A world without standards would be unmonitored, unruly, and perhaps even
chaotic. Transport and trade would lack quality and efficiency, while pricing would go unregulated. The internet
and its usage may falter in terms of its intended function. A multitude of systems that depend on information
and communication technologies may fail. This includes
governments, banking, healthcare, air traffic control,
emergency services and disaster relief, to name a few.
Conformance to standards do not only assist businesses
in meeting international regulatory requirements and to
broaden market access, but it also protects users at all
levels of the supply chain. Standards also contribute to
the regulation of public safety, health and the protection
of the environment.
Standards enable industries, especially SMEs, to be
competitive and to tap into the global supply chain. The
provision of standards contribute to economic growth by
increasing the volume of trade and promoting innovation
through research and development.
Standards help companies reduce cost and it also contributes toward increasing the quality of goods and services offered. Information pertaining to standards can
reduce the problem of information asymmetry which can
lead to market failure. Standards allow companies to develop new markets for existing goods and services in
addition to creating new goods and services.
The role of standards and conformance is becoming
more apparent in today’s borderless world. Awareness
on the importance of standards has increased to a point
where countries have begun to impart their knowledge
on standards into their national education systems.
3 - STANDARDS MATTER JULY 2014
China, South Korea, the Netherlands and Indonesia are
ahead in this respect, so much so that standardisation is
now part of their national education syllabus in schools
and institutes of higher learning (IHL).
Education about standardisation activities is important
in raising awareness regarding standardisation, its characteristics and benefits. For schools, education about
standardisation aims to teach the younger generation
to appreciate standards and create social demands pertaining to the use of standards. This, in the long run,
will inculcate quality control in society that ‘regulates’
manufacturers and service providers to adhere to standards. Concerted efforts involving the Ministry of Education (MOE), as the key stakeholder, is absolutely paramount in ensuring a successful uptake of standards and
conformance.
For IHL, knowledge about standards will prepare the future workforce in embracing the culture of quality that
will result in improved quality, reliability and products
and services that are of high performance.
Malaysia’s initiative to introduce education on standardisation in IHL and schools started since 2006.
During the initial stages, education about standardisation was conducted by Standards Users with support
from the Ministry of Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and
Consumerism. Knowledge about standards was conveyed to teachers so as to create a multiplying effect as
it is passed down to students.
In April 2008, the Train-of-Teacher (TOT) programme
was conceived through a collaborative effort between
Standards Malaysia and Standards Users. The first programme took place on April 2nd and 3rd, 2008, at the
Perl International Hotel in Kuala Lumpur involving 22
This project was targeted to be a mechanism to promote
leadership in standards and conformance at the school
level. Participants were encouraged to search for information related to standards and use the information to
resolve problems faced by the community. This was intended to increase awareness and understanding about
standards among the younger generation.
participants. This programme was replicated in 2013
with the participation of 200 teachers, involving 4 sessions in 4 states.
Engagement with IHL started in 2011 where Standards
Malaysia collaborated with the Ministry of Higher Education and IHL in organising a workshop on Development of Education about Standardisation for Developing
Countries. The workshop successfully took place from
December 6th to 8th, 2011, at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre. In 2013, Standards Malaysia organised
the second workshop on Global Education about Standardisation for IHL on April 3rd at the Putrajaya International Convention Centre.
Education about standardisation is a massive programme on its own involving key stakeholders such as
the MOE, MOHE, IHL and smart partners such as Standards Users. Gaining support to have standardisation as
teaching modules in schools and IHL has remained challenging over the years. Paving the way requires a framework for orchestrated action from major stakeholders in
Malaysia, with national level leadership, initiatives and
vision, supported by coordinated and implemented actions. While working on this framework, Standards Malaysia continues to work on projects, programmes and
collaborated activities with Standards Users, schools and
IHL to create visibility, increase awareness and promote
social demand for quality products and services.
In 2012, Standards Malaysia took the first step in conducting the Program Jelajah Standard with Standards
Users. The pilot project was held at Sekolah Menengah
Kebangsaan Bukit Saujana, Port Dickson, Negeri Sembilan, with 50 students participating in it. Following the
success of the first Program Jelajah Standard in 2012,
the programme was elevated to the next level in 2013,
from March to July, involving 45 schools from 13 states
and 135 students.
The summit of the 2013 Program Jelajah Standard was
the Standards Olympiad project and it was held in 2013
from the 6th to 8th September at the Felda Residence
Trolak, Perak. 10 top ranking schools from the Program
Jelajah Standard were selected to participate in this
three-day programme and these schools are Sekolah Menengah Raja Sakti Kelantan, Sekolah Menengah Kubang
Kerian Kelantan, Sekolah Menengah Mat Kilau Pahang,
Sekolah Menengah Sains Sabah, Sekolah Menengah
Kebangsaan Bandaraya Kota Kinabalu Sabah, Sekolah
Seri Puteri Selangor, Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan
Tuanku Lailatul Shahreen Perlis, Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Perempuan Methodist Kuala Lumpur, Sekolah
About the author
SITI MARIAM MOHD DIN
ASSISTANT DIRECTOR,
INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENT SECTION,
DEPARTMENT OF STANDARDS MALAYSIA
4 - STANDARDS MATTER JULY 2014
His Story In The Making
FROM MALAYSIA TO KOREA
Syikin Aminuddin gets an exclusive coverage with Sharvin A. Subramaniam, Community Outreach and Capacity
Building Executive of the Malaysian Association of Standards Users on his aspiration and experience in standards
education intiatives in Malaysia, including the recent success at the 9th Standards Olympiad in South Korea.
It’s 3.00 a.m.
‘It utmost important that
we are able to convey the
message of what we are
upholding, effectively to
the very people we are
championing of’
-Sharvin. A. Subramaniam -
He could not sleep. His weary eyes restlessly browsed
through the flight entertainment monitor while calculating the chances of his team winning the 1st International Standards Olympiad. This competition would provide
the perfect benchmark he needs to assess the effectiveness of the two programmes he designed, the Jelajah
Standard and the Standards Olympiad 2013.
For Sharvin, this was the most important week of his
career.
3.01 a.m.
Sharvin recalls his first month working with the Malaysian Association of Standards Users (Standards Users)
and the first-hand feedback he received from people
about his work.
“It’s an experience I will never forget. On most occasions, I spend up to 20 minutes defining what ‘standards’ actually mean. This does not even include the work
I do on a daily basis,” he said smiling.
When a layperson is asked what ‘standards’ refer to, answers would usually involve living status or products, in
terms of brand or price. Almost no one describes it as a
document, let alone do they list its importance.
When Sharvin was given the task of executing outreach
programmes on standards for school students, he was
responsible for designing its content from scratch. This
provided him the opportunity to develop and make a
fresh representation of standards, including explaining
more about the work he does.
Inspired by programmes and assignments prepared for
children and students from other parts of the world,
Sharvin believes that the simplest and best way to teach
students was to apply situations these students see and
experience every day.
‘I would say 2013 was a year of excellence in raising awareness on standards
among school students. Our official evaluation proves our program achieve its objectives, however from a personal point
of view, the program has given me an
amazing experience and responses from
participating students. It’s a pattern you
don’t get tired with; the amazed look
when I shed light on things they see every
day as standards, cheering for their team
mates when they throw an over-sized
dice, and the enthusiasm when trying
to complete a task at fastest time. I believe it’s time to say standards can be fun
and interesting rather than the opposite.’
Using this as a yardstick, Sharvin expanded on standards applied in traffic lights and ATM cards to safety
marks and labelling, how Malaysian Standards (MS)
were developed and the possible scenarios of a world
without standards. While verbal presentations provided
direct information to students, he believes that it is important to reinforce their understanding through games
and tasks. He designed this in such a way that everyone
in the room can take part and have fun, while learning
about standards.
As part of an organisation that represents the consumer’s interest in the development of standards, he believes that the community, namely the younger generation, should be enlightened about the significance of
standards, as a whole.
“It is of utmost importance for us to effectively convey
message of what we are upholding to the very people
whose rights we are continuously and tirelessly representing,” said Sharvin.
Jelajah Standard 2013 - The programme’s main objective was to raise awareness on the importance of standards among school students. Sharvin’s biggest concern
was that even though the programme’s module was
much simpler than what people in this industry know, it
was important for students to understand the basics of
standards, how it affects their daily lives and the skills
required to apply standards, all in a half-day programme.
This challenge also involved changing the technical nature of standards into something these students would
enjoy, remember and be excited enough for them to
share with their friends and families.
6 - STANDARDS MATTER JULY 2014
A student is throwing a dice in Standards & Ladder (left), while a group is trying to match the logo or mark
to correct description in the fastest time possible - Match and Arrange (right).
Sharvin summarised his experience with school students
in his programme in 2013:
Sharvin gave us a glimpse on the type of assignments
given to the students.
“I would say that 2013 was a year of excellence in raising
awareness regarding standards among school students.
Our official evaluation proved that our programme had
achieved its objectives. On a personal note, the programme has provided me with an amazing experience
and an overwhelming response. It is just something
you cannot get tired of; the look when I shed light on
standards in everyday things, the cheering from their
teammates when they throw an over-sized dice and the
enthusiasm when they attempt to complete a task in the
fastest time possible.
My Dream City – Students were asked to design their
dream city based on existing standards by using MS
online and the ISO database. MS online was designed
to help users find information on Malaysian Standards
effectively online. He believes that there are endless
possibilities for one to design their city, however the
application of standards in this assignment was to help
students rationalise why those standards were chosen
and its importance to the well-being of the society. This
powerful option provides experience in the most important processes in the development of standards through
a simplified version. Sharvin explained that in Jalajah
Standard, the learning process came from the view-
I have always believed that standards is something fun
and interesting as opposed to a piece of paper, and now
I have put my thoughts into play.”
“The three-day event was a memorable experience for
me and my team. We had the opportunity to strengthen the bond that ultimately brought us together. With
this shared strength, we were able to execute the programme successfully. We could see fruits of our labour
as the students really enjoyed themselves and understood the larger picture of standards which they can now
share with the world. I believe that Jelajah Standard and
Standards Olympiad 2013 were able to send the right
signals to the younger generation on how standards are
‘cool, fun and exciting’.
As the programme was competition based, students
were evaluated by marks obtained that were calculated
after each game. The aim of qualifying for the Standards
Olympiad 2013 helped in creating the ambience needed
to achieve objectives within a half-day programme, he
added.
Within 5 months, Sharvin and his team toured all states
in Malaysia and successfully executed and completed
the Jelajah Standard 2013, thus achieving his objective.
The top ten schools were selected to compete in the
Standards Olympiad 2013. According to Sharvin, the
approach taken to design the Standards Olympiad programme was a tad different and more challenging compared to Jelajah Standard 2013.
“Students from participating schools generally have a
better understanding about standards. They know how
to identify and apply them. It is important to create assignments that constitute a higher application of standards without being too complex for students to solve.”
With no experience whatsoever in managing a multiple-day event, Sharvin assumed the mantle as the Programme Director of the Standards Olympiad 2013. The
objective of this event was to raise awareness and understanding among students of selected schools, with
regards to standards and the importance of using it
to achieve a better quality of life. To do this, Sharvin
needed to design assignments that help students learn
standards in a broader perspective.
7 - STANDARDS MATTER JULY 2014
design, materials and execution. Sharvin added that a
change of environment is always good for students to
feel refreshed before the next assignment.
My Standard Identity was to cultivate the passion
of winning the Standards Olympiad 2013. Activity
includes designing flag for the team
point of the consumer, while in My Dream City, students
played the role of future leaders in designing and incorporating standards in their city’s design.
With fun being the key feature of Jelajah Standard,
Sharvin created games that enabled students to learn
while playing, catalysed by the ambiance of competitiveness towards the Standards Olympiad. Inspired by The
Amazing Race TV Series and the classic treasure hunt,
he designed the Standards Hunter; a first of its kind
outdoor activity with challenges related to standards. It
was the activity that needed the most effort in terms of
When asked how Sharvin portrayed standards as being
cool, he said:
“I asked all participants to share the examples of standards they see every day, especially to their parents and
friends. You see, if they knew and their parents did not,
they would already be the ‘cool kid’ who knows something they don’t,” he laughed.
The success of Sharvin and his team in executing the
two national programmes marked a milestone in standards education initiatives in Malaysia. This achievement
paved the way for Sharvin to participate in the 9th
Standards Olympiad in South Korea that was held on
August 11th and 12th, 2014, which was hosted by the
Korean Federation of Technology Education Societies.
The Standards Olympiad in South Korea shared the similar competitive spirit as the one in Malaysia and it was
focused on adolescent students to enable them to un-
derstand and increase their interest in standards in their
daily lives. Sharvin was glad to be provided the opportunity to observe how the South Korean Standards Olympiad was conducted, thereby providing him with insights
that he can use in his module for future improvements.
“And not to forget, it is always a pleasure to visit South
Korea,” he added.
The 9th Standards Olympiad in South Korea marked
the first year that included participation from Malaysia
‘And not to forget, it’s always a
pleasure to visit Korea.’ He added.
and Indonesia. The Malaysian team was selected based
on the winners of the Standards Olympiad 2013; SMK
Bandaraya Kota Kinabalu and SMK Aminuddin Baki,
where both participated in the middle/primary school
category. Meanwhile, both Indonesian teams excelled in
the high school category.
Sharvin noted the excitement from the students, teachers and even parents after they received the news that
they were selected to compete in the South Korean
Standards Olympiad.
“I had the chance to speak directly to the parents when
8 - STANDARDS MATTER JULY 2014
checking-in at the airport. They were excited and wished
the team the best.”
For Sharvin, commitment from parents in the education
of standards is always important and most welcomed.
The programme module was separated into a two-day
agenda. The first day involved Malaysian students creating standardised signboards that clearly distinguished
types of businesses such as bakeries, dry cleaners, dentists or
school and home appliances.
For the second day, the team’s
project portfolio was presented,
involving evaluation and marks
given by the panel of judges.
Students were queried on their
signboard design and its relevance. In a nutshell, the competition focused on one task per
category and required teams to
look into standardisation in a
broader perspective, similar to
the My Dream City programme.
“In my opinion, this task trains
participants to look at standardisation from both the consumer’s
point of view and from a business point of view. In addition,
the task required participants to
be creative and work as a team
to fulfil the criteria in the given time.”
He also added that the outcome of the Standards Olympiad held in South Korea can be used to solve today’s
challenges. Its platform takes into account ideas for national standardisation policies. In 2009, Standards Olympiad’s standardisation of mobile phone keypads and
the standardisation of levels of spiciness were adopted
as one of the main national standards projects.
“It is rather clear that the younger generation is indirectly contributing to national standardisation efforts.
They will be the ones who are attentive and responsive
towards standardisation issues, progress and efforts
when they grow up. People with heightened knowledge
on standardisation should be responsible in contributing
to better living environments while promoting national
growth; and this is ultimately one of our treasured goals.
When asked about Malaysia’s performance at the international level, he said:
“I am truly proud of them.”
One of the highlights of the programme was culture introduction and a make-friendship event. “We were proud
and honoured to present our Malaysian culture in South
Korea. We had amazing and overwhelming responses to
the extent where some people from the audience joined
us in the performance.”
ing of SMK Bandaraya Kota Kinabalu and SMK Aminuddin Baki, won the silver and gold medals respectively,
the news of the victory travelled fast across Malaysia
and was received with joy and excitement from all those
involved in standards education initiatives.
The Department of Standards Malaysia and the Malaysian Association of Standards Users, both hosts of the
national programmes, can now stand with their heads
held high because of the achievement at the internationThis was for the first day activity,
they are discussing how to create
standardized signboards.
al level which, without a doubt, positively re-branded Jalajah Standard and Olympiad Standards 2013 as sophisticated programmes that effectively promoted education
on standards in the eyes of the public.
For Sharvin, it was a proud and exciting moment, mixed
with feelings of relief and accomplishment.
He has now proven that the module he designed for
both programmes has reaped its well-deserved reward
and that it is time to move forward to achieve greater
heights.
“I have ideas and insight from the Standards Olympiad
in South Korea that would help me improve future programmes while retaining elements that bring children
joy and excitement in relation to standards.”
Sharvin has begun working on the existing programme
for the Jalajah Standard and Olympiad 2015, brainstorming new programme development. He hopes to
see the involvement of more stakeholders in the future
in supporting these initiatives. Sharvin can be contacted
at 03-78762009 or [email protected].
If you call him and ask what standards are about, he
might start the conversation with this question:
“Have you wondered why traffic lights around the globe
have the same colours?”
Sharvin added that the host was kind, friendly and made
their stay as comfortable and memorable as possible. He
expressed that he would like to return for the Standards
Olympiad in South Korea for 2015.
When it was announced that the Malaysian team, consist9 - STANDARDS MATTER JULY 2014
10 - STANDARDS MATTER JULY 2014
Sharing news about standards
EDUCATION ON
STANDARDIZATION
Standards matter - they help to protect people and the environment,
making products and services safer, more sustainable, of better quality
and easier to use. BSI, The UK National Standards Body, works hard to
help people understand the role of standards and as much as possible
to participate in the process of standards development.
Spreading the word about standards
As with most standards bodies, a lot of effort is put into
marketing standards so businesses buy and use them.
However, it is just as important to ensure that those
affected by standards know more about them and, better yet, get involved in the process. BSI does this in a
lot of ways and for different audiences, through various
events, content on the BSI website, through our press
office, personal contacts and using various forms of social media. This may be so but BSI is looking to do much
more.
Starting young
BSI has always had strong links with the education sector. Because students are the technicians and the business people of the future, it is important for them to
understand the values standards can bring to research
and development, design and manufacturing, as well
as good and responsible business practices. Working
with academics, BSI staff and committee members, a
Speakers’ network has been set up to provide lectures
on standardisation and relevant standards in university
courses in topic areas as diverse as business management, electrical engineering and sustainability.
BSI will soon be publishing its research on the extent of
which standards are already part of existing UK university courses. There is also a BSI site aimed at informing
schools and universities about the importance of standards, with information and games built around different
ages and levels of learning. See: www.bsieducation.org.
An informal site set up by BSI’s Education Development
Manager offers a light-hearted look into standards, see:
http://thenhj.tumblr.com/.
11 - STANDARDS MATTER JULY 2014
BSI co-sponsors a reception at
the House of Lords
BSI runs the ‘Standards Forum’ to encourage interest
in standards. Last year this was held in London, Bristol
(in the West of the country), on Smart Cities. It was
also held in Birmingham and most recently in Glasgow,
Scotland.
BSI co-sponsors a reception each year for governments
and other public institution officials with the UK Accreditation Service at the House of Lords. BSI staff also attend other events and conferences to talk about standards, such as the symposium about standards that took
place at the Institute of Ergonomics & Human Factors
Annual conference, in 2013 (http://www.ehf2013.org.
uk/programme/symposia/standards/).
This started with a plenary lecture by BSI’s Director of
Standards, Dr Scott Steedman, CBE, who explored the
background and opportunity to further integrate human
factors into organisations through a new generation of
codes, guidance and standards. This was followed by
presentations that considered issues in further detail
and concluded with a debate that encompassed standards as knowledge, the viability of principles being codified in standards and more effective integration of the
human factor.
The BSI press office provides support for selected new
British Standards throughout the year. For the remainder of the key standards published, information is collated into monthly roundups and distributed to targeted
trade media. This helps to raise the profile of our top 40
standards. The press office also highlights key dates into
calendars such as the World Standards Day with campaigns, in addition to encouraging people to get themselves involved in standards.
Organisations may know of an area or aspect in their
industry that could benefit from standardisation. Members of the public may also have ideas pertaining to
how standards could improve
products or services. The public can log into the BSI website
at
http://standardsproposals.
bsigroup.com/Home/SuggestNewArea to provide suggestions on new ideas by writing a
brief description of what certain
standards could help and why it
is necessary.
CEN and CENELEC). See: http://standardsproposals.
bsigroup.com/Home/Index
All national and international Drafts for Public Comment
(DPCs) are put onto the BSI website, enabling organisations and members of the public to log in and make
comments. Not only is this an efficient method of collecting comments, which are automatically collated into
the ISO/IEC, CEN/CENELEC or BSI Templates for Technical Committees to consider, but a larger pool of people
with various experiences can now contribute towards the
standards process. For example, the BS 5837, a standard
about trees in relation to construction, was substantially
amended as a results of the many comments collected
through the online system. http://drafts.bsigroup.com
The BSI press office has built strong relationships with
the media which have resulted in opportunities to disseminate information and knowledge about standards.
For example, in recent months, the BSI Chief Executive
and the BST test laboratories were featured on all episodes of a BBC television series, Watchdog Test House,
which was co-presented by the former BSI Consumer &
Public Interest Network Chair, Lynn Faulds Wood. They
spoke about products and services that have improved
over the years as a result of consumer campaigning and
better standards. http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/
b03y9vcv
Involving stakeholders in standards
BSI’s standards are underpinned by the collaborative
and rigorous approach captured in the standard for setting standards, the BS 0, first published in 1974 (see:
http://www.bsigroup.com/LocalFiles/en-GB/standards/
bs0-pas0/BSI-BS0-Standard-for-Standards-UK-EN.pd
f for current version). This sets out, under 7.2 of the
Committee Constitution, one of BSI’s objectives which
is “to ensure that the committees fairly represent the
range of interests affected by the standard, including
users of the standard and consumers”.
Malaysian colleagues from ISO COPOLCO help BSI
celebrate 60 years of consumer involvement in British Standards, London 2011
There have been a lot of interesting ideas that have been suggested. All these suggestions
are considered by BSI and the
relevant Technical Committees
and some have ended up being
finalised as standards. The public may also view and comment
on New Work Item proposals for
new standards that derive from
national or international committees (including the ISO, IEC,
12 - STANDARDS MATTER JULY 2014
SMEs
BSI works with trade organisations or equivalent organisations as a means of representing most standards users in business. Through this method of engaging with
the industry, BSI is able to reach small and medium
sized enterprises to help them engage with and influence standards. In 2013, an SME Forum was set up to
provide an opportunity for SMEs to engage with BSI on
strategy and policy issues through a number of virtual
and face-to-face meetings each year. For information on
this and a guide document explaining how small businesses can benefit from standards, visit the BSI website
at http://www.bsigroup.com/en-GB/standards/who-uses-standards/standards-and-small-business.
Standards users
The British Standards Society (BSS) in the UK is a standards user organisation that feeds users’ views to BSI and
operates via an online forum at http://www.bsigroup.
com/en-GB/about-bsi/uk-national-standards-body/
how-to-get-involved-with-standards/join-the-british-standards-society/. BSS has a network of contacts
across a wide range of industries, commercial organisations, educational institutions and public sectors of
interests. They provide the opportunity of gaining practical advice and guidance on the application of standards.
They are the UK member of the International Federation
of Standards Users (IFAN).
For standards users or members of the public interested
in finding out what BSI is working on, visit the Standards Development site at http://standardsdevelopment.
bsigroup.com..
Members of DERG celebrate 60 years of consumer involvement in British Standards with colleagues from ISO
COPOLCO, London in 2011
Consumers
Steps were taken to broaden committee membership to
include end users of standards and consumers back in
the 1950s. A report published in 1950 stated:
‘In the past there has been little need for representation of the domestic user, but BSI has already issued
standards for some consumer goods and is likely to do
so still more in the future. The representation of the domestic user is therefore a matter which demands serious
attention… Such a consumer representative might not
be possessed of technical qualifications in the detailed
knowledge of manufacturing processes, but might well
know the practical needs of the domestic user and the
practical defects of any existing equipment’.
Consumer Representatives in the CPIN come from diverse backgrounds and have a range of high quality expertise and experience. Those unfamiliar with standardisation are given suitable training and guidance in the
standardisation process, including specific skills required
for researching, reporting and attendance at meetings in
both the UK and internationally.
There are many standards topics covered by the CPI Network, but current priorities are in the areas of well-being, sustainability, security, inclusivity and the new and
ever expanding field of services standardisation. The
13 - STANDARDS MATTER JULY 2014
Network also includes the Disabled Experts Reference
Group (DERG), a diverse group of disabled people with
relevant expertise and interests in disability equality,
access and service provision. DERG, in brief, serves to
monitor BSI’s practices and provide a strong presence
in the development and promotion of standards that affect the disabled community (for example the complex
standards related to wheelchairs and lifts).
The inclusion of organisations such as key national consumer bodies in the CPI Network and governance by
CPI’s Strategic Advisory Committee ensures that the information collected by such organisations, through information fed by research and contact with individual
members of the public, can be fed back as evidence into
the standards development process.
In recognising the value of ordinary people who know
and understand standards that affect them, BSI publishes a series of leaflets that explain important consumer standards in an easy to understand language. These
leaflets are distributed at relevant events such as the
opening of the launching ceremony for the recently revised standard for safer adventure travel, BS 8848. This
is free for download from the consumer page at www.
bsigroup.com/consumers.
This has resulted in the setting up of the Women’s Advisory Committee, consisting of 18 members, which first
met on March 15, 1951. This organisation claimed to
speak for 3 million women. Over sixty years later, the
WAC has become part of the BSI Consumer & Public
Interest Network of consumer and related organisations comprising of individual volunteers, both women
and men, who represent the consumer’s interest about
standard committees. The 60th anniversary party for
the CPIN was held alongside the ISO COPOLCO Plenary
meeting that was held in London in 2011.
Other societal stakeholders
BSI is starting to extend national provisions to help ensure that workers and environmental organisations have
a more prominent voice in standardisation. Contact has
increased with the UK Trades Union Congress and the
more recently established UK Sustainability Network for
Standardisation that provides a forum and representation by, mainly, environmental Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs). This mirrors Europe’s work, which
BSI has actively engaged. The CEN-CENELEC Societal
Stakeholders’ Group (SSG) is chaired by BSI Director
of Standards, Scott Steedman, CBE, with his role as the
CEN Vice President, Policy. The SSG which is made up
of European umbrella organisations such as the ANEC,
the European consumer’s voice in standardisation, and
the ETUI, the independent research and training centre
of the European Trade Union confederation, has recently
developed a ‘Societal Toolbox’ which includes information to facilitate organisations concerned with defending
the interests of consumers, protecting the environment
and promoting workers’ health and safety.
BSI – its place in history
BSI (British Standards Institution) is the world’s first National Standards Body. One of the founders of BSI was
Sir John Woolfe Barry, the engineer chiefly responsible
for the iconic Tower Bridge in London (his father, Charles
Barry, designed the Palace of Westminster, the location
of the British Houses of Parliament). The original BSI
committee met for the first time on 22 January 1901 the day the long-reigning Queen Victoria died. Their first
standard, BS1, was for steel sections. With the emergence of railways and increased trade, people were able
to source steel sections across the country and this soon
brought up dimensional problems – they did not always
fit together. So a group of engineers got together and
agreed on a standard, thereby to reduce unnecessary
variety in the market place.
14 - STANDARDS MATTER JULY 2014
BSI is a founding member of ISO, created in 1946. Since
then BSI has been responsible for originating many of
the world’s most commonly used standards. The quality management systems standard, ISO 9001 – which
started life at BSI in 1979 as BS 5750, is now recognised
as the world’s most successful standard after being
adopted by more than one million organisations in 178
countries. Equally successful is the environmental management system standard ISO 14001 which was built on
the British Standard, BS 7750, first published in 1992.
BSI published the first standard on sustainable events
management, BS 8901, in 2007. It was adopted by the
ISO as an international standard and in recognition of its
use in the 2012 London Olympics and the Paralympics
it was given the number ISO 20121. The London 2012
Organising Committee (LOCOG) was the first of its type
to achieve certification of this standard.
BSI now publishes over 2,500 standards annually. They
address the pressing issues of today, from clear billing
to energy management and disability access to nanotechnology, spanning sectors including aerospace, con-
struction, energy, engineering, finance, healthcare, IT
and retail.
The BSI Kitemark™
BSI Kitemark is one of the most widely knows marks in
Britain which stands for quality, safety and trust. Over
100 years old, the first BSI Kitemark was awarded to
General Electric for Vitreous Enamelled Steel Reflectors
for Lighting Fittings. For a product or service to achieve
the BSI Kitemark, it needs to be independently tested
on a regular basis, adhering to British, European and
international standards, and has to meet a consistent
quality every time, providing a high level of assurance
to the general public.
YOUNG STANDIZERS IN ACTION (YAS)
POTENTIAL EMPLOYMENT IN
THE FIELD OF STANDARD
“PASC seminar with the theme “Creating Quality Culture through
Education in Standardization” is very important to prepare the
new generation who will become future leaders that can understand the concept of standard”- Datuk Dr. Ewon Ebin, Ministry of
Science, Technology and Innovation of Malaysia.
filing system became better organised and efficiency increased in the company’s overall operation. This drastically impacted the company as it then generated profit
many times over and the students who underwent industrial training there were employed at a good salary.
There are also potential careers in the field of standardisation. This includes being an officer of a regulatory
body (e.g. KPDNKK, ST, BOMBA, and DBKL), ), internal
or external auditors (National Audit Department), advisors or consultants in areas of specific certification such
as Halal (HDC), environmental management (NIOSH
Certification Sdn Bhd) and quality assurance (Ikram
QA Services Sdn. Bhd., and AJA EQS Cerification (M)
Sdn Bhd). The number of examples of career opportunities are countless, however it would depend on one’s
interests and how they approach it because the field of
standardisation is not generally known as a subject or
topic that appeals to the public. Only those who understand and show deep interest would pursue a career related to the field of standardisation.
Malaysia views standardisation as an important instrument for the development of its economy and society,
and intends to increase awareness and knowledge about
standards and standardisation by means of education.
About the author
Anne Ferguson has managed the Consumer & Public Interest Unit
(CPIU), at BSI (British Standards Institution), since 2007. She was
previously a consumer researcher and spokesperson, particularly in
the areas of child safety, disability and customer service, and also
represented consumers on standards technical committees at national and international level. She co-chairs the Consumer Participation & Training Working Group of ISO COPOLCO, the Consumer Policy
Committee of ISO. Contact: [email protected]
15 - STANDARDS MATTER JULY 2014
From the viewpoint of Standards Malaysia, we believe
that standardisation is a very broad field and an individual’s interest, understanding and enthusiasm are they
key determinants on whether they would pursue this
field. We welcome experts to participate in the development of standards at the national and international
level. We also urge those out there who place high importance in standards to ensure that the consumer’s interests are guaranteed and prioritied.
It is timely for the standardisation community, especially
in Malaysia, to focus on education as the key mechanism
to develop a quality-conscious society. This will intensify
the market forces and demand for quality products and
services, health, safety and sustainable environment
management through standards and conformance. It
can also create interesting careers for the new generation to be involved in standardisation activities.
The following is a good example based on a true story. University Utara Malaysia (UUM) has a human resource management programme with a subject focused
on the ISO 9001: 2008 Quality Management Systems
– Requirements standard. The method of teaching this
subject requires students to undergo industrial training
at any company that refers to standards. As a result,
there was a positive impact on a company where their
About the author
AHMAD HAZIQ MAT JUSOH
SCIENCE OFFICER
DEPARTMENT OF STANDARD
MALAYSIA
16 - STANDARDS MATTER JULY 2014
Your heart matters!
THE IMPORTANT FACTOR NEEDED
IN A CONSUMER REPRESENTATIVE
Writer takes a huge sigh...
A very important observation one might make when
consumer representatives take part in standard setting
committees is that these representatives often have to
look at thick technical documents filled with industry
jargon which they tend not to understand fully. My
sighing mirrors the expression and emotion shown by a
majority of these representatives. But what might you
think is lacking in these representatives?
You might say that these representatives lack in-depth
understanding of standards. However, my answer here
is ‘no’ Knowledge, despite being an important point,
is not the issue here. One might even say that these
representatives face problems interrupting discussions
among technical experts due to their weaknesses in
communication. Again, good communication techniques
are not a major issue. The important issue I am driving
at is the lack of awareness on how to be a ‘consumer
representative’. Consumer representatives are present
to balance the participation among the relevant
stakeholders. But in most situations, they tend to be
tacit while playing their role and perhaps, once in a while,
they bring up some naïve comments while technical
experts heatedly discuss the situation at hand. This is
why I mentioned that these consumer representatives
have ‘sighs’ often playing through their mind.
To be a good consumer representative, motivation is
the indispensable factor for them to play their roles
effectively. Because attitudes reflect one’s mind, a
highly motivated consumer representative would display
a very positive attitude in a standard setting committee.
In a recent case, for the consumer representative to
be ready for deliberation, the representative went to
great lengths to find out the awareness of consumers
regarding the relevant key issues and studied the
actual situation of the market. She positively expressed
her opinions, thus contributing significantly and
constructively to the deliberation. Such positive attitude
would eventually lead to the effective participation of a
consumer representative and would certainly increase
the consumer representative’s participation in a standard
setting committee.
But how can consumer representatives (presently and in
the future) be motivated?
In the aforementioned case, the theme for standardisation
was proposed based on her consciousness of the problem
at hand. She eventually created space for discussion
through efforts taken. The positive attitude shown by the
consumer representative in the above case was definitely
different compared to consumer representatives who
are usually invited as ‘Guests’ in a standard setting
committee. I believe that it is safe to say that the positive
attitude displayed in the above scenario would come
17 - STANDARDS MATTER JULY 2014
It can be seen from how consumers’
representatives are participating in
standards setting committees.
Takashi NAKAKUKI,
Japanese Standards Association (JSA).
about if consumers are convinced that standardisation
could provide solutions to problems identified for the
protection of consumers, which advocators of consumer
issues in consumer organisations are addressing daily.
This is when education would contribute significantly.
The positive attitude in the case above can be said to have
come from education. Consumers should be educated
on what standardisation is by making them understand
that standardisation is indispensable when it comes to
embodying safety, reliability and convenience in our daily
lives. It is indeed understandable that ‘standardisation’
is difficult to be fully comprehended and that laypeople
could get lost when they are explained about it in depth.
It also must be noted that the benefits brought about
from standardisation is not easily visible to consumers.
“To standardise” something is to regulate and
uniform conditions presented. To laypeople, the
word ‘standardisation’ or ‘to standardise’ is only
comprehended in the simplest of forms and at the
surface. In order to make the ordinary person understand
what standardisation is, it needs to be rephrased with
simplified wording, coupled with examples. An example
would be emergency exits. If there were a variety of signs
for emergency exits, consumers would be confused or
misinterpret a certain signage. This could cause valuable
time in evacuating an area in the fastest time possible
and may even cause fatalities.
Another good example is the regulation of battery
sizes. If batteries are not made in uniformed sizes,
powering devices would be a hassle and due to this
uniformity, consumers can find and use batteries with
their devices in a convenient way. From a broader point
of view, standards help ensure the quality and safety
of consumer products. For example, if there is no
regulation for safety and quality, a product may cease
to function in a short period of time or, worse still, burst
into flames while being used. This is why we have to
educate consumers on why products are standardised
and how this standardisation makes life safer and more
comfortable. This way, consumers can participate in
standard setting and their comments and views would
add value to a standard. In fact, consumers are now
expected to propose standardisation topics based on
their interests and well-being.
In terms of setting a law, consumers now can easily engage
in standard setting. In Japan, consumer representatives
are requested to participate in committees that set
standards for consumer products. The number of
consumer representatives should be equal to one
industry representative. For example, if there are three
industry representatives participating in a committee,
there should be three consumer representatives
participating in it as well. The participation of consumer
representatives is financially supported.
Comments from consumer representatives will certainly
contribute to upgrading and improving the quality of a
standard. From the position of product manufacturing,
comments from users of a particular product would make
a standard more advanced in terms of safety aspects
which will eventually lead to improving the safety of
relevant consumer products.
But how to motivate and make consumers more aware?
Standardisation so far has been considered to mainly
address industry related issues. However, it can also
be used to address consumer issues. Once this is
recognised by consumers, they would be more willing
to use standardisation, namely to propose topics
to be standardised, and they would be more eager
to participate in a standard setting committee with
enhanced motivation. But how can we make consumers
recognise this? The following steps can be taken.
1. By introducing them to a way of thinking so that
they can identify topics where standardisation can
be applied.
2. By teaching them skills and enhancing their abilities
by introducing successful cases.
3. By letting them come up with ideas on their own.
They can learn simple skills by examining current
consumer issues they are facing from the aspect of
standardisation. This can be done by having them
consider problems caused by irregularity or inconsistency.
If such problems present themselves due to these two
factors, then standardisation must be applied. From
this, consumers can find meaning and understanding on
why standardisation matters to consumers.
In practicing the concepts mentioned above, a seminar
for consumers has been held since last year in Japan.
The seminar, organised by JSA in cooperation with the
Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, was
held 15 times last year across Japan with the participation
of over 1,000 consumers. The seminar is also being
planned this year for another 1,000 consumers. The
effectiveness of this seminar in educating and motivating
consumers will manifest itself in the future with the
change in attitude of consumer representatives in
standard setting committees.
*Consumer: In this article, the words ‘consumer’ and
‘consumers’ refer to those likely to become consumer
representatives in a standard setting committee. In
the case of Japan, this refers to members of consumer
organisations.
About the author
Mr. Takashi NAKAKUKI is the
Section chief of the Consumer related standardization promotion section of
Japanese Standards Association(JSA). He is in charge
of consumer education on
standardization, and also responsible for promoting the
development and the use of
national and international
standards which contribute
to the consumer protection.
18 - STANDARDS MATTER JULY 2014
Fresh Out of The Box
Latest Malaysian Standards
Latest
International Standards
Organisation (ISO)
ISO 17541:2014
MS 2551: 2014
Speed Bump- Guidelines
for Planning and Design
Plastics: Quantitative evaluation
of scratch-induced damage and
scratch visibility
ISO 7176-22: 2014
Wheelchairs Part 22: Set up procedures
MS ISO 34-1: 2014
Rubber, Vulcanized or Thermoplastic- Determination of
Tear Strength Part 1: Trouser, Angle and Crescent Test
Pieces (First Revision) (ISO 34-1: 2010, IDT)
ISO 16308: 2014
Water quality: Determination of glyphosate and AMPAMethod using high performance liquid chromatography
(HPLC) with tandem mass spectrometric detection
ICES CONFERENCE POSTER
‘‘Our poster has successfully presented in Ottawa Canada. This is for 9th ICES conference. The theme
was on education about standardization throughout a professional’s career’’
The Roles of Academia in
Promoting Malaysian
Standards (MS)
Malaysian Standards (MS) at Higher Education
Institutions
After the results of the STPM (Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan
Malaysia) and Matriculation Programme are released,
most school-leavers are prepared to
enrol at degree courses offered by
either public or private higher education institutions. When they first step
into higher education institutions,
they are mostly excited because they
are in a new environment where they
can gain knowledge and enhance
their skills before seeking employment for starting a new business.
Hence, courses offered by higher education institutions are diverse in order to establish a pool of candidates
with different expertise that can accommodate market needs. These
courses are categorised into fields
that range from pure and applied
sciences, engineering, social science,
art and humanities, etc.
In order to convince the public on
the reliability of test results, they
are trying to get their laboratories accredited under MS ISO/IEC
17025:2005 – General requirements for the competence of testDuring the Prize Giving Ceremony of the Socially Responsible Citizenship
Programme (SPEAK UP) 2014
ing and calibration laboratories.
Test results generated by accredited laboratories are recognised by
Standards Malaysia under the Malaysia Laboratory AcAnother role of academics as supervisors in promoting
creditation Scheme (SAMM). The Biocompatible LaboraMS would be playing the role of an advisor for a group
tory in UKM was MS ISO/IEC 17025:2005 accredited in
of students that are participating in a competition, for
toxicity testing and this lab can analyse chemical prodexample the SPEAK-UP competition that was jointly oructs, cosmetic products, medical devices, manufactured
ganised by Ministry of Education (MOE), Ministry of Doproducts and processed industrial waste.
mestic Trade, Cooperative and Consumerism (MDTCC),
and the Federation of Malaysian Consumers Associations
(FOMCA).
Developer
Educator
Dr Goh during his Speak Up 2014 group discussion
As far as MS (Malaysian Standards)
are concerned, most courses offered
by higher education institutions generally do not incorporate MS as part
of their syllabus. This may be caused
by various factors such as MS not fitting into the course (e.g. mathematics courses), lecturers not being aware of relevant MS or perhaps the approach of the course is different, i.e. the degree course
focuses more on fundamental aspects whereas MS places more emphasis on application and specification. However, there are exceptions. For example, students from
the school of natural resources and environment would
be taught the MS ISO 14001:2004 – Environmental
Management Systems (EMS) to better manage and protect the environment; whereas students from the school
of business and management would explore the MS ISO
9001:2008 – Quality Management System (QMS) to further strengthen the administration and reputation of a
company.
Apart from that, some students refer to specific MS
when they carry out their final year project. For example students might employ titrimetric methods specified
in MS ISO 1066:2006 to determine glycerol content in
soaps. The adoption of such MS would make results of
laboratory tests reliable and they would have a better
chance of publishing a peer-reviewed journal. In addition to that, some higher education institutions do emphasise the importance of administrative recognition by
21 - STANDARDS MATTER JULY 2014
accreditation bodies. On 1 March 2013, 12 departments
under Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) obtained
MS ISO 9001:2008 certificates from SIRIM as part of
UKM’s commitment to quality management and continuous improvement.
As discussed above, selected test
methods accepted by MS are employed by academics when conducting R&D to enhance reliability
of the test results. This is an example of the role academics play as
users in promoting MS. Some laboratories in universities have also
started to offer laboratory-testing
services to the public for revenue
generation.
The roles of academics in
promoting MS
User
The Roles of Academics in Promoting MS
Academics are taking their own initiatives in promoting
MS at higher education institutions. In general, there
are four important roles of academics in such initiatives
namely as developers, users, educators and supervisors
(Figure 1). Developers include academics who are invited by accreditation bodies to become members of the
technical committee that develop MS. Such invitations
are recognitions towards an academic’s expertise in specific areas.
In the process of developing MS, input and recommendations from academics definitely strengthen and enhance the scope and content of MS. In fact, the practice
of inviting academics in the development of MS was initiated in 1970s (or maybe prior to 1970s). For example,
academics from the University of Malaya (UM) contributed towards the establishment of the MS 11:1971 Specification for antimony oxide for paint, which was released
in year 1971.
Apart from teaching and learning, universities also play
an important role in research and development (R&D).
Supervisor
The roles of academics in promoting
MS
Academics are educating their students about the importance and application of MS, and as discussed above,
some academics have incorporated MS as teaching materials in their lectures, such as the MS ISO 14001:2004
and the MS ISO 9001:2008.
In order to enhance the role of academics as educators
in promoting MS, academics should explore other relevant MS that can strengthen their students’ skills before
they graduate. For example, the MS 1804:2008 – Globally harmonised system (GHS) for classification and labelling of chemicals. Specifications for the classification,
labelling and formulation of the safety data sheet for
chemical products can serve as a teaching material for
chemistry students as this MS will provide an advantage
to students in obtaining jobs like chemical classifiers or
safety and health officers in the chemical industry. In
addition, a group of science officers in UKM have been
trained on the MS 1804:2008 to promote laboratory
safety at UKM.
The objective of the SPEAK-UP competition is to promote awareness of MS. During this competition a group
of students, supervised by a teacher or lecturer, will
demonstrate how to incorporate MS into their daily life.
The SPEAK-UP’s theme 2014 for higher education institutions was ‘safe product supply chain management’
and a team from UKM was selected for the use of MS in
enhancing product safety, particularly in cleaning agents
and paint, to participate in the competition.
Conclusion
There are different ways that academics can promote
MS. However, awareness among academics might still
be lacking. Therefore, an outreach on MS should be
carried out at higher education institutions on a yearly basis to update them on the latest MS developed by
Standards Malaysia. This way, academics can promote
MS better as they are aware and understand the scope
and content of MS.
About the Author
Dr Goh Choo Ta
Institute for Environment and
Developement (LESTARI)
Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia
(UKM)
22- STANDARDS MATTER JULY 2014
DIARY DATES
JULY 2014
Lisbon,
Portugal
(1-3 Sept
2014)
ISO/PC 288 Educational organizations management
systemsRequirements with
guidance for use
“Standardization
in the field of educational organizations management
systems- requirements with guidance for use’
Council “The operations of ISO are
governed by the
Council, consisting of the Officers,
the Chairs of the
policy
development committees
(CASCO, COPOLCO, DEVCO) and
twenty
elected
member bodies”
Rio de
Janeiro,
Brazil
(8 Sept
2014)
New
Delhi,
India
(3-7 Sept
2014)
ISO/TC 229 Nanotechnologies
“Standardization
in the field of nanotechnologies”
Kuala
Lumpur,
Malaysia
13-17 Sept
2014)
ISO/TC 181 Safety
of toys “Standardization of toys with
respect to safety relating to their
mechanical, physical, chemical, and
flammable properties”
ISO/TC 262 Risk
Management
“Standardization
in the field of risk
management”
Istanbul,
Turkey
(4-5 Sept
2014)
Honolulu,
Hawaii
USA
(2226 Sept
2014)
ISO/TC 61 Plastics
“Standardization
of
nomenclature,
methods of test, and
specifications applicable to materials
and products in the
field of plastics”
Copenhagen,
Denmark
(15-19 Sept
2014)
Stockholm,
Sweden
(12 Sept
2014)
ISO/TC 34/SC 17
Management
systems for food safety “Standardization
in the field of food
safety management
systems,
covering the food supply
chain from primary
production to consumption,
human
and animal foodstuffs as well as animal and vegetable
propagation materials”
ISO/TC 210 Quality
management
and corresponding
general aspects for
medical
devices
“Standardization
of
requirements
and guidance in
the field of quality
management
and corresponding
general aspects for
medical
devices.
Standards for small
bore connectors”