Product standards A Standard is an agreement on how to make or carry out something. It is necessary to ensure that we can use products and services in an effective and harmonized way – if products, processes and services are consistent in form and quality then it is easier to trade them, integrate them and use them. There are standards for many products, processes and services. Some standards are voluntary – developed by the industry and researchers together with consumer groups. Other standards become law – and these are usually developed by government agencies, in coordination with industry, researchers and consumer groups. Internationally harmonized standards are often developed on the basis of existing industry standards or national standards, by the International Standards Organization (ISO) or the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), through technical committees that bring together the expertise of the different groups. Developing standards is an ongoing process since products and services change and new processes bring us new products all the time. This is also true for bamboo and rattan. There are many traditional products from bamboo and rattan, such as handicrafts and furniture, but there are many new technologies and processes in development for usage of bamboo and rattan for example in the agricultural, environmental, textile, chemical and construction sectors. Importance of Standards Standards establish therefore an international consensus on terminology which makes technology transfer easier and safer. They play an important role in the advancement of new technologies, dissemination of innovation and international trade. For example, this is how we have come to use standardized credit cards, why freight containers have the same sizes to facilitate transport, and how we can ensure quality control of products for consumers. INBAR also works with partners on the development of bamboo and rattan standards as they are important for promoting bamboo and rattan products and facilitating trade of bamboo and rattan products. International Standards Development International Standards are developed by Technical Committees and Sub-Committees of the International Standard Organization (ISO) in the following process stages: Proposal stage Preparatory stage Committee stage Enquiry stage Approval stage Publication stage If for example a standard developed by an organization is already available at the start of a standardization project it is possible to omit certain stages. In the so-called “fast-track procedure”, a document is submitted directly for approval as a draft International Standard (DIS) to the ISO member bodies (stage 4) or, if the document has been developed by an international standardizing body recognized by the ISO Council, as a final draft International Standard (FDIS, stage 5), without passing through the previous stages. Examples of international standards related to bamboo products (there are no international standards for rattan products yet): ISO22156 Bamboo Structural Design Applies to the use of bamboo structures, i.e. structures made of bamboo (round bamboo, split bamboo, glued laminated bamboo) or bamboo-based panels joined together with adhesives or mechanical fasteners. ISO22157-1 Bamboo Determination of physical and Mechanical Properties Requirements ISO/TR 22157-2 Laboratory Manual Provides informative guidelines for staff in laboratories on how to perform tests according to ISO 22157-1. International standards can be found at the ISO website. National Standards National standards are developed by national standards bodies, government agencies, industry associations etc. These standards can be voluntary, subject to national rules and regulations or harmonized in line with international standards as issued by ISO. Examples of Bamboo and Bamboo Products National Standards in China: Bamboo Timber Bamboo-mat Plywood Bamboo shoot Bamboo Flooring High-yield Management Techniques for Moso Bamboo Stands Structural Bamboo & Wood Composite Board Decorative Bamboo Veneered Panel Ply bamboo for bottom boards of trucks and buses Laminated bamboo strips lumber Ply bamboo for concrete-form Strip ply bamboo for bottom boards of trucks and buses Standard terminology for bamboo-based panel Chinese national standards can be found at the China Standardization Information Centre website. Examples of Bamboo and Bamboo Products National Standards in Colombia: Harvesting and post – harvesting of Guadua Angustifolia Kunth culm Preservation and drying of Guadua Angustifolia Kunth culm Colombia national standards can be found at the ICONTEC – Instituto Colombiano de Normas Técnicas y Certificación website. INBAR’s Efforts and Achievements in Bamboo Standards The international standards-ISO22156 and ISO22157-1/2 have been prepared and submitted by INBAR, with participating members, and approved by ISO. By doing so, we have brought bamboo into a recognized and accepted building and engineering material at the international level. This is also fully in accordance with the objective of INBAR to improve the well-being of lower income groups in developing countries and in favor of a better environment in bamboo growing regions. Since INBAR is the sole international organization focusing entirely on development issues related to bamboo and rattan – the two important non-timber forest resources with great economic potential for environmental conservation, poverty eradication and industrial development – we hope that our efforts in the development of products standards will help INBAR members to further develop their bamboo and rattan industries. INBAR will continue to work with public and private sector partners, universities and research institutes on bamboo and rattan standards proposals and to promote some national standards into international ones. inbar.int/our-work/trade-development/product-standards/
Posted on: Wed, 30 Jul 2014 02:55:57 +0000
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