Shared vision for a better world
The International Standards Day, is observed globally every year on October 14. This day aims to create awareness about the importance of standardisation to the global economy among the consumers, regulators and industry.
Standards are important for all of us and we were all raised with this concept. This date was chosen to mark the very first meeting of delegates in 1956 from 25 countries in London who decided to design an international organisation for facilitating standardisation.
Around the globe, various activities are chosen by national bodies to commemorate the date.
The event is sponsored by a variety of international standards bodies, including ISO (the International Organisation for Standardisation), IeC (the International electro-technical Commission), and ITU (the International Telecommunication Union)
This years theme is Shared vision for a better world.
History and significance
The International Organisation for Standards was created in 1947, but this day was first celebrated in 1970. Faruk Sunter, the President of IeS at the time, formally inaugurated the proceedings of World Standards Day in the year 1970.
The day honours the efforts of the thousands of experts who develop voluntary standards within development organisations .
The aim of World Standards Day is to raise awareness among regulators, industry and consumers as to the importance of standardisation to the global economy.
Why should we care? Because standards build trust.
Most people take standards for granted, but many of our everyday experiences couldn’t happen without them. For example, suppose it’s Saturday and you are going to the lake.
The car that takes you there is built on thousands of standards: airbags, crash testing, paint, steel, upholstery, seatbelts and tyres among others. There are even standards for eliminating radio interference from the spark plug wires. We can listen to the radio and drive at the same time! All of these standards work together to make the car comfortable, reliable and safe and all of them are built to conform to written standards.
Suppose that you stop at the convenience store for gas. The octane numbers (87, 89, etc.) are measured by standard test methods. The pump will be calibrated using a standard method, and have a current inspection sticker.
This inspection sticker is a trust mark, and the supporting written standards provide confidence that the correct amount of the expected product is delivered to your tank. In other words, standards ensure that you’re getting what you paid for.
In the medical world, standards are even more critical. The typical surgery will involve thousands of standards: anesthesia, sterilisation, gloves, gowns, masks, medical implants, antibiotics, preparation solutions, lighting and so on. The good news is that we don’t have to even think about these things, because all these pieces are built to conform to standards covering their safety and effectiveness. We can trust that the routine supplies and equipment will work, and focus our efforts on supporting the patient.