BS

by Delta Engineering / Friday, 25 March 2016 / Published in Machine standards

British Standards are the standards produced by BSI Group which is incorporated under a Royal Charter (and which is formally designated as the National Standards Body (NSB) for the UK). The BSI Group produces British Standards under the authority of the Charter, which lays down as one of the BSI’s objectives to:

(2) Set up standards of quality for goods and services, and prepare and promote the general adoption of British Standards and schedules in connection therewith and from time to time to revise, alter and amend such standards and schedules as experience and circumstances require

— BSI Royal Charter, Faller and Graham

Formally, as per the 2002 Memorandum of Understanding between the BSI and the United Kingdom Government, British Standards are defined as:

“British Standards” means formal consensus standards as set out in BS 0-1 paragraph 3.2 and based upon the principles of standardisation recognised inter alia in European standardisation policy.

— MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDINGBETWEEN THE UNITED KINGDOM GOVERNMENT AND THE BRITISH STANDARDS INSTITUTION IN RESPECT OF ITS ACTIVITIES AS

THE UNITED KINGDOM’S NATIONAL STANDARDS BODY, United Kingdom Department for Business, Innovation, and Skills

Products and services which BSI certifies as having met the requirements of specific standards within designated schemes are awarded the Kitemark.

How British Standards are made

The BSI Group as a whole does not produce British Standards, as standards work within the BSI is decentralized. The governing Board of BSI establishes a Standards Board. The Standards Board does little apart from setting up Sector Boards (a Sector in BSI parlance being a field of standardization such as ICT, Quality, Agriculture, Manufacturing, or Fire). Each Sector Board in turn constitutes several Technical Committees. It is the Technical Committees that, formally, approve a British Standard, which is then presented to the Secretary of the supervisory Sector Board for endorsement of the fact that the Technical Committee has indeed completed a task for which it was constituted.

The standards

The standards produced are titled British Standard XXXX[-P]:YYYY where XXXX is the number of the standard, P is the number of the part of the standard (where the standard is split into multiple parts) and YYYY is the year in which the standard came into effect.BSI Group currently has over 27,000 active standards. Products are commonly specified as meeting a particular British Standard, and in general this can be done without any certification or independent testing. The standard simply provides a shorthand way of claiming that certain specifications are met, while encouraging manufacturers to adhere to a common method for such a specification.

The Kitemark can be used to indicate certification by BSI, but only where a Kitemark scheme has been set up around a particular standard. It is mainly applicable to safety and quality management standards. There is a common misunderstanding that Kitemarks are necessary to prove compliance with any BS standard, but in general it is neither desirable nor possible that every standard be ‘policed’ in this way.

Following the move on harmonisation of the standard in Europe, some British Standards are gradually superseded or replaced by the relevant European Standards (EN).

Status of standards

Standards are continuously reviewed and developed and are periodically allocated one or more of the following status keywords.

Confirmed – the standard has been reviewed and confirmed as being current.
Current – the document is the current, most recently published one available.
Draft for public comment/DPC – a national stage in the development of a standard, where wider consultation is sought within the UK.
Obsolescent – indicating by amendment that the standard is not recommended for use for new equipment, but needs to be retained to provide for the servicing of equipment that is expected to have a long working life, or due to legislative issues.
Partially replaced – the standard has been partially replaced by one or more other standards.
Proposed for confirmation – the standard is being reviewed and it has been proposed that it is confirmed as the current standard.
Proposed for obsolescence – the standard is being reviewed and it has been proposed that it is made obsolescent.
Proposed for withdrawal – the standard is being reviewed and it has been proposed that it is withdrawn.
Revised – the standard has been revised.
Superseded – the standard has been replaced by one or more other standards.
Under review – the standard is under review.
Withdrawn – the document is no longer current and has been withdrawn.
Work in hand – there is work being undertaken on the standard and there may be a related draft for public comment available.

History

BSI Group headquarters in Chiswick district in London

BSI Group began in 1901 as the Engineering Standards Committee, led by James Mansergh, to standardise the number and type of steel sections, in order to make British manufacturers more efficient and competitive.

Over time the standards developed to cover many aspects of tangible engineering, and then engineering methodologies including quality systems, safety and security.

Examples of British Standards

BS 0 A standard for standards specifies Development, Structure and Drafting of British Standards themselves.
BS 1 Lists of Rolled Sections for Structural Purposes
BS 2 Specification and Sections of Tramway Rails and Fishplates
BS 3 Report on Influence of Gauge Length and Section of Test Bar on the Percentage of Elongation
BS 4 Specification for Structural Steel Sections
BS 5 Report on Locomotives for Indian Railways
BS 6 Properties of Rolled Sections for Structural Purposes
BS 7 Dimensions of Copper Conductors Insulated Annealed, for Electric Power and Light
BS 8 Specification for Tubular Tramway Poles
BS 9 Specification and Sections of Bull Head Railway Rails
BS 10 Tables of Pipe Flanges
BS 11 Specifications and Sections of Flat Bottom Railway Rails
BS 12 Specification for Portland Cement
BS 13 Specification for Structural Steel for Shipbuilding
BS 14 Specification for Structural Steel for Marine Boilers
BS 15 Specification for Structural Steel for Bridges, etc., and General Building Construction
BS 16 Specification for telegraph material (insulators, pole fittings, etc.)
BS 17 Interim Report on Electrical Machinery
BS 18 Forms of Tensile Test Pieces
BS 19 Report on Temperature Experiments on Field Coils of Electrical Machines
BS 20 Report on *BS Screw Threads
BS 21 Report on Pipe Threads for Iron or Steel Pipes and Tubes
BS 22 Report on Effect of Temperature on Insulating Materials
BS 23 Standards for Trolley Groove and Wire,
BS 24 Specifications for Material used in the Construction of Standards for Railway Rolling Stock
BS 25 Report on Errors in Workmanship Based on Measurements Carried Out for the Committee by the National Physical Laboratory
BS 26 Second Report on Locomotives for Indian Railways (Superseding No 5)
BS 27 Report on Standard Systems of Limit Gauges for Running Fits
BS 28 Report on Nuts, Bolt Heads and Spanners
BS 29 Specification for Ingot Steel Forgings for Marine Purposes,
BS 30 Specification for Steel Castings for Marine Purposes,
BS 31 Specification for Steel Conduits for Electrical Wiring
BS 32 Specification for Steel Bars for use in Automatic Machines
BS 33 Carbon Filament Electric Lamps
BS 34 Tables of BS Whitworth, BS Fine and BS Pipe Threads
BS 35 Specification for Copper Alloy Bars for use in Automatic Machines
BS 36 Report on British Standards for Electrical Machinery
BS 37 Specification for Electricity Meters
BS 38 Report on British Standards Systems for Limit Gauges for Screw Threads
BS 39 Combined Report on BS Screw Threads
BS 40 Specification for Spigot and Socket Cast Iron Low Pressure Heating Pipes
BS 41 Specification for Spigot and Socket Cast Iron Flue or Smoke Pipes
BS 42 Report on Reciprocating Steam Engines for Electrical Purposes
BS 43 Specification for Charcoal Iron Lip-welded Boiler Tubes
BS 44 Specification for Cast Iron Pipes for Hydraulic Power
BS 45 Report on Dimensions for Sparking Plugs (for Internal Combustion Engines)
BS 46 Specification for Keys and Keyways
BS 47 Steel Fishplates for Bullhead and Flat Bottom Railway Rails, Specification and Sections of
BS 48 Specification for Wrought Iron of Smithing Quality for Shipbuilding (Grade D)
BS 49 Specification for Ammeters and Voltmeters
BS 50 Third Report on Locomotives for Indian Railways (Superseding Nos. 5 and 26)
BS 51 Specification for Wrought Iron for use in Railway Rolling Stock (‘Best Yorkshire’ and Grades A, B and C)
BS 52 Specification for bayonet lamp-caps lampholders and B.C. adaptors (lampholder plugs)
BS 53 Specification for Cold Drawn Weldless Steel Boiler Tubes for Locomotive Boilers
BS 54 Report on Screw Threads, Nuts and Bolt Heads for use in Automobile Construction
BS 55 Report on Hard Drawn Copper and Bronze Wire
BS 56 Definitions of Yield Point and Elastic Limit
BS 57 Report on heads for Small Screws
BS 58 Specification for Spigot and socket Cast Iron Soil Pipes
BS 59 Specification for Spigot and Socket Cast Iron Waste and Ventilating Pipes (for other than Soil Purposes)
BS 60 Report of Experiments on Tungsten Filament Glow Lamps
BS 61 Specification for Copper Tubes and their Screw Threads (primarily for domestic and similar work)
BS 62 Screwing for Marine Boiler Stays,
BS 63 Specification for Sizes of Broken Stone and Chippings,
BS 64 Specification for Fishbolts and Nuts for Railway Rails
BS 65 Specification for Salt-Glazed Ware Pipes,
BS 66 Specification for Copper-Alloy Three-Piece Unions (for Low and Medium Pressure Screwed Copper Tubes)
BS 67 Specification for Two and Three-Plate Ceiling Roses
BS 68 Method of Specifying the Resistance of Steel Conductor Rails,
BS 69 Report on Tungsten Filament Glow Lamps (Vacuum Type) for Automobiles
BS 70 Report on Pneumatic Tyre Rims for Automobiles, Motor Cycles and Cycles
BS 71 Report on Dimensions of Wheel Rims and Tyre Bands for Solid Rubber Tyres for Automobiles
BS 72 British Standardisation Rules for Electrical Machinery,
BS 73 Specification for Two-Pin Wall Plugs and Sockets (Five-, Fifteen- and Thirty-Ampere)
BS 74 Charging Plug and Socket, for Vehicles Propelled by Electric Secondary Batteries, Specification for
BS 75 Steels for Automobiles, Specification for Wrought
BS 76 Report of and Specifications for Tar and Pitch for Road Purposes
BS 77 Specification. Voltages for a.c. transmission and distribution systems
BS 78 Specification for Cast Iron Pipes and Special Castings for Water, Gas and Sewage
BS 79 Report on Dimensions of Special Trackwork for Tramways
BS 80 Magnetos for Automobile Purposes
BS 81 Specification for Instrument Transformers
BS 82 Specification for Starters for Electric Motors
BS 83 Standard of Reference for Dope and Protective Covering for Aircraft
BS 84 Report on Screw Threads (British Standard Fine), and their Tolerances (Superseding parts of Reports Nos. 20 and 33)
BS 86 Report on Dimensions of Magnetos for Aircraft Purposes
BS 87 Report on Dimensions for Airscrew Hubs
BS 88 Specification for cartridge fuses for voltages up to and including 1000 V a.c. and 1500 V d.c. Originally titled: “Specification for Electric Cut-Outs (Low Pressure, Type O)”
BS 89 Specification for Indicating Ammeters, Voltmeters, Wattmeters, Frequency and Power-Factor Meters
BS 90 Specification for Recording (Graphic) Ammeters, Voltmeters and Wattmeters
BS 95 Tables of Corrections to Effective Diameter required to compensate Pitch and Angle Errors in Screw Threads of Whitworth Form
BS 98 Specification for Goliath Lamp Caps and Lamp Holders
BS 103 Specification for Falling Weight Testing Machines for Rails
BS 104 Sections of Light Flat Bottom Railway Rails and Fishplates
BS 105 Sections of Light and Heavy Bridge Type Railway Rails
BS 107 Standard for Rolled Sections for Magnet Steel
BS 196 for protected-type non-reversible plugs, socket-outlets cable-couplers and appliance-couplers with earthing contacts for single phase a.c. circuits up to 250 volts
BS 308 a now deleted standard for engineering drawing conventions, having been absorbed into BS 8888.
BS 317 for Hand-Shield and Side Entry Pattern Three-Pin Wall Plugs and Sockets (Two Pin and Earth Type)
BS 336 for fire hose couplings and ancillary equipment
BS 372 for Side-entry wall plugs and sockets for domestic purposes (Part 1 superseded BS 73 and Part 2 superseded BS 317)
BS 381 for colours used in identification, coding and other special purposes
BS 476 for fire resistance of building materials / elements
BS 499 Welding terms and symbols.
BS 546 for Two-pole and earthing-pin plugs, socket-outlets and socket-outlet adaptors for AC (50–60 Hz) circuits up to 250V
BS 857 for safety glass for land transport
BS 987C Camouflage Colours
BS 1088 for marine plywood
BS 1192 for Construction Drawing Practice. Part 5 (BS1192-5:1998) concerns Guide for structuring and exchange of CAD data.
BS 1361 for cartridge fuses for a.c. circuits in domestic and similar premises
BS 1362 for cartridge fuses for BS 1363 power plugs
BS 1363 for mains power plugs and sockets
BS 1377 Methods of test for soils for civil engineering.
BS 1572 Colours for Flat Finishes for Wall Decoration
BS 1881 Testing Concrete
BS 1852 Specification for marking codes for resistors and capacitors
BS 2660 Colours for building and decorative paints
BS 2979 Transliteration of Cyrillic and Greek Letters
BS 3506 for unplasticized PVC pipe for industrial uses
BS 3621 Thief resistant lock assembly. Key egress
BS 3943 Specification for plastics waste traps
BS 4142 Methods for rating and assessing industrial and commercial sound
BS 4293 for residual current-operated circuit-breakers
BS 4343 for industrial electrical power connectors
BS 4573 Specification for 2-pin reversible plugs and shaver socket-outlets
BS 4800 for paint colours used in building construction
BS 4900 for vitreous enamel colours used in building construction
BS 4901 for plastic colours used in building construction
BS 4902 for sheet / tile floor covering colours used in building construction
BS 4960 for weighing instruments for domestic cookery
BS 4962 for plastics pipes and fittings for use as subsoil field drains
BS 5252 for colour-coordination in building construction
BS 5400 for steel, concrete and composite bridges.
BS 5499 for graphical symbols and signs in building construction; including shape, colour and layout
BS 5544 for anti-bandit glazing (glazing resistant to manual attack)
BS 5750 for quality management, the ancestor of ISO 9000
BS 5759 Specification for webbing load restraint assemblies for use in surface transport
BS 5837 for protection of trees during construction work
BS 5839 for fire detection and alarm systems for buildings
BS 5930 for site investigations
BS 5950 for structural steel
BS 5993 for Cricket balls
BS 6008 for preparation of a liquor of tea for use in sensory tests
BS 6312 for telephone plugs and sockets
BS 6651 code of practice for protection of structures against lightning; replaced by BS EN 62305 (IEC 62305) series.
BS 6701 installation, operation and maintenance of telecommunications equipment and telecommunications cabling
BS 6879 for British geocodes, a superset of ISO 3166-2:GB
BS 7430 code of practice for earthing
BS 7671 Requirements for Electrical Installations, The IEE Wiring Regulations, produced by the IET
BS 7799 for information security, the ancestor of the ISO/IEC 27000 family of standards, including 27002 (formerly 17799)
BS 7901 for recovery vehicles and vehicle recovery equipment
BS 7909 Code of practice for temporary electrical systems for entertainment and related purposes
BS 7919 Electric cables. Flexible cables rated up to 450/750V, for use with appliances and equipment intended for industrial and similar environments
BS 7910 guide to methods for assessing the acceptability of flaws in metallic structures
BS 7925 Software testing
BS 7971 Protective clothing and equipment for use in violent situations and in training
BS 8110 for structural concrete
BS 8233 Guidance on sound insulation and noise reduction in buildings
BS 8484 for the provision of lone worker device services
BS 8485 for the characterization and remediation from ground gas in affected developments
BS 8494 for detecting and measuring carbon dioxide in ambient air or extraction systems
BS 8888 for engineering drawing and technical product specification
BS 15000 for IT Service Management, (ITIL), now ISO/IEC 20000
BS 3G 101 for general requirements for mechanical and electromechanical aircraft indicators
BS EN 12195 Load restraining on road vehicles.
BS EN 60204 Safety of machinery

PAS Documents

BSI also publishes a series of PAS documents.

PAS documents are a flexible and rapid standards development model that is open to all organizations. A PAS is a sponsored piece of work allowing organizations flexibility in the rapid creation of a standard while also allowing for a greater degree of control over the document’s development. A typical development time frame for a PAS is around 6–9 months. Once published by BSI a PAS has all the functionality of a British Standard for the purposes of creating schemes such as management systems and product benchmarks as well as codes of practice. A PAS is a living document and after two years the document will be reviewed and a decision made with the client as to whether or not this should be taken forward to become a formal British standard. The term PAS was originally an acronym derived from “product approval specification”, a name which was subsequently changed to “publicly available specification”. However, according to BSI, not all PAS documents are structured as specifications and the term is now sufficiently well established not to require any further amplification.

Examples

PAS 78: Guide to good practice in commissioning accessible websites
PAS 72 Responsible Fishing – Specification of good practice for fishing vessels
PAS 77 IT Service continuity management code of practice
PAS 82 Shopfitting and interior contracting. Management system specification
PAS 100 Composting specification
PAS 101 Specification for recovered container glass
PAS 102 Specification for processed glass for selected secondary end markets
PAS 103 Collected waste plastics packaging
PAS 104 Wood recycling in the panelboard manufacturing industry
PAS 105 Recovered paper sourcing and quality. Code of practice
PAS 777 Specification for the qualification and labelling of used automotive engines and any related transmission units
PAS 911 Fire strategies – guidance and framework for their formulation

Availability

Copies of British Standards are sold at the BSI Online Shop or can be accessed via subscription to British Standards Online (BSOL). They can also be ordered via the publishing units of many other national standards bodies (ANSI, DIN, etc.) and from several specialized suppliers of technical specifications.

British Standards, including European and International adoptions are available in many university and public libraries that subscribe to the BSOL platform. Librarians and lecturers at UK-based subscribing universities have full access rights to the collection while students can copy/paste and print but not download a standard. Up to 10% of the content of a standard can be copy/pasted for personal or internal use and up to 5% of the collection made available as a paper or electronic reference collection at the subscribing university. Because of their reference material status standards are not available for interlibrary loan. Public Library users in the UK may have access to BSOL on a view-only basis if their library service subscribes to the BSOL platform. Users may also be able to access the collection remotely if they have a valid library card and the library offers secure access to its resources.

The BSI Knowledge Centre in Chiswick can be contacted directly about viewing standards in their Members’ Reading Room.