Product Standards

What is a Standard?
Standard is a document, established by consensus

and approved by a recognized body, that provides, for common and repeated use, rules, guidelines or characteristics for activities or their results, aimed at the achievement of the optimum degree of order in a given context.

 Standards should be based on the consolidated results of science, technology and experience, and aimed at the promotion of optimum community benefits.

What are the types of Standards?

Basic standard - standard that covers a wide range of services or establishes a general provision for a specific field. NOTE: A basic standard may function as a standard for direct application or as a basis for other standards. Terminology standard - standard that deals with terms used, which often includes their definitions, and sometimes by explanatory notes, illustrations, examples, etc.

 Testing standard - standard that deals with test methods, sometimes supplemented with other provisions related to testing, such as sampling, use of statistical methods, sequence of tests.

 Product standard - standard that lays down the

requirements to be accomplished by a product or a group of products, to certify its fitness for use . Process standard - standard that lays down the requirements to be accomplished by a process, to establish its fitness for use. Service standard - standard that lays down the requirements to be accomplished by a service, to establish its fitness for use. Service standards may be prepared in fields such as laundering, hotelkeeping, transport, car-servicing, telecommunications, insurance, banking, trading.

 Interface standard - standard that lays down the requirements dealing with the compatibility of products or systems at their points of interconnection. Standard on data to be provided - standard that contains a list of characteristics for which values or other data are to be stated for specifying the product, process or service. Some standards, typically, provide for data to be stated by suppliers, others by purchasers.

Why are Standards Needed?

Standards are needed because they make life easier by increasing the reliability and effectiveness of products and services that we use.

What is Standardization?

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Standardization is the act of establishing, with regard to actual or potential problems, provisions for common and repeated use, which aims to achieve the optimum degree of order in a given context. Specifically, the act consists of the following processes: formulating, issuing and implementing standards.

Important benefits of standardization are improvement of the:

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suitability of products, processes and services for their intended purposes, prevention of barriers to trade and facilitation of technological cooperation

What are the aims of Standardization?

Standardization may have one or more specific

aims, to make a product, process or service fit for its purpose. Such aims can be, but are not restricted to, variety control, usability, compatibility, interchangeability, health, safety, protection of the environment, product protection, mutual understanding, economic performance, trade. They can be overlapping.

What are Philippine National standards?

The International Standards?

Philippine National Standards (PNS) are

documents established by consensus through technical committee and approved by the Bureau of Product Standards, that provides, for common and repeated use, rules, guidelines or characteristics for activities or their results, aimed at the achievement of the optimum degree of order in a given context.

 International standards are standards that were developed by an International standardizing standards organization and made available to the public e.g. International standard published by International Organization for Standardization (ISO), International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), Codex Alimentarius etc.

How are Philippine National Standards being developed?

Standards are prepared through Technical Committees

method or Fast Track method. Technical Committees Method Flow

Abbreviations:

PNS (Philippine National Standards)

CDPNS (Committee Draft Philippine National Standards) DPNS (Draft Philippine National Standard) FDPNS (Final Draft Philippine National Standard)Fast Track Method Abbreviations: PNS (Philippine National Standards) BPS (Bureau of Product Standards)

How are Philippine National Standards being developed through Technical Committee Method? Standards established via technical committee method usually undergo series of deliberation and then circulated for two months to all sectors concerned for their technical views and comment. In order to achieve the purpose of standardization, transparency and consensus, a technical committee shall, as much as possible, represent the following sectors: (1)academe, (2)research institution (s), (3)trade / industry, (4)government agencies, (5)consumer, testing institution (s), (6)and professional groups.

What is Product Certification?

Product certification is a procedure that assesses whether a

product is manufactured according to the requirements of a standard. The Product Certification Division, also known as Action Team 5 (AT5) is headed by a Division Chief and is backed by technically competent Product Managers and 3 Technical Support Staff. With the aim of providing confidence to products through an independent assurance of quality and safety, AT5 operates the Product Certification Scheme as follows: Philippine Standard (PS) Quality Certification Mark License Scheme and Import Commodity Clearance (ICC) Scheme

 Under the PS Scheme, BPS issues a license to use the PS Mark to a company after its products have been determined, through audits, as meeting the requirements of the applicable Philippine National Standards (PNS).

On the other hand, importers of products covered by mandatory PNS are issued the ICC and allowed to use the ICC Mark after their import shipments (on a per Bill of Lading basis) have been evaluated by BPS as meeting the requirements of the applicable standard.
Import shipments are subjected to sampling and testing. Product Certification covers the following: Building and construction materials, electrical and electronic home appliances, chemical products, consumer products, and fresh and processed food.

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