Standards & Certification

General
What is a standard?
A standard can be defined as a set of technical definitions and
guidelines, “how to” instructions for designers, manufacturers, and
users. Standards promote safety, reliability, productivity, and
efficiency in almost every industry that relies on engineering
components or equipment. Standards can run from a few
paragraphs to hundreds of pages, and are written by experts with
knowledge and expertise in a particular field who sit on many
committees.
Are standards mandatory?
Standards are considered voluntary because they serve as
guidelines, but do not of themselves have the force of law. ASME
cannot force any manufacturer, inspector, or installer to follow ASME
standards. Their use is voluntary.
Standards become mandatory when they have been incorporated
into a business contract or incorporated into regulations.
Why are standards effective?
Standards are a vehicle of communication for producers and users.
They serve as a common language, defining quality and establishing
safety criteria. Costs are lower if procedures are standardized;
training is also simplified.
Interchangeability is another reason. It is not uncommon for a
consumer to buy a nut in California for a bolt purchased in New
Jersey.
How Standards Are Developed
What is the involvement of ASME in codes and standards today?
Since the beginning of industrialization, ASME and many other
standards developing organizations have worked to fulfill the
growing need for standards in today’s world. Through a voluntary,
consensus process, ASME standards are developed to protect the
health and welfare of the public. In addition to developing these
standards ASME provides conformity assessment processes which
help to ensure the manufacturers are capable of complying with the
relevant specifications and that certain personnel are properly
qualified.
ASME publishes its standards; accredits users of standards to ensure
that they are capable of manufacturing products that meet those
standards; and provides stamps that accredited manufacturers
place on their products, indicating the manufacturer's certification
that a product was manufactured according to a standard.
Where does a request for a new code or standard come from?
A request for a code or standard may come from individuals,
committees, professional organizations, government agencies,
industry groups, public interest groups, or from an ASME division or
section. The request is first referred to the appropriate supervisory
board for consideration. The board then assigns the request to an
existing committee of knowledgeable volunteers or determines that
a new standards committee must be formed. Once an appropriate
Committee has concluded that there is enough interest and need
the standards developing process is initiated.
What type of procedures do ASME Standards Committees follow?
Procedures must reflect openness, transparency, balance of interest,
and due process. Committee meetings addressing technical issues
must be open to the public, and procedures are used to govern
deliberations and voting. Committees must represent a balance of
interested parties, and all comments on technical documents during
the final approval process must be considered. Any individual may
appeal any action or inaction of a committee relating to
membership, or a code or standard promulgated by the committee.
What does "Consensus" mean?
Consensus [as defined by American National Standards Institute
(ANSI)] means substantial agreement has been reached by directly
and materially affected interest categories. This signifies the
concurrence of more than a simple majority, but not necessarily
unanimity. Consensus requires that all views and objections be
considered, and that an effort be made toward their resolution
What type of voting procedures do ASME Standards Committees
follow?
Voting procedures for the standards committee are designed to
ensure consensus as defined by ANSI. Voting is conducted at
meetings and votes are also sent by mail, email and through the
ASME web site. Repeated voting may be necessary to resolve
negative votes. If an individual member feels that due process was
not observed, appeals may be made to the standards committee,
supervisory board, and subsequently, to the Board on Hearings and
Appeals.
The proposed standard (or revision) is also subject to a public review
in Mechanical Engineering magazine, and on the ASME web site,
and usually in ANSI's Standards Action publication. Anyone may
submit comments during the public review period, to which the
committee must respond. The draft is also submitted for approval to
the supervisory board and ANSI. When all considerations have been
satisfied, the document is approved as an American National
Standard and published by ASME.
Why are codes and standards revised?
Codes and standards are living documents that are constantly
revised to reflect new developments and technical advances (e.g.,
new materials, new designs and new applications).
Organization
How is ASME organized to produce codes and standards?
Within ASME, the Council on Standards and Certification reports to
the Board of Governors. Under this Council, there are five standards
developing supervisory boards that manage over 70 consensus
committees with 4700 volunteer members and four advisory boards.
The supervisory boards are responsible for pressure technology,
nuclear installations, safety codes and standards, standardization
and performance test codes and conformity assessment. The
supervisory boards in turn have standards committees, each
responsible for an area of standards development. The advisory
boards deal with strategic initiatives, energy and environmental
standards, hearings and appeals and council operations.
Is ASME part of the government?
No, ASME is an independent, not-for-profit organization. ASME is one
of the oldest and most respected standards developing
organizations (SDO) in the world. It produces and maintains
approximately 550codes and standards, covering a multitude of
technical areas including boiler components, elevators, hand tools,
fasteners, and pipelines to name just a few.
Who are the members of Standards Committees?
The standards committees are composed of volunteers from various
segments of the particular industry. The volunteers are dedicated
people from many walks of life.
ASME standards committees are required to maintain a balance of
members in various interest classifications so that no one group
dominates. Some examples of the various interest classifications are:
users, manufacturers, consultants, insurance interests, universities,
testing laboratories, and government regulatory agencies.
Volunteers must agree to adhere to the ASME Policy on Conflict of
Interest, the Engineer’s Code of Ethics and Standards and
Certification's copyright policies.
How can I find information concerning a particular Standards
Committee?
We have a searchable database(click here) where you can search
by committee designation or by a keyword.
ANSI
What is ANSI?
The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) is a privately
funded federation of business and industry, standards developers,
trade associations, labor unions, professional societies, consumers,
academia, and government agencies. ANSI does not itself write
standards. ANSI is the United States member of International
Organization for Standardization.
Is ASME Accredited by ANSI?
ASME is an accredited Standards Developing Organization that
meets the due process requirements of the American National
Standards Institute (ANSI). Standards that are developed under an
accredited program may be designated as American National
Standards.
ISO International Organization for Standardization
What is ISO?
The International Organization for Standardization (ISO).
Is ASME involved in ISO Committees?
Yes, currently many ASME committees provide input to ISO
Committees through the U.S. technical advisory groups (TAGs). All
United States participation is implemented by the
selection/establishment of US TAGS for ISO technical committees or
subcommittees. ASME administers approximately 40 U.S. TAGS.