A narrow definition of a standard is that it is "a set of technical definitions and guidelines developed so that items can be manufactured uniformly and provide safety and interchangeability" (Albert Batik, 1992, The Engineering Standard: A Most Useful Tool Ashland, OH: BookMaster/El Rancho, p. 14). Standards are issued by many different bodies in the United States and world-wide, including government agencies, professional organizations, and technical societies.
Standards set down the ideal characteristics or specifications of materials or products, their safety requirements, and their performance requirements, and how testing of materials should be carried out for uniform results.
Codes may be thought of as specific and practical rules for doing things.
A large, and growing number of standards, codes, and regulations impact the field of biomedical engineering.
| How important are standards? Standards pervade our lives whether we realize it or not. For fascinating books on "the real world of human factors and technology," read The Atomic Chef: And Other True Tales of Design, Technology, and Human Errors (TA166 . C37 2006) and Set Phasers On Stun: And Other True Tales of Design, Technology, and Human Error (TA167 .C37 1998) by Steve Casey. These books contain stories -- some of which are spellbinding -- about real engineering design situations. |  |
Use the following resources to search codes, standards and other technical information.
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