Standards, Regulations and Codes Standards, regulations and codes are formally structured requirements and test procedures (i.e. metrics) that assist engineers in making sound judgements. They embody acceptable engineering design practice. This can be helpful because an engineer designing to code, for example, does not have to do all of the design for performance and safety analysis themselves from scratch. This work is already embodied in the code. Standards, regulations and codes are usually developed through consultation with experts and are based on scientific evidence, past experience and consensus. They are different from each other, but serve many of the same purposes in the design process. Standards Standards are used to create a common understanding of the specifications of a technology, such as a product, service or system. For example, if you go to a hardware store and buy a box of #10 5mm wood screws it does not matter which company manufactured the screws, the size and threads on the screw will be the same as every other #10 5mm wood screw from every other manufacturer. The standard (i.e. #10 wood screw) is a short, easy way to describe the characteristics of the technology. The actual standard documentation for #10 screws (which is also sometimes called a specification) explains in detail all the relevant information about the technology. From: Marks’ Standard Handbook for Mechanical Engineers (11th Ed.), McGraw-Hill, 2006. Standards allow you to have confidence in the products, systems and services you purchase. For example, if you are purchasing a coffee maker in Vancouver, you can be confident it will work in Miami. This is because the type of electrical plug used is standard on this continent and the power that is supplied to common household electrical outlets is standardized (110V 60Hz). If you bought the coffee © McCahan, Kortschot, Anderson, 2016
maker in Hong Kong, it will not work in Vancouver (or Miami) without an adapter that includes a voltage transformer. This may be a minor inconvenience for a coffee maker, but it is a major issue if you are ordering ten million dollars’ worth of radar equipment from China to install in your new flight control system in Los Angeles. A contract with the manufacturer will include the list of standards that the equipment must conform to; i.e. the requirements. This list of requirements would include a reference to North American electrical power standards so you do not end up with equipment that you cannot run. These examples are for products, but there are also standards for systems, chemicals, algorithms, materials, services, and even colors (http://munsell.com/color-products/color-standards/) and other things. In addition to standards for technology, there are also standard test procedures that have been developed. Like the standards for technology specifications, test procedure standards are based on scientific knowledge, past experience, and consultation with experts. They allow for ease of communication between people and companies. They serve two primary purposes which are related: 1. A shortcut for developing metrics for testing a design. Instead of inventing a new test procedure, you can use one that is already established when writing up the requirements for a design project. 2. For ensuring the technologies you purchase or acquire for use from a vendor are trustworthy. You can specify that the technology must have passed a set of standard tests as a condition of purchase. Standards are developed by standards organizations and professional bodies. Some standards are used rarely, or come from very specialized professional organizations. However, most commonly used standards come from large standards organizations. There are a number of large standards organizations that are active in North America. Four of the most extensive standards sets are provided by • The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) • ASTM International • Canadian Standards Association (CSA) • National Institute of Standards and Technology (which is a U.S. government agency) To get access to a standard from one of these organizations, you have to purchase or license it. At the University of Toronto, our library has a license for these standards sets and you can access them through the “Techstreet” database service that is run by the Library. Standards are not legislated, that is, they are not part of laws, unlike regulations and codes. However, if they are included in a legal contract between your company and a client, or your company and a vendor, then they are enforceable. That is, they become a legally binding part of the contract. © McCahan, Kortschot, Anderson, 2016
Regulations Regulations are laws that are legislated by government that dictate the requirements that technologies must meet to be made, sold or operated in a jurisdiction. They are legally binding. For example, all cars sold in North America must have seat belts, and all new power plants built in Canada must meet emission limits. Regulations will sometimes cite standards. So instead of spelling out in detail all of the requirements in the law, the law will make reference to an existing common standard as the basis for the regulation. Regulations are legally binding in the jurisdiction where they are enacted by government. That is, you must make sure that your designs meet regulatory requirements. If they do not, the technology you produce will not be legal to sell or operate. Codes Codes are based on regulations. They explain in detail how to implement the regulation in a way that will comply with the requirements. As engineers, we refer to and use codes more frequently than the regulations themselves. Some common codes used in engineering are building codes, safety codes, and fire codes. For example, a safety code will describe the necessary braking mechanism required on a baby stroller. Fire codes will dictate the placement of emergency exit signs, the width of hallways, or how many seats you can put in a classroom. In many cases codes will also explain the metric, or test procedure, that must be used to prove the technology meets code. Codes, like regulations, are specific to a jurisdiction. That is, a design may meet code in one place, but not in another: a design that is acceptable in Toronto might not meet code in Lima Peru. They can also be specific to a municipality. That is, a design that is intended for use in Denver Colorado must meet the local code requirements for Denver, the state requirements for Colorado and the federal requirements for the United States. These layers of codes or regulations are created so they are not in conflict with each other, but any design must meet all of the regulations at the local, state and federal levels (or in Canada at the local, provincial and federal levels). For example, vehicle emission requirements in California are more stringent than the U.S. federal requirements, so to sell a car in California automakers must meet the California requirements. © McCahan, Kortschot, Anderson, 2016
What are the Roles of Standards, Regulations and Codes in the Design Process? Standards, regulations and codes are used in the engineering design process in the same ways. To simplify requirements: Writing out the detailed requirements for a complex design project can be arduous and lengthy. Standards, regulations and codes can make this easier and shorten the documentation. Instead of having to describe in great detail the quality of the plastic that must be used in a design, you can just cite a standard. Or instead of having to write out in detail all of the requirements necessary to making a building safe, you can just say that the building design must meet the local building code. Codes and regulations are always constraints. Standards may be attached to objectives or constraints. To specify metrics: Standard test procedures are often used to explain how design ideas will be evaluated. Instead of having to “make up” test methodologies, the use of a standard test procedure makes it easy to describe the process that will be used to compare alternative design ideas; e.g., “the new paint pigment additives will be tested using ISO787-18:1983 to determine which chemical formulation creates the most consist particle size”. To specify “off-the-shelf” components of the design: Many new designs are a combination of existing technologies put together in new ways or with some unique components. A good example of this is a new sports arena. The arena design may be unique, but virtually all of the materials and parts used for the building will probably be purchased “off-the-shelf” or “custom-off-the-shelf”. It is much less expensive to purchase steel beams, concrete, and artificial turf that are standard than to specify a unique, new formulation for these materials. Specifying standard materials, systems, algorithms, or parts also makes it easier to test the items to make sure they meet the standard upon delivery, or to replace one vendor with another if you can get the technology made to the same standard from a different vendor at a lower price or faster. To provide confidence to your clients or customers: By guaranteeing that your design meets code and meets a set of identified standards, you are reassuring your customers or clients that your technology is trustworthy. In some cases, such as codes, it is required. You cannot sell an airplane that does not conform to FAA regulations, for example. If you can show that your design meets a standard, you are supporting your claim that the piece of technology you have designed meets a level of quality that is spelled out for the customer or client. For substantial engineering projects this guarantee will often be written into the legal terms of purchase or licensing for the technology. In these ways standards, regulations and codes are extremely useful tools of the trade in engineering design. © McCahan, Kortschot, Anderson, 2016
