HSE Articles

How Australian Standards work

Written by Matthew Thompson

Standards play a crucial role in the legislative framework, acting as guiding principles that ensure consistency, safety, and quality across various industries and sectors. From establishing benchmarks for environmental sustainability to safeguarding consumer interests, standards are vital in shaping policies and practices.

In this article, we cover the definition, legal impact, and significance of standards, particularly focusing on their role and various types within Australia.

What are Standards?

Standards are voluntary (i.e. non-mandatory) guidelines promoting safety and consistency in various sectors like consumer goods, construction, and energy, but governments often make compliance with standards mandatory through legislation.

The role and benefits of Standards

Standards serve as essential tools in fostering best practices, ensuring quality assurance, enhancing product safety, reliability, and facilitating seamless trade across industries. Their significance encompasses various aspects, including:

instilling confidence in consumers by affirming the safety, reliability, and suitability of products and services
reducing barriers to international trade, thereby promoting global commerce and market access
harmonising laws and regulations, providing an effective alternative to regulatory measures and diminishing bureaucratic hurdles
providing very technical and specific requirements for a niche topic, as well as general guidance
assisting businesses in mitigating risks and ensuring adherence to regulatory mandates, thus fostering compliance and operational efficiency.

Who creates and implements Standards?

Standards are developed and implemented by a variety of entities, ranging from international organisations to national bodies and industry associations.

Internationally, organisations like the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) play a central role in setting global standards. Additionally, European Norm (EN) standards are widely adopted across Europe and increasingly recognised globally.

Nationally, government agencies, such as Standards Australia (AS) in Australia, or Standards New Zealand (NZS) in New Zealand, establish and enforce standards tailored to local regulations and needs. AS and NZS standards often collaborate to ensure harmonisation and consistency in regulations and practices between the two countries (hence why you may see a standard that begins with AS/NZS).

Additionally, regulators and industry-specific associations often develop standards to address sector-specific requirements and promote best practices. Together, these entities collaborate to create and implement standards that uphold quality, safety, and consistency across various sectors and jurisdictions.

Legal effect of Standards

Since standards often encompass numerous specific requirements on a particular subject, they decrease the need for additional legislation. Once legislation requires that a standard be adhered to, it imposes a legal obligation on individuals or industries to comply, with non-compliance potentially constituting an offense.

In the absence of legislation or other legal requirement, the interpretation of the standard lies with the individual using it.

Here is an example from, our online directory EnviroLaw, showing when a mandatory standard is applicable:

The status of Standards

Standards undergo regular updates with new versions reflecting evolving technologies, best practices, and regulatory requirements. However, navigating the multitude of versions can be daunting, often leading to confusion regarding which standards apply in specific contexts.

The types of Standards available in Australia

Type of Standard	Status
Interim Standard	An interim Standard is a provisional publication with a maximum life of two years. It is usually developed when a subject area has not yet established all its requirements or when national consensus is expected but has not yet been achieved.
Withdrawn Standard	A withdrawn status signifies that a document is no longer considered relevant or has undergone a designation change. A publication may be withdrawn due to various reasons including: Technical obsolescence Failure to reflect current practices or research Incompatibility with new and existing applications (e.g., products, systems, processes) Misalignment with current views and expectations for quality, safety, and environmental concerns. Despite being withdrawn, specific industries, communities or government sectors may still choose to use these publications. This scenario might occur when suitable replacement documents are not readily accessible.
Superseded Standard	A superseded Standard signifies that a publication has been replaced by a newer document.
Available Superseded	Available superseded indicates that a document, although formally replaced by another, remains accessible for a certain period. It may be retained due to its use by a certifying body, reference in legislation or regulations (e.g., the National Construction Code), or other publications.
Obsolescent Standard	An obsolescent standard refers to a standard no longer recommended for current practice or new equipment. However, it is retained to provide guidance on servicing existing equipment or requirements.

Important standards contained within our online directories

Standards Australia maintains more than 5,000 Standards and associated publications. At Environment Essentials, we reference hundreds of these Standards throughout our online directories, EnviroLaw, SafetyLaw and HSE LawGuides, with the link going to your chosen standards provider.

Within HSE LawGuides, audit checklists derived from various international and industry specific standards, with supplementary audit criteria, allow you to complete a self-assessment in readiness for certification or an audit. These assessment checklists are drawn from the content of the relevant standards and are not an alternative to the standard as a copyright-protected document. To buy the standard, please visit Standards Australia, Accuris or Intertek.

Some of the important Standards in our online directories

Standard	Type	Description
ISO 14001	International standard	The globally acknowledged standard for Environmental Management Systems (EMS) offers organisations a framework to develop and implement EMS and enhance their environmental performance continually.
ISO 45001	International standard	A global guideline outlining the components required for an Occupational Health and Safety (OH&S) Management System. This standard provides organisations with a structure to mitigate risks and enhance their OH&S performance. Replaces the previous OHSAS 18001 and AS/NZS 4801.
ISO 9001	International standard	A global quality management standard aiding organisations in improving performance, meeting customer expectations, and demonstrating commitment to quality through defined requirements for establishing, implementing, maintaining, and improving a Quality Management System (QMS).
ASI Performance Standard	Industry specific	The ASI Performance Standard lays out principles and criteria related to environmental, social, and governance factors, addressing a comprehensive range of sustainability issues within the aluminium value chain.
FSC Audit Criteria	Industry specific audit criteria	The OFSC Audit Criteria Guidelines assist companies to complete their application for WHS accreditation or reaccreditation and in preparing for audits against the WHS Accreditation Scheme criteria.
IOSA standards	Industry specific standard	The IOSA Standards Manual (ISM) comprises IOSA standards, recommended practices (ISARPs), and accompanying guidance material, forming the assessment criteria for the IOSA Audit. Operators use it to effectively prepare for audits.
National Self Insurer WHS audit tool	Industry specific audit criteria	This audit tool assesses a licensee’s compliance with health and safety policies, procedures, and management systems, focusing on effectiveness and legislative adherence rather than individual performance.

Certification of Standards

As mentioned earlier, one of the benefits of Standards is showing consumers that products and services are safe, reliable, fit-for-purpose and developed in an environmentally conscious manner. But to be able to show clients that you are compliant, you may need to become certified.

Organisations can be certified by third parties to both ISO 14001 and ISO 45001, among others (although this is not mandatory, and an organisation may choose to implement the standard without certification). Certification validates that an organisation has implemented the standard properly and has a compliant Environmental Management System or OH&S Management System in place.

Do you need help implementing an Environmental Management System or OH&S Management System in your organisation? Contact us today to see how we can help with Environmental Management System and Safety Management System implementation.