Why are standards by the BSI so important?

The British Standards Institution, also known as BSI, is the national standards body of the United Kingdom.

The NAS has recently become an official distributor for the BSI, enabling us to directly offer our members 30% off their products.

For example a non-member would pay £140 for BS ISO 45001:2018 Occupational health and safety management. NAS Members get this for £98.

Or for BS EN ISO 14001:2015 Environmental management systems, this would normally cost a non-member £240, but for NAS members it will now cost £168.

If you’re a NAS member and want to access this benefit, or get advice on what standards your company should be looking into, get in touch with us on enquiries@shopfitters.org.

BSI has a portfolio of over 30,000 standards which cover a wide range of industries and cover everything from making a product, supplying materials, delivering a service or managing a process.

As per the BSI website, “The point of a standard is to provide a reliable basis for people to share the same expectations about a product or service”. They can help to:

  • Increase productivity within your workforce
  • Help manage risk in your business
  • Embed best practice in your organisation
  • Promote a culture of continual improvement
  • Drive innovation and growth.

The standards are voluntary to use, however they are designed to make people’s everyday lives easier, safer and healthier. Just some of the key topics covered by BSI standards include:

  • Reducing accidents in the workplace
  • Reducing waste or environmental impact
  • Cutting energy consumption
  • Keeping sensitive information secure
  • Making places more accessible.

As of August 2020, these are the top 10 selling BSI standards:

  1. BS ISO 45001:2018 Occupational health and safety management systems. Requirements with guidance for use
  2. BS 5839-6:2019 Fire detection and fire alarm systems for buildings. Code of practice for the design, installation, commissioning and maintenance of fire detection and fire alarm systems in domestic premises
  3. BS EN ISO/IEC 27002:2017 Information technology. Security techniques. Code of practice for information security controls
  4. BS EN ISO/IEC 27001:2017 Information technology. Security techniques. Information security management systems. Requirements
  5. BS EN ISO 9001:2015 Quality management systems. Requirements
  6. BS EN ISO 19011:2018 Guidelines for auditing management systems
  7. BS EN ISO 13485:2016 Medical devices. Quality management systems. Requirements for regulatory purposes
  8. BS EN ISO 14001:2015 Environmental management systems. Requirements with guidance for use
  9. BS 5266-1:2016 Emergency lighting. Code of practice for the emergency lighting of premises
  10. BS ISO/IEC 27003:2017 Information technology. Security techniques. Information security management systems. Guidance.