2.10 National and International Standards in Product Design Flashcards
What is a standard?
A set of technical specifications and guidelines that are agreed on and published in a document in order to improve the consistency and effectiveness of a particular product
What can companies who conform to an agreed standard be?
Trusted by consumers to provide reliable products, which contributes to their commercial success
What are designers and manufacturers obliged to follow?
Specific standards only if required to do so by legislation, however, there is a general obligation to provide safe products set out under the general safety and product safety directive that applies to manufacturers, suppliers and retailers
What must products sold in Europe comply with?
The CE mark which certifies that they meet the requirements of European health, safety and environmental protection laws
What four areas of information need to be considered when labelling a garment?
- Fivre content
- Country of origin
- Care instructions
- Flammability
What is fibre content?
Compulsory in the UK under the textile products regulations, the main fibre types, and their percentages must be listed in a way that is easily understood by the consumers
What is country of origin?
Only required if consumers could be misled about the country of origin
What are care instructions?
Not compulsory in the UK, but strongly encouraged, care labels help consumers keep their garment in good condition which reduces the number of customer complaints and returns
What is flammability?
Compulsory in the UK for nightwear and clothing for babies, toddlers and small children. Under the nightwear regulations, the label indicates whether the product meets the flammability standard BS5722
What is the British Standards Institute?
The national standards body for the UK, it sets out the technical specification for a wide range of products and services and works in conjunction with the International organisation for standardisation and the committee for standardisation, which cover standards in Europe
What is the International Organistaion for Standardisation?
An independent, non-governmental organisation made up of the national standards bodies from 162 countries, the UK representative is the BSI
What does the ISO implement?
Internationally recognised standards, which facilitates access to foreign market and helps the development of global trade
What does the European eco label identify?
Products that have a reduced environmental impact throughout their life cycle, this voluntary label was established in 1992 and is awarded to companies that conform to strict environmental criteria
When was the EU Directive on Packaging and Packaging waste passed?
1994, EU member states are set compulsory targets to reduce and recycle packaging so that the environmental impacts of packaging are reduced over the life cycle of the product
What are the objectives of the directive?
- Minimise packaging weight and volume
- Reduce amount of heavy metals in packaging
- Inteoduxe reusable or recoverable packaging desihn
