Imagine a world without standards
Imagine a world where your credit card would not fit into every cash machine, where you could not just stroll into a
shop and find the right light bulb for your lamp, or you could not fit the plug into the socket outlet.
World Standards Day on 14 October provides the perfect opportunity to reflect on the benefits that standards bring to
our everyday lives, the market economy, and to the smooth running of public affairs. It also pays tribute to the
thousands of men and women all over the world who develop voluntary standards for the advancement and welfare of
societies.
The theme for World Standards Day in 2015 is ‘Standards – the world’s common language’. Thanks to standards and
standardisation, we can travel the world and use our own credit cards, read graphical symbols that display important
information quickly and clearly no matter what language we speak or read, and use our electrical appliances with the
knowledge they are safe.
But did you know that the first standard developed in New Zealand was for number 8 wire? Or that standards can also help
with storing horseradish? To celebrate World Standards Day, we have developed some posters and we’re highlighting some
lesser known standards so check out our website
ENDS