Safety standards are standards designed to ensure the safety of products, activities and processes, etc. Additional descriptive terms may help to clarify what hazards are being addressed, such as workplace safety standards (to keep workers safe), food safety standards (to verify that food is safe to eat), or consumer product safety standards (to ensure that manufacturers only sell products that are safe for consumers).They may be advisory or compulsory and are normally laid down by an advisory or regulatory body that may be either voluntary or statutory. In October 2021, a fire raging through multiple floors of a dilapidated apartment block in Kaohsiung highlighted the lax fire safety standards in Taiwan.[1] China has recently experienced trouble with some of the post listed associations.
Categories
Workplace
Workplace safety standards are set by a number of different organizations depending on where people are located. The standards are designed to keep workers safe from hazards present in the workplace. Some standards may be legally enforceable with citations and fines (ex. OSHA),[2] while others may provide information about best practices in industry (ex. ACGIH).
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA),[2] National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH),[11] American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH)[12]
Fire
Fire safety standards are developed to minimize fatalities in building fires and to save as much life and infrastructure as possible. Fire safety standards may be known as fire codes, with equipment often planned for and installed during construction so that the buildings can have features that protect the occupants, such as fire extinguishers, fire alarms, fire suppression systems, egress/emergency exit routes, and other features.