Standardisation Process

Any request for a new SS/TR shall be submitted to the Standards Committee for approval in writing with clear justification on the industry or regulatory need for the standard, meeting the necessary criteria for assessing the need for a new SS/TR. For the review of an existing SS, the same procedure applies unless it is due to review under the 5-year review cycle.  SS/TR are undertaken only when approved by the Standards Committee through SC Chairman and endorsed by SPRING secretariat. Where the new work item is an establishment of a new SS/TR, the SC concerned would refer the work to an appropriate TC/WG. The TC/WG shall explore and study the subject and prepare a draft or drafts of the proposed SS/TR. New and existing SS to be reviewed should be released for public comment to notify the industry of new developments and to gather feedback on the need to review these standards. The period for public comment is one month.  

Similarly, a draft SS, once drawn up, shall be submitted for approval by the Standards Committee and circulated concurrently for public comment. The normal period of circulation for all proposed new editions of existing SS, as well as review of SS for public comments is two months. This period may, however, with the approval of the Secretariat to Standards Council, be shortened in cases where urgent problems of safety, health or environment arise or threaten to arise.  For standards confirmed without amendment, no public comment is required.  All draft SS which have undergone the above procedure and clearance by the Standards Committee shall be notified in the Government Gazette and printed. Once published, a SS/TR is always open to review and comment. The Standards Council may, if considered necessary, revoke any published Singapore Standard. This shall be notified in the Government Gazette.  

In drafting the standards, it is important to note that international standards should be referred to directly, wherever possible. International standards or overseas national standards may be adopted or adapted if they are found suitable for use locally. As a policy, the international standard shall be adopted in full and any deviations shall be appropriately justified. In the absence of an international standard, the SS/TR may be aligned with a relevant overseas national standard. The recommendation for the adoption or adaptation of an international or overseas national standard shall be clearly stated in the report to the relevant SC by the committee responsibile.  The approach to the development of SS/TR shall be in the following order of preference:  

·     to use the International Standard directly

·     to examine the standards of the ISO, IEC, Codex Alimentarius Commission, or any other relevant international standards for direct adoption
or with modifications to suit the local conditions or requirements;

·     to examine the standards of other countries particularly those with whom Singapore has close trade and economic ties or whose industrial expertise in the particular area of standardisation is of good international standing and are widely accepted, with a view to adopting or adapting them as Singapore Standards;

·     to undertake the preparation of original standards based on the collection of necessary information and results of research and investigative work.  

For documents published by the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO), International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) and Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC) which are international standardisation bodies, copyright permission need not be sought as Singapore is a member of the three bodies. Countries who are members of these bodies have been granted the right to freely adopt the ISO, IEC, and CAC documents.  

However, copyright permission, for reproduction in hard and soft copy, must be obtained for the adoption or adaptation of a document in an SS or TR from the copyright owner. Only when written copyright permission has been obtained can the draft SS be released for public comment.  In preparing SSs or TRs, SPRING Singapore will, in the public interest, protect the copyright in the document they have adopted. All intellectual property rights including copyright in any works created in the course of preparation of an SS or TR shall belong to SPRING Singapore . No part of an SS or TR should be reproduced in any form without prior permission in writing to SPRING Singapore .

Singapore Standards and Technical References

A standard is set of specifications or guidelines to ensure that a product, service or process performs according to the standard. They are developed through the standardisation process which involves establishing a common standard through repeated and consistent use.  Standards are used as tools to facilitate trade, enhance safety and health, improve productivity, protect the environment, and transfer and create technology.    

Singapore Standards or otherwise identified as `SS’ are nationally recognised documents, established by consensus.  SS undergo the full consensus process including a 2-month public review before publication by SPRING Singapore .  It is voluntary in nature except when referred to by the regulatory bodies in legislations, e.g. Fire Code, Factories Act.

Technical References (TRs) are fast track documents that are developed to help meet industry demand for specifications or requirements on a particular product or process. This is in the light of rapid changes and the absence of any reference standard. Unlike a Singapore Standard, a Technical Reference is issued without having it go through the full consensus process as the time taken could affect its relevance to market need. A TR is implemented and gauged for two years or for a period of time stipulated by SPRING before a review is made on its status, i.e. whether it should be adopted as a Singapore Standard, withdrawn or retained as a Technical Reference based on the feedback from industry application.

All Singapore Standards now have the same prefix: SS