How does the standards development process work domestically

The process of creating voluntary standards in the United States is guided by ANSI’s principles of consensus, due process, transparency and openness, and depends heavily on data-gathering and on compromises among a diverse range of stakeholders. ANSI ensures that access to the standards process, including an appeals mechanism, is made available to anyone directly or materially affected by a standard that is under development. Thousands of individuals, companies, government agencies, and other organizations such as labor, industrial, and consumer groups voluntarily contribute their knowledge, talents, and efforts to standards development.

To maintain ANSI accreditation, ASQ is required to consistently adhere to a set of requirements or procedures known as the "ANSI Essential Requirements: Due process requirements for American National Standards," which govern the consensus-development process. Due process is the key to ensuring that American National Standards are developed in an environment that is equitable, accessible and responsive to stakeholders. The open and fair ANS process ensures that all interested and affected parties have an opportunity to participate in a standard’s development. It also serves and protects the public interest, since standards developers accredited by ANSI must meet the ANSI’s requirements for openness, balance, consensus, and other due-process safeguards.

In summary, the hallmarks of the ANSI process include:

• Consensus on a proposed standard by a group or "consensus body" that includes representatives from materially affected and interested parties.
• Broad-based public review and comment on draft standards.
• Consideration of, and response to, comments submitted by voting members of the relevant consensus body and by public-review commenters.
• Incorporation of approved changes into a draft standard.
• A right of appeal by any participant that believes due process principles were not sufficiently respected during the standard’s development.

The ANSI process serves all standardization efforts in the United States by providing and promoting a process that withstands scrutiny, while protecting the rights and interests of every participant. In essence, ANSI standards quicken the market acceptance of products while making clear how to improve the safety of those products for the protection of consumers.