Global players in acoustic standardization

Abstract

The World Trade Organization has identified international standardization as a key to realization of worldwide free trade. This identification underlined the importance of the work by nongovernmental international standardization bodies such as IEC and ISO as well as by governmental bodies such as the International Organization of Legal Metrology (OIML). In acoustics, each of these organizations deals with technical harmonization in a certain field: The work of both IEC/TC 29 ‘‘Electroacoustics’’ and OIML/TC 13 ‘‘Measuring instruments for acoustics and vibration’’ focuses on specification of performance characteristics and testing procedures for electroacoustical devices. Standardization of measuring methods for industrial products either emitting or reducing noise is the primary activity of ISO/TC 43 ‘‘Acoustics.’’ This lecture presents an introduction to how international standards in acoustics are developed along with a survey of the scopes and work programs of these three closely cooperating committees. Guidance on the estimation of the uncertainty inherent in standardized acoustical tests and measurements is a major technical issue. The role of national and regional standardization in acoustics will be noted. The European standards bodies, CEN and CENELEC, have clearly defined tasks within the European Economic Area related to acoustics.