Standards and the Acoustical Society

The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) develops standards by several different processes. One process is to accredit a Standards Committee, and its Secretariat, provided they operate under procedures that conform to strict ANSI requirements. Development of many standards in acoustics follows this process monitored by the Acoustical Society of America. ASA provides the Secretariat for four ANSI Accredited Standards Committees (S1 Acoustics, S2 Shock and Vibration, S3 Bioacoustics, and S12 Noise). The present system has evolved for about 60 years. Today these Committees are responsible for the maintenance of about 100 American acoustical standards, and they provide US Technical Advisory Groups for the corresponding committees of the International Organization for Standardization and the International Electrotechnical Commission. Assisting the four Accredited S Committees in the development of draft standards and formulating the US position on international documents are some 100 Working Groups, of...