Guidance

Designated standards: new or amended notices of publication

Proposed updates to the lists of standards for businesses.

Applies to England, Scotland and Wales

The documents above are proposed updates to the lists of standards that businesses can use to show their products, services or processes comply with essential requirements of the relevant GB law.

A designated standard is a standard, developed by consensus, which is put forward by BSI and is recognised by government, in part or in full, by publishing its reference on GOV.UK in a formal notice of publication.

We are committed to providing an opportunity for stakeholders to object to designation if they have reason to believe that a standard proposed for designation does not meet GB essential legal requirements, either fully or in part. Proposals for new or amended notices are made publicly available on this page for 28 days (unless immediate action is required), during which period interested parties may object to a publication proposal by submitting an objection form to the email designatedstandards@beis.gov.uk. The objection must outline why the standard proposed for designation does not meet GB essential legal requirements, either fully or partly.

Any objection received during the 28-day period following publication of a proposal on this page will be carefully considered. Government will inform the relevant BSI technical committee about the concerns raised through the objection. Each objection will be assessed, and the government will determine whether:

  1. the standard is adequate and the procedure for publication of the reference can continue
  2. the standard does not comply entirely with the relevant essential requirements and the reference is proposed for publication with restriction, or
  3. the standard is unsuitable for designation and the reference is withdrawn from the publication procedure

Proposals are actioned 29 days after their publication on this page unless they are withdrawn or further modified before that date or an objection to designation is received. The new or revised notice of publication is published on the appropriate GOV.UK web page and all subscribers to OPSS email alerts are informed.

We encourage stakeholders to sign up for email alerts when we add or update pages. This can be done by selecting ‘Get emails about this page’, which appears just above the contents section of all guidance and publications pages on GOV.UK.

Read more about the designation process

Stakeholders may also object to the designation of existing designated standards if they have reason to believe that it does not meet GB essential requirements, either fully or in part. The objection must outline why the designated standard does not meet GB essential requirements, either fully or partly.

Download the designated standards objection form (ODT, 8.73 KB)

Published 1 July 2021
Last updated 22 April 2022 + show all updates
  1. Proposals to amend added for personal protective equipment (PPE), pressure equipment and recreational craft.

  2. Second version of proposal to amend added for dishwashers.

  3. Proposals to amend added for dishwashers, and washing machines and washer dryers.

  4. Proposals to amend added for recreational craft and lifts.

  5. Proposals to amend added for machinery, personal protective equipment (PPE) and electromagnetic compatibility (EMC).

  6. Proposals to amend added for pressure equipment and equipment for explosive atmospheres.

  7. First published.