Standards and References Resource Guide
Guide Index
- Introduction
- The Standards Collection at the National Library Board
- Books and publications
- Databases
- Websites-Listing of standards organisations
- Accessing National Library Board Singapore Resources
- Authors
Introduction
Standards and References are important assets to organisations and people as they establish guidelines and specifications for the achievement of conformity in quality and performance. They are vital in ensuring quality of life, product safety and service reliability.
This is a selection of resources on open innovation available from the NLB catalogue or the Internet. It is not meant to be an exhaustive list.
Search Terms | Call Number |
International trade | 382 |
Standardisation | 389.6 |
Quality Assurance | 624 |
Environmental Management | 658.408 |
Production Management | 658.5 |
Materials Management | 658.7 |
The Standards Collection at the National Library Board
The Standards Collection at the National Library Board is made available through a partnership between the National Library Board and Enterprise Singapore. The Collection can be accessed without any charge and users do not need to be registered NLB members. Users can also make use of the Lee Kong Chian Reference Library’s Business, Science and Technology information resources to complement their research on Standards.
Please note that all the Standards are strictly for reference only.
Print Singapore Standards Collection
The print Singapore Standards collection is housed at:
Lee Kong Chian Reference Library (Level 7)
National Library Building, 100 Victoria Street, Singapore 188064.
Opening Hours
Mon – Sun: 10:00 am – 09:00 pm
Closed on Public Holidays.
Closed at 5.00 pm on eves of Christmas, New Year and Chinese New Year.
Singapore and ISO Standards Database
http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/Main/
This database provides access to the full collection of more than 500 Singapore Standards and selected ISO Standards such as Code of Practices in the Workplace Safety and Health Act and Management Standards. It includes commonly referred standards by users in the industry, academic and government. These standards are available in full-text in this electronic database, except those standards with copyright restriction for e-circulation.
The database is accessible onsite via the Multimedia Stations at NLB libraries, including the public libraries and Lee Kong Chian Reference Library.
Purchasing Standards
To purchase copies of drafts, Singapore, ISO or IEC Standards, please contact:
Toppan Leefung Pte. Ltd.
1 Kim Seng Promenade #18-01
Great World City East Tower
Singapore 237994
Tel: (65) 6826 9691
Fax: (65) 6820 3341
Email: singaporestandardseshop@toppanleefung.com
Website: www.singaporestandardseshop.sg
Books and publications
Besides standards and technical references, books and publications related to the subject of standardisation can also be found at the Lee Kong Chian Reference Library. These print resources cover a wide variety of topics, such as case studies of standardisation in local and foreign companies, standardisation in industries and quality management.
- Anwar El-Tawil. (2015). Standards and quality. Singapore: World Scientific Publishing Co.
Call no.: RBUS 620.00218 TAW
This book gives a broad overview of standardisation and quality management, covering key concepts such as national and international standards, quality management, assessment and certification. It also covers the techniques of quality management systems, such as ISO 9000, and the six sigma approach to quality management.
- Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation and Korean Standards Association. (2014). APEC guidelines on standards infrastructure. Singapore: APEC Secretariat.
Call no.: RBUS 389.6095 APE
This report examines the standardization activities within the Asia Pacific region, covering areas such as the structure of national standards in APEC member states and how they are implemented. Recommendations to better align the structure of national standards among APEC states are also presented in this report.
- Bøgh. S. A. (Ed.). (2015). A world built on standards: A textbook for higher education. Nordhavn: Danish Standards Foundation.
Call no.: R 389.6094 WOR
Find out about standards and how standardisation plays an important role in the world today from this textbook, which gives an overview of what standards are, how standards are valuable in the modern society, and how standardisation can lead to innovation.
- Das, K. (Ed.) (2014). Globalization and standards: issues and challenges in Indian business. New Delhi: Springer.
Call no.: RBUS 331.20470954 GLO
This book looks at globalisation and economic reforms in India, and how these have contributed to the growing importance of standards implementation in products, labour, environment and safety in India.
- International Labour Office. (2015). International Labour Conference: Extracts from the record of proceedings of conference committee on the application of standards. Geneva: International Labour Organisation.
Call no.: RBUS 344.01 INT
This report contains extracts from the record of proceedings of the 104th session of the International Labour Conference. It provides information on labour standards and their applications by the governments of various countries.
- International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO). (2011). Economic benefits of standards: International case studies. Switzerland: International Organisation for Standardisation.
Call no.: RBUS 389.6 ECO
This book looks at how the use of standards has benefitted various organisations and industries by examining 11 case studies from 10 countries. The case study from Singapore analyses how NTUC Fairprice have benefitted though an increase in revenue and operational efficiencies after implementing standard practices.
- International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO). (2012). Economic benefits of standards: International case studies (Vol. 2). Switzerland: International Organisation for Standardisation.
Call no.: RBUS 389.6 ECO
The economic benefits of the use of standards are explored in this book through 10 case studies from 9 countries such as China, Egypt and Sri Lanka. These case studies feature companies from various sectors and industries.
- International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO). (2015). ISO strategy for services: Case study, Volumes 1 to 5. Geneva: International Organisation for Standardisation.
Call no.: RBUS 658.4013 ISO
This set of case studies features five ISO international service standards “in action” as they are adopted and applied by various organisations to improve their service delivery and customer satisfaction.
- International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO). (2015). ISOfocus (Special focus: Just out), November-December 2015(113). Switzerland: International Organisation for Standardisation.
Call no.: R 389.6 ISOF
ISOfocus magazine is a publication by the International Organisation for Standardisation. This November-December issue, titled Just Out, covers the newly-revised ISO 9001: 2015 and ISO 14001: 2015 standards and the implications of the revisions for organisations.
- Juran, J. M. & De Feo, J. A. (2010). Juran’s quality handbook: The complete guide to performance excellence. New York: McGraw-Hill.
Call no.: RBUS 658.562 JUR
A comprehensive resource on quality management, this handbook draws on various expert contributors to provide guidance on achieving high quality processes, products and services. Learn about the principles of quality and the methods of attaining performance excellence in .your organisation from this latest edition of the handbook.
- Maidana-Eletti, M. (2016). Global food governance: Implications of food safety and quality standards in international trade law. Bern: Peter Lang.
Take a closer look at the issues of global food governance and food safety from this book, and find out how food quality standards in international trade laws play a critical role in ensuring health protection and food safety.
Databases
Databases are a good avenue to obtain information in the form of newspaper articles, journal and scholarly articles, and reports. The National Library Board’s eResources website provides access to such useful databases, free for all Singaporeans, permanent residents and foreigners with an NLB library membership.
- Boys, K. A. & Wilcock, A. E. (2014). Improving integration of human resources into quality management system standards. The International Journal of Quality & Reliability Management, 31(7), pp. 750-738. Retrieved 2016, July 29 from ProQuest ABI/INFORM complete.
The impact of human resources on quality management is explored in this article, which looks at the extent of human resource integration in the ISO 9001 and 9004 standards and recommends steps to improve the integration in these standards.
- Hayati Habibah Abdul Talib, Mohd Ali Khairul Anuar & Fazli Idris. (2014). Critical success factors of quality management practices among SMEs in the food processing industry in Malaysia. Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development, 21(1), pp. 152-176. Retrieved 2016, July 29 from ProQuest ABI/INFORM complete.
Through statistical analysis, this article proposes eight critical success factors which small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Malaysia’s food processing industry can use to evaluate their quality management initiatives and identify the areas of improvement.
- Militaru, C. & Zanfir, A. (2016). The vision of new ISO 9000: 2015 standards. Knowledge Horizons. Economics, 8(1), pp. 131-135. Retrieved 2016, July 29 from ProQuest ABI/INFORM complete.
This article takes a look at the ISO 9000: 2015 standards and outlines some of the changes in this series of standards. It also gives a brief overview of the steps which organisations can take to transition to the new ISO 9001: 2015 standards.
- Murray, W. (2016). Risk and ISO 9001: 2015. Quality, 55(2), pp. 17-18. Retrieved 2016, July 29 from ProQuest Central.
The article compares the ISO 9001: 2000 and 2008 versions with the new 2015 version and identifies risk as a key difference. It also analyses how this difference may affect organisations which are looking at rolling out the ISO 9001: 2015 standards.
- Sampaio, P., Saraiva, P., & Monteiro, A. (2012). ISO 9001 certification pay-off: Myth versus reality. The International Journal of Quality & Reliability Management, 29(8), pp. 891-914. Retrieved 2016, July 29 from ProQuest ABI/INFORM complete.
Do quality management system implementation and certification always bring about an improvement in an organisation’s performance? This article details an analysis of six case studies with the ISO 9001 certification to find out if the ISO 9001 implementation had brought about better profits for the companies.
- Stoian, M. & Memon, N. A. (2014). Evaluating the quality performance. FAIMA Business & Management Journal, 2(1), pp. 28-36. Retrieved 2016, July 29 from ProQuest ABI/INFORM complete.
This article examines the effectiveness of the ISO 9000 accreditation in improving quality in Singapore’s construction firms. It also compares the impact of ISO certification in the manufacturing, service and construction industries.
- Vigneau, L., Humphreys, M. & Moon, J. (2015). How do firms comply with international sustainability standards? Processes and consequences of adopting the Global Reporting Initiative. Journal of Business Ethics, 131, pp. 469-486. Retrieved 2016, July 29 from EBSCOHost Business Source Complete.
This article analyses how the implementation of international sustainability standards, in particular the Global Reporting Initiative, can influence and impact corporate social responsibility (CSR) practices in organisations.
- Yadav, R. (2015). A roadmap for implementing total quality management practices in medium enterprises. IUP Journal of Operations Management, 14(4), pp. 7-23. Retrieved 2016, July 29 from EBSCOHost Business Source Complete.
This article presents a seven-step framework which companies, in particular the medium enterprises, can adopt to implement total quality management in their organisational structure.
Websites-Listing of standards organisations
The development, adaptation and implementation of standards are usually overseen by standards organisations. The following list names some of the international, regional and national standards organisations in the world, and some of the key regulatory authorities in Singapore.
International Standards Organisations
- International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC)
http://www.iec.ch/
The world’s leading organisation that prepares and publishes International Standards for all electrical, electronic and related technologies (“electrotechnology”).
- International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO)
http://www.iso.org/
A non-governmental organisation that develops and publishes International Standards for Business, Government and Society.
- International Telecommunication Union (ITU)
http://www.itu.int/en/
A leading United Nations agency that develops worldwide standards for information and communication technology issues.
Regional Standards Organisation
- European Committee for Standardisation (CEN)
http://www.cen.eu/cen/
An international non-profit organisation that develops European Standards (ENs) and other consensus documents.
National Standards Organisations
- American National Standards Institute (ANSI)
http://www.ansi.org/
United States: Formed in 1918, with the mission to enhance both the global competitiveness of United States business and the United States quality of life by promoting and facilitating voluntary consensus standards and conformity assessment systems, and safeguarding their integrity.
- British Standards Institution (BSI)
http://www.bsigroup.com/
United Kingdom: A National Standards Body of the United Kingdom that helps to develop, publish and market standards and related information products to meet the needs of business and society.
- Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS)
http://www.bis.org.in/
India: Formed in 1987 as the National Standards Body of India to promote and nurture the standardisation movement in India.
- Department of Standards Malaysia (DSM)
http://www.standardsmalaysia.gov.my/
Malaysia: An agency under the ambit of Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MOSTI). Its mission is to provide credible standardisation and accreditation services to enhance economic, societal and environmental well-being.
- Deutsches Institut für Normung (DIN)
http://www.din.de/
Germany: A National Standards Body that works closely with its stakeholders to develop consensus-based standards to meet market requirements. It also represents German interests in European and international standards organisations.
- Enterprise Singapore
https://www.enterprisesg.gov.sg/
Singapore: An enterprise development agency with the mission to help Singapore enterprises grow and to build trust in Singapore products and services.
- Korean Agency for Technology and Standards (KATS)
http://www.kats.go.kr/
Korea: Formed in 1883, originally known as Analysis and Testing Laboratory of the Mint Office.
- South African Bureau of Standards (SABS)
https://www.sabs.co.za/
South Africa: A national institution that promotes and maintains the standards and quality.
- Standards New Zealand (SNZ)
http://www.standards.co.nz/
New Zealand: It is New Zealand’s leading developer of Standards and Standards based solutions.
Other Internationally Recognised Standardisation Organisations
- American Concrete Institute (ACI)
http://www.concrete.org/general/home.asp
United States: Formed in 1904 to help in advancing concrete knowledge by conducting seminars, managing certification programs, and publishing technical documents.
- American Gear Manufacturers Association (AGMA)
http://www.agma.org/
United States: Formed in 1916 as an association to help set national gearing standards, including the development of ISO gearing standards till today.
- American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA)
http://www.aiaa.org/
United States: Formed in 1982 as a professional society dedicated to the advancement of engineering and science in aviation, space, and defence.
- American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC)
http://www.aisc.org/
United States: Formed in 1921 to serve the structural steel design community and construction industry in the United States.
- American Iron & Steel Institute (AISI)
http://www.steel.org/
United States: Formed in 1855 as the American Iron Association. It supports American steel industries committed to manufacturing products that meet society’s needs.
- American Petroleum Institute (API)
http://www.api.org
United States: Formed in 1919 as the only national trade association that represents all aspects of America’s oil and natural gas industry. Currently, it maintains over 500 standards and recommended practices covering all segments of the oil and gas industry.
- American Society for Quality (ASQ)
http://www.asq.org
United States: Formed in 1946 as a global experts community and the leading authority on quality in all fields, organisations, and industries.
- American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE)
http://www.ashrae.org/
United States: Formed in 1894 as an international organisation devoted to the progress of heating, ventilation, air-conditioning and refrigeration.
- American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME)
http://www.asme.org/
United States: Formed in 1880 as a professional organisation that promotes the crucial role of the engineer in society.
- American Water Works Association (AWWA)
http://www.awwa.org
United States: Formed in 1881 as the authoritative resource on safe water.
- American Welding Society (AWS)
http://www.aws.org
United States: Formed in 1919 as a non-profit organisation in advancing the science, technology and application of welding and related joining disciplines.
- ASTM International
http://www.astm.org
United States: Formed in 1898, originally known as the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM). This non- profit organisation publishes standards and test procedures as technical guidelines for product safety, reliability and uniformity.
- Institute of Electrical & Electronics Engineers (IEEE)
http://www.ieee.org
United States: Formed in 1963 as a professional association that is dedicated to advancing technological innovation and excellence for the benefit of humanity.
- Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE)
http://www.ite.org
United States: Formed in 1930 as an international educational and scientific association of transportation professionals who are responsible for meeting mobility and safety needs.
- NACE International
http://www.nace.org/
United States: Formed in 1943, originally known as the National Association of Corrosion Engineers. It is the leader in the corrosion engineering and science community, and is the premier authority for corrosion control and prevention.
- National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)
http://www.nfpa.org
United States: Formed in 1896 as a non- profit organisation that provides codes and standards to reduce the worldwide burden of fire and other hazards.
- Society for Experimental Mechanics (SEM)
http://www.sem.org/
United States: Formed in 1943 as a professional society involved in the validation of new designs and materials.
- Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE)
http://www.sae.org/
United States: Formed in 1905 as a one-stop portal providing resources on standards development, technical information and expertise in designing, building, maintaining, and operating of vehicles for use on land, sea, air or space.
- Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME)
http://www.sme.org/
United States: Formed in 1932 as a professional society in advancing manufacturing knowledge.
- Standardisation Administration of the People’s Republic of China (SAC)
http://www.sac.gov.cn/sacen/
China: Formed in 2001 as authorised by the State Council to exercise administrative responsibilities by undertaking unified management, supervision and overall coordination of standardisation works in China.
- Standards Australia (SAA)
http://www.standards.org.au/
Australia: It is the nation’s peak non-government Standards organisation, which is responsible for meeting Australia’s need for contemporary, internationally aligned Standards and related services.
- Technical Association of the Pulp and Paper Industry (TAPPI)
http://www.tappi.org/
United States: Formed in 1915 as a professional association serving the pulp, paper, converting and packaging industries.
- Underwriters Laboratories Inc. (UL)
http://www.ul.com
United States: Formed in 1894 as a non- profit organisation that helps to perform product safety tests and certifications.
Regulatory Authorities in Singapore
- Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA)
http://www.ava.gov.sg/
Ensures a resilient supply of safe food; safeguards the health and welfare of animals and plants and facilitates agri-trade for Singapore.
- Building & Construction Authority (BCA)
http://www.bca.gov.sg/
Champions the development of an excellent “built environment” (buildings, structures and infrastructure in our surroundings that provide the setting for the community’s activities) for Singapore.
- Energy Market Authority (EMA)
http://www.ema.gov.sg/
Promotes effective competition in the energy market, ensures a reliable and secure energy supply, and develops a dynamic energy sector in Singapore.
- Land Transport Authority (LTA)
http://www.lta.gov.sg/
Plans, operates, and maintains long-term land transport infrastructure and systems of Singapore.
- National Environment Agency (NEA)
http://www.nea.gov.sg/
Ensures sustainable development and a quality living environment for Singapore’s present and future generations.
- National Parks Board (NParks)
http://www.nparks.gov.sg/
Conserves, creates, sustains and enhances the green infrastructure of Singapore.
- Professional Engineers Board (PEB)
http://www.peb.gov.sg
Regulates and advances the practice of professional engineering.
- Public Utilities Board (PUB)
http://www.pub.gov.sg
Responsible for collection, production, distribution and reclamation of water in Singapore.
- Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF)
http://www.scdf.gov.sg/
Provides fire-fighting, rescue and emergency ambulance services; mitigates hazardous materials incidents, and formulates, implements and enforces regulations on fire safety and civil defence shelter matters.
- Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA)
http://www.ura.gov.sg
Plans and facilitates the physical development of Singapore, to create a vibrant, sustainable and cosmopolitan city of distinction.
Accessing National Library Board Singapore Resources
Accessing the Print Materials
You can search the library catalogue (for physical materials) in the library and from home (http://catalogue.nlb.gov.sg). The easy search function allows you to search/browse by author, title, keyword, subject and ISBN/ISSN whereas the advanced search allows you to narrow your searches to specific media types or language holdings. In both instances, you will also be able to limit your search to specific libraries by clicking on the “limit by branch” option.
To search Lee Kong Chian Reference Library’s Holdings
If you wish to search for only materials available in the Lee Kong Chian Reference Library, please always click on the “Limit by Branch” button at the bottom of the page, after you have keyed in your search term. This brings you to a new page whereby you will be able to select the library of your choice. Choose “Lee Kong Chian Reference Library” and select “yes” under the “Display only items available in the selected branch below” and then click on search.
Things to note:
Once you have identified the title that you need, please double-check the following information and write down the necessary info:
i. The “Status” of the item: the item is not available in the library, if the status displayed is “in transit”, “in process” or “not ready for loan”.
ii. Double-check that the item is in Lee Kong Chian Reference Library under “Branch”.
iii. Write down the Location Code and the Call Number of the item. This helps you to locate the item within Lee Kong Chian Reference Library. Please refer to the table below for more information (Note: Please feel free to approach the counter staff for help in locating the books.)
All featured books and periodicals are located at the Lee Kong Chian Reference Library.
Accessing the Databases
The National Library Board (NLB)’s eResources are free for all NLB members. Click here to find out how to register as a member.
If you’re having problems registering or logging in, please contact us. If you wish to find information in the databases but am not sure where to begin, or need recommendations on which databases to use, please use the “Ask A Librarian” function or send an email to ref@nlb.gov.sg for help. The librarian will get back to you within three working days.
Authors
Pattarin Kusolpalin (Updated by) Goh Lee Kim
The information in this resource guide is valid as at Mar 2018 and correct as far as we are able to ascertain from our sources. It is not intended to be an exhaustive or complete history on the subject. Please contact the Library for further reading materials on the topic.
All Rights Reserved. National Library Board Singapore 2018.