How does the voluntary standards system work?
We develop standards in a system that is considered voluntary. This means that the decision to use standards is generally determined by the marketplace. The exception to this is where a government agency has adopted one or more specific voluntary standard within its mandatory regulations. In those cases, compliance with the referenced standards is also mandatory. The voluntary nature of the U.S. system provides certain advantages: it allows the flexibility necessary to respond to changes in technology and market demand and anyone with a vested interest in a proposed standard can participate in its development. However, a system such as this requires oversight. That is why the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) was formed in 1918 by five professional/technical societies and three federal government agencies, prompted by a desire to eliminate conflict and duplication in the U.S. voluntary standards development process. One of ANSI‘s goals is to ensure that the consensus process
