Access to quality healthcare is an essential human right. ISO has numerous standards supporting safe, quality medical practices and equipment that help healthcare providers deliver a more reliable and effective service. These include standards on sterilization methods, medical devices, surgical implants and instruments, health informatics and related products, among other areas of focus. Examples are the ISO 11137 series for the sterilization of healthcare products by radiation and ISO 7153 on materials for surgical instruments.
In addition, ISO also develops standards to help local governments promote health and well-being in their communities, such as the International Workshop Agreement IWA 18, Framework for integrated community-based life-long health and care services in aged societies, and ISO 37101 for the sustainable development of communities.
ISO has hundreds of standards that represent international consensus on tackling indoor and outdoor air pollution. These include standards for the measurement of air pollutants and emissions, workspace air, indoor air, and technologies that reduce pollution both inside and out.
With air pollution contributing to an estimated 6.5 million premature deaths globally, it is important to find effective ways to reduce harmful particles and allow us to breathe easier. The quality of the air circulating in a built environment can be compromised by many factors, such as harmful gases, particles, odours, micro-organisms and emissions from building products and furnishings.
The quality of ventilation and filtration systems, as well as design and layout, play a significant role. ISO 7708, Air quality – Particle size fraction definitions for health-related sampling, ISO 13138, Air quality – Sampling conventions for airborne particle deposition in the human respiratory system, and the ISO 16000 series for indoor air, are some of the standards that support these technologies.
Around three billion people rely on polluting open fires or inefficient stoves for cooking and heating, which places them at serious risk of health disorders and premature death. ISO 19869, Clean cookstoves and clean cooking solutions – Field testing methods for cookstoves, is a powerful tool for the development of cleaner cooking appliances. It provides a means to evaluate existing methods for the testing of cookstoves as well as guidance on developing new ones.
ISO also has many standards supporting ways of reducing air pollution, such as those for electric, hybrid and fuel-cell road vehicles. These include ISO 20762, Electrically propelled road vehicles – Determination of power for propulsion of hybrid electric vehicle, and ISO 23274, Hybrid-electric road vehicles – Exhaust emissions and fuel consumption measurements.
