Publicly Available Specification
The PAS is a consultative document where the development process and written format is based on the British Standard model. Any organisation, association or group who wish to document standardised best practice on a specific subject, can commission a PAS, subject to the BSI acceptance process.
The main difference is in the area of consensus; a British Standard must reach full consensus between all stakeholders on technical content, whilst a PAS invites comments from any interested party but does not necessarily incorporate them. This means that the timescale for the development of a PAS can be shorter, typically around 8 months, and is why it is sometimes referred to as the “Rapid standard development process”.
A PAS occupies the intellectual space between in-house and national standards; it allows you to set the standard for an entire industry.
The PAS requires less consensus-building than an ISO, European or British Standard and offers the sponsor more control over how the content is developed. Whilst writing a private document would offer the sponsor complete control over content, BSI’s independence in facilitating the consensus-building process across the industry confers credibility and ensures a high level of technical robustness.
Crucially, the development of a PAS cannot conflict with, or contradict, existing or draft work within the formal standards arena and must complement, not conflict with, any legislation in the subject area. It is also written in accordance with BS drafting rules, which means that the content must be technically robust and cannot be technically constrained (i.e. it cannot include patented or proprietary methods or products). It is written unambiguously and with objectively verifiable requirements or recommendations.
All PAS project proposals are examined by a BSI acceptance panel of experts in the subject field, whose acceptance is a condition of BSI being able to work on a project. This is to provide extra assurance that the project is viable and that it does not conflict with current formal projects.
A PAS means:
- Faster development process than a full consensus British Standard
- A credible document as a result of BSI’s independence in facilitating the process of consensus building with the stakeholders
- A PAS can be produced for product specifications, codes of practice, guidelines, vocabularies
- A document that provides a benchmark for assessment
- A PAS has the potential to be developed for promotion into the formal standards process at the National, European or International level.
BSI committees, whilst the traditional route for developing a standard, are relatively costly and time consuming. The PAS is a route to the production of standards and introduction to the market very quickly without the cost and time expenditure of involving a committee.
Origin of term "PAS"
According to a BSI document "Principles of PAS standardization" "The term PAS was originally an acronym derived from “publicly available specification”. However, not all PAS documents are structured as specifications and the term is now sufficiently well established not to require any further amplification." However, early examples of PAS were actually titled "Product Approval Specification" as illustrated in the accompanying photograph showing part of PAS 003.
List of specifications
This list is not complete
PAS
- PAS 003:1994: Non-rewireable 13 A plugs with plastic socket shutter opening pins
- PAS 23-1:1999: General performance requirements of door assemblies, Part 1, single leaf external door assemblies
- PAS 24-1:1999: Enhanced security performance requirements for door assemblies single-leaf, external assemblies to dwellings
- PAS 55: Asset Management
- PAS 56: Business Continuity Management System (2003)
- PAS 68: Specification for vehicle security barriers
- PAS 72: Responsible Fishing - Specification of good practice for fishing vessels
- PAS 74: Internet safety. Access control systems for the protection of children online. Specification
- PAS 77: IT Service continuity Management - Code of Practice
- PAS 78: Guide to good practice in commissioning accessible websites
- PAS 79: Fire risk assessment – Guidance and a recommended methodology
- PAS 80: Automotive garage services - Service and repair of vehicles - Technical and customer service - Specification
- PAS 81: Specification for the management and operations of swimming schools
- PAS 82: Shopfitting - Management system specification
- PAS 83: Guidance on codes of practice, standardised methods and regulations for cell-based therapeutics
- PAS 90: Specification for safe working practice for on-site maintenance and repair of industrial trucks
- PAS 96: Defending food and drink
- PAS 97: A specification for mail screening and security
- PAS 99: Specification of common management system requirements as a framework for integration
- PAS 124: Defining, implementing and managing website standards: A statement of best practice
- PAS 125: Automotive services. Vehicle body repair. Specification
- PAS 126: Furniture removal activities. Commercial moving. Service specification
- PAS 130: Guidance on the labelling of manufactured nanoparticles and products containing manufactured nanoparticles
- PAS 131: Terminology for carbon nanostructures
- PAS 132: Terminology for the bio-nano interface
- PAS 134: Terminology for carbon nanostructures
- PAS 135: Terminology for nanofabrication
- PAS 136: Terminology for nanomaterials
- PAS 141: Reuse of used and waste electrical and electronic equipment (UEEE and WEEE)
- PAS 200: Crisis management
- PAS 220: Prerequisite programmes on food safety for food manufacturing
- PAS 223: Managing Food Safety for Packaging
- PAS 500: Specification for Travel Plans
- PAS 555:2013: Cyber security risk. Governance and management. Specification
- PAS 754:2014: Software Trustworthiness – Governance and management – Specification
- PAS 911: Fire strategies - guidance and framework for their formulation
- PAS 1192: Specification for information management for the capital/delivery phase of construction projects using Building Information Modelling.
- PAS 2010: Planning to halt the loss of biodiversity - Code of Practice
- PAS 2030: Improving the energy efficiency of existing buildings
- PAS 2050: Assessing the life cycle greenhouse gas emissions of goods and services
- PAS 2060: Specification for the demonstration of carbon neutrality
- PAS 11 000: Collaborative business relationship - A framework specification
Wrap PAS
The first Wrap PAS was published 2002. Wrap stands for Waste and Recycling Action Programme and is a company set up by Environment Agency.
Their main objective is to reduce waste. All landfill in the UK will be full within a few years and there is a huge need to invent other methods to take care of the waste. One of their campaigns at the moment is Love Food Hate Waste. Buy the amount of food you plan to eat and don't fill the fridge with stuff you have to get rid of in a week. One big thing that Wrap is doing is helping Local Authorities to reduce their waste.
- PAS 100 Composting specification
- PAS 101 Specification for recovered container glass
- PAS 102 Specification for processed glass for selected secondary end markets
- PAS 103 Specification for quality and guidance for good practice in collection and preparation for recycling
- PAS 104 Specification for quality and guidance for good practice for the supply of post consumer wood for consumption in the manufacture of panel board products
- PAS 105 Specification for paper waste
- PAS 106 General information about real nappies
- PAS 107 Specification for the manufacture and storage of size reduced tyre materials
- PAS 108 Outlines specifications for the density, porosity and dimensions of tyre bales
- PAS 109 Specification for the production of recycled gypsum from waste plasterboard
- PAS 110 Specification for digestate