Join the British Standards Institute (BSI) Textile Committees

The British Standards Institute (BSI) is responsible for the development of UK national standards (British Standard) and for the UK input to European and International standards. BSI are currently reviewing the structure and focus of its textile-related technical committees and are proposing the creation of a number of new panels (sub-committees) whose focus will be on emerging topics of interest and relevance to the UK textile industry. These include panels for hygiene quality and biocontamination, microplastics from textile sources, biological properties of textiles, circular economy, animal welfare and UV protection. These topics have, until now, been dealt with by the main committee but BSI is seeking to create these panels and to draw on a wider pool of expertise from different stakeholders in industry.

ASBCI, as an organisation representing the UK apparel sector, is entitled to nominate individuals with appropriate expertise to sit on these panels and to contribute to the development of new standards. All that we ask in return is that a short report on progress is circulated to the ASBCI’s technical committee and where appropriate, individuals may be required by BSI to seek wider input from ASBCI members on specific issues in order to provide a broader range of views.

If you or any member of your company is interested in potentially representing ASBCI on any BSI committee including those dealing with physical or chemical test methods, burning behaviour of textiles, apparel and interior textiles, non-woven and coated fabrics then please contact the ASBCI office. Individuals who may wish to know more about what is involved in being a member of BSI committees or are not sure which committee might be right for them can also contact Alan Ross, vice-chair of the ASBCI Technical Committee and a longstanding member of BSI committees for an informal chat ([email protected]).